By Andy Betz The man with the ax faces me. His face is always unrecognizable, but his blade singularly distinct. I see the few drops of blood mirroring an otherwise perfect finish reflecting the light from the moon in the sky. I can feel it burning me, coaxing me, almost provoking me into making theContinue reading “Oleander”
Category Archives: Crime Fiction
Power Hour
By Chris Bunton “Hey kids, it’s almost power hour!” Ellen yelled. She closed her wind up pocket watch, as the kids came running into the room. “Ok, Lacy get all the re-chargeable batteries ready for the outlets. Carrie, get the pots ready to cook on the electric stove for dinner, and make sure the radioContinue reading “Power Hour”
Dead Short
By Tony Sweatland The cops showed up while Mickey was in surgery. Liz didn’t say much other than the basics. He tried to get me, we fought back. He shot at Mickey. Mickey shot back. They still had plenty of questions but they were understanding of the situation and made arrangements to talk later. It’sContinue reading “Dead Short”
The Quartz Child
By Kevin Joseph Reigle When I bought the house, the realtor didn’t tell me a movie was filmed on the property. I ended up hearing about it from an old-timer down at the market. He said I should try and track down a copy. It’d be a chance to see the house in its prime.Continue reading “The Quartz Child”
Sometime After Midnight
By Steve Bates It was the police sirens that woke him. Their ever louder Banshee shrieks sliced through the early morning silence like a switchblade. He could hear as they snaked their way closer, until they screamed just outside the room. Then the sirens stopped. They were here. As Cole Edwards sat on the edgeContinue reading “Sometime After Midnight”
Senny
By Andy Betz and Dounia Saunders “Four years and you still cannot make up your mind!” Her proposal was sincere. The beach house would make a perfect place for us. Everything she said to me was so right. And, at the same time, so wrong. Her face was unwavering. The evening breeze moved her hair,Continue reading “Senny”
Unforgiving Memories
By Glen Bush Pete McCoy sat on the edge of his wife’s queen bed. Milly McCoy had passed five years earlier. A box of faded photographs sat next to him. Fifty-some years of his life lay jumbled in that worn cardboard box. Picking the pictures up one by one, examining each one carefully, trying toContinue reading “Unforgiving Memories”
Warmth and Whispers
By Steven James Cordin Burning cold filled his chest. Voices in his head screamed for warmth. He awoke with a start, his body so cold it burned. For a moment, he wanted to let the cold embrace and consume him. The mad echo of the voices in his head drove those thoughts away. Their urgentContinue reading “Warmth and Whispers”
Queasy
By Patrick O’Malley It happened earlier today at work. Pale and nauseous, my stomach had been killing me all morning. I crept up from my desk and ran to the office men’s bathroom. I dove for the bowl, slamming the stall door shut behind me. I heaved and a fountain of bile spilled out myContinue reading “Queasy”
Et Tu
By Andy Betz The rain beat down hard on the convertible soft top. Generally, this meant I had two, maybe three hours before it began to leak. What I had to say did not warrant this much time. However, should she want to fight, at least I knew when it was going to be over.Continue reading “Et Tu”