Tag Archive for: drabble

Night Drive

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by R.J. Meldrum

 

He woke, disturbed.  The dream had been vivid, violent. Their car had crashed; metal, glass and flesh, all ripped apart.  His mood changed when he saw everything was the same.  The same road, the same darkness.  His wife was still driving, staring out the windshield into the night.

“I just had the strangest dream.”

She didn’t answer.

“I dreamt we crashed.  That we died.”

She turned to look at him.  The front of her face was a bloodied mess, her eyes missing.  Blood oozed out of her wounds.  She grinned with a toothless mouth.

“That was no dream, my love.”

R.J. Meldrum

R.J. Meldrum has been published by Culture Cult Press, Trembling with Fear, Black Hare Press, Smoking Pen Press, Tell Tale Press, and James Ward Kirk. He’s had stories in The Sirens Call eZine, the Horror Zine and Drabblez Magazine.  His novella “The Plague” was published by Demain Press.

Facebook: richard.meldrum.79

Sausage Soup

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by Jacob Baugher

 

When the three sweating golfers in Speedos sink into the hotel’s Jacuzzi, I float to the pantry. Chef Jimmy never notices me. He’s too old to believe in ghosts. I grab onions, carrots, and the butcher knife too.

When I return, I add the veggies, some spices, crank up the heat. Conversations cease. They drift off to sleep.

I slit their throats, crack their heads. The sluggy, grey ramen slops into the bloody bubbles. I follow, nibble at their bones.

The stained Speedos float to the surface. Housekeeping will clean up later. For now, I slurp my noodly sausage soup.


Jacob Baugher

Jacob Baugher teaches Creative Writing at a small college in Ohio. You can find more of his work in Black Hare’s Deep Space, Area 51, and Dark Drabbles anthologies. He’s received honorable mentions for his work in the Writers of the Future contest and he co-edits a series of Fantasy and Science Fiction anthologies titled Continuum. His website is: authorjbaugher.com  

Blame it on El Trauco

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by Ximena Escobar

 

Knowing the fate befalling virgins in the forest, Mirén never sent her daughter for firewood. Therefore, her husband’s claim that she’d been taken by El Trauco, met her suspicion.

Although the ugly dwarf was to blame for every fatherless child in Chiloé, something about her daughter’s eyes told of a far uglier monster. El Trauco’s victims slept unaware through his attacks, but her daughter hadn’t since held her mother’s gaze and couldn’t lose a painful frown.

When the child was born, bearing a hideous singular eyebrow like her husband’s, Mirén gripped his axe, splitting his head—and monobrow—in two.

Ximena Escobar

Ximena is writing short stories and poetry. Originally from Chile, she is the author of a translation into Spanish of the Broadway Musical “The Wizard of OZ” (2011), and of an original adaptation of the same, “Navidad en OZ” (2018). Having started a family in the UK in 2005, it took her a while to feel confident enough to write in English, despite speaking it since childhood. In the meantime, she ran her own business teaching extra-curricular Spanish in primary schools and telling ‘traditional stories with a twist’ in schools and festivals, with “Pie in the Sky Storytellers”. Though her degree in Arts & Communication Science/TV & Media set her aspirations on writing for the screen, she has, since resuming writing in 2018, devoted her time to poetry, short stories and micro fiction. Whilst her first literary novel waits to be written, she is enjoying every minute of this exploration through different forms and genres. Ximena lives in Nottingham with her husband, three children, two rabbits and a hamster.

Next Time, Take the Stairs

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by Nicole Little

 

My new job has phenomenal perks: travel, luxury accommodations; no expense spared. So the booking at this creaky old London hotel surprises me, I’ll admit.

Late for a meeting, I hop on the empty elevator; impatiently check my watch as the slow descent halts several floors down. The group waiting there shuffle their feet, glance at me awkwardly, but no one makes a move to get on. As the doors whisper shut, I hear a woman mutter something that chills me to my core:

“Why are there so many people on that bloody lift?”

But…I’m alone.

Aren’t I?

Nicole Little

Nicole Little is an award winning short story writer living in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Her work has appeared in eight anthologies in the past year. In her spare time, Nicole has either a pen in her hand or her nose in a book. She is married with two daughters.

www.facebook.com/NLitNon 

The Kiss

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by Michael Crow

 

The bite wasn’t what I expected. A gentle wispy kiss just below the beard line, whispering honey-laced allurements in my ear. Languor took hold of me and warmth filled my body and before long I passed into darkness. It wasn’t the terror and pain that stories tell but gentleness and quittance.

There was plenty of scalding, piercing pain like being impaled by a thousand searing pikes. The pain came when I awoke from death. After pain came gelidity and nihility, a void in my being. A gnawing urge deep within to fill the void. A hunger for succulent satisfying blood.

