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The Lych Pit by N. King
We bury our past, building each era on the remains of the last, each generation drawing succour from the bones of those who came before. Our ancestors give up their places in the world to make space for us, and we in turn allow them to rest—in the depths of the earth, in ashy fragments…
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The Funeral Eulogy by Lilia Mahfouz
He died the way he lived: like a fool. That was my first thought when I received the phone call announcing the news. Soon enough, I was showered with words of empathy, as befitted my newly acquired status as a widow. I didn’t even need to pretend to earn their compassion. In that circle of…
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Within a Shadowed Wood by Sophie Gazarian
Grandmother’s house lies silent as it awaits the arrival of Little Red Riding Hood. It is a squat redwood cottage with a grey stone chimney that spits smoke into the clear blue sky. Grandmother had lit a fire and put the kettle on to welcome Red Riding Hood, as she always does. But Grandmother is…
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The Last Hunt by Jonathan Worlde
Hartmut has been following his target for a while before the maiden becomes aware of his presence. She knows something is lurking out there. She’s accustomed to this part of the forest and would usually be comfortable in her surroundings, but now she slows her pace, anxiously glancing about. She is an easy and vulnerable…
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The Creek by Bianca Ambrosino
She didn’t see ’em down theredown thereall the eyes in the creek don’t blink don’t blinkor they might make a move on youon youthey’ll sink their teeth right into them bonesyour boneslay under your feet you’re meatnow, she don’t see ’em so they follow her homeher homeain’t been quite right since the sun went downdown…
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One-of-a-Kind by Kaycee Painter
“You’ve gotta check it out!” Eric exclaimed. “Please, please, please!” Kylie felt it was kind of morbid. Practically half the town had died during the pandemic—or at least that’s how it felt, after the third wave tore through. Storefronts still sat empty with sun-faded Closed signs taped in the windows. Some houses never turned their…
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Ghost Dog by N. R. Schmidt
Ginny Flamburger was haunted by the ghost of her dead dog. The dog in question, a large German Shephard-mix thing with constant drool and paws the size of catcher’s mitts, was omnipresent in life. He wasn’t an obtrusive ghost, no, he didn’t make a ruckus when there was company or romantic partners over, but he…
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Flinch by Renee Acosta
Arthