Fortuitous Tragedy

By Jie En Zheng Rita walked quickly into the only department store on the outskirts of the city. The LED lighting in the supermarket was on, reflecting on the cashier’s faces, making them paler than usual. It was crowded, it seemed that everyone was here to share free air-conditioning. Today is the highest temperature everContinue reading “Fortuitous Tragedy”

The Keeper

By Maryanne Knight Trent Hollis accelerated, the highway curving out of the mountains into Peru’s Pampa de San José, home to the ancient Nazca geoglyphs. His fiancé, Paige Osborne, had one hand on the dashboard, the other gripping the seat. Their meeting with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture had not gone well. The ministry lovedContinue reading “The Keeper”

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”

Christmas Crime

By John Haymaker Christmas morning held no real surprise for twelve-year-old Xavier. He knew what his elder brother Drake wanted and knew how he’d get it. He wanted a Christmas tree – a real one, not the ball of tumbleweed their step-father Fred suspended from the ceiling like a chandelier each year. Painted white andContinue reading “Christmas Crime”

Crawling

By Matt McCain  A dense layer of fog covered the long countryside road—the layer so thick, Deborah Peacock was unable to see more than five feet in front of her from the pavement level perspective she had. Her body ached in pain, but she continued crawling down the road, trying to get away. Much ofContinue reading “Crawling”

For Your Protection

Dystopian Fiction By Chris Bunton “Tracy and David Santos, come out of the house!” A voice spoke through a loud speaker. Tracy and David both jumped up from the couch in their living room. They looked around in terror. Their favorite show flickered on the TV, and the image was replaced by a message whichContinue reading “For Your Protection”

Future’s Cold Hand

By Sebastian Iturralde Waiting by a cliff, as the cold twilight wind blew around her, Licana Rose watched the light of a lonely house come on. Darkness surrounded her. Little did she know that Death was standing next to her. “What do we have here?” asked Death. “Who is our target for the night?” LicanaContinue reading “Future’s Cold Hand”