 

Michael Crow

Michael has been dabbling with writing for over a decade. His area of focus is dark fiction. He is also published sports writing having work published by USA Today and The Guillotine. He lives in Central Minnesota with his wife, daughter, and two cats. 

 

The Fliers Club

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by James Lipson

 

“Are you kidding me?”

“I might be. Why?”

“Seriously? Look in the mirror, tell me what you see.”
“I see a well-appointed Armani suit, impeccable Testoni Oxford shoes, one of twelve Rolex Zerographe Reference watches and a pair of Bvlgari BV 106K glasses.”

“Really? Is that all you see?”
“Dimitry, I’m sure I don’t know what you speak of.”

“You do realize your fang implants aren’t invisible, yes?”

“I thought they gave me an air of terror.”

“Vladimir, while impeccably dressed, an aging vampire with dentures does not invoke the level of fear or terror our membership requires. Application denied.”

 

James Lipson

James Lipson’s debut book, Fallen and Other Stories, was published in 2019. His short stories have appeared in Black Hare Press Anthologies, Teleport Magazine, Inner Circle’s Writers Group Anthologies, and others. With a background in art, James has naturally turned to illustrating as he writes, bringing many of his short stories to life not only with descriptive detail, but also detailed visual imagery.

Website: www.jameslipson.com

Instagram: jameslipsonart

 

Covert Operation Helsing: Malawi Mission

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by Jacob Bowers

 

“You may have done your research, but you don’t know a thing about this place,” said my driver as we bumped along the muddy road.

I clutched my crucifix and my badge; United Nations Peacekeeping, Vatican Dispatch. On paper, they knew the vampire killings were third world hysteria. But in reality…they sent me.

I was scared shitless.

We stopped at the little hovel with no windows.

I entered, brandishing my crucifix in the dark before me.

I couldn’t see it—only those green eyes, waiting, beckoning for me to come closer. I reached for my vial of holy water.

Jacob Bowers

Jacob Bowers is a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, majoring in English. He enjoys reading, writing fiction, watching any kind of movie, and debating obscure theological topics. 

 

A Shot of Carmilla

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by Joachim Heijndermans

 

Funny, a thing like her being so beautiful.  Asleep, she could pass for human, were it not for the teeth at the corners from her mouth.  Sleeping beauty in a drop pod.

The colony is right below us.  Blissfully unaware of what is about to come down on them.  Bloodsucker outbreak, brought to them by a shot of Carmilla.

Horrible way to die.  And any infected survivors would get the thirst and the sun’s burn, I tell you what.  I’d feel bad, but one look at the poster of the King massacre kills any of that.

Green light.  Bombs away.

 

Joachim Heijndermans

Joachim Heijndermans writes, draws, and paints nearly every waking hour. Originally from the Netherlands, he’s been all over the world, boring people by spouting random trivia. His work has been featured in a number of anthologies and publications, such as Mad Scientist Journal, Asymmetry Fiction, Hinnom Magazine, Ahoy Comics’s Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror, Metaphorosis and The Gallery of Curiosities, and he’s currently in the midst of completing his first children’s book. You can check out his other work at www.joachimheijndermans.com, or follow him on Twitter: @jheijndermans.

 

Weak Timid Afraid

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by Kathy Slater Neilsen

 

Her skin translucent, veins within, a road map to her heart. The heart I’ve been cast from. I loom over her, wood stake poised.

Eyes open, burning, upon me.

“Get off.”  She flicks me aside, a broken, pathetic mortal.

“Turn me” I plead. “If you love me, turn me.”

“Love? You’re weak, timid, afraid. Turning won’t change that.” She stares. Laughing. “You’re good for one thing only.”

She’s upon me, wild, fierce, hungry. Cold fangs pierce warm flesh. An oaken stake intervenes. Startled, eyes wide, her heart stutters, stops. Eyes dim. Blood gushes. I drink.

I am…

Immortal.

Vampire.

 

Kathy Slater Neilsen

Kathy Slater Neilsen has always possessed a passion for writing as well as reading. Her early writing career included freelance non-fiction. Then, as is often the case, life lead her on a different journey that included motherhood and a small business. But she never stopped writing. Now retired and living on the east coast she is currently writing fiction and is focused on short stories and flash fiction.

 

Gift Wrapping

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by Glenn R. Wilson

 

“We’ve gathered here to celebrate the ascension of our newest member,” says the headmaster while pointing at me. “Bring in the reward.”

Within moments a cart appears in front of me. Upon it, something squirms within a canvas bag sealed with rope tied in a bow. I reach out and open the card attached to it.

“Congratulations!” it says.

A smile graces my lips as I hurriedly expose its contents.

The sound of applause drowns out the screams of the young girl as my teeth press deeply into her throat. I watch her eyes close as I get my fill.

Glenn R. Wilson

Glenn thrives on unusual tales in unusual settings. Through these stories he follows his muse as he builds a base on which to grow and expand. He’s had a few successes so far and strives for more. He welcomes the challenge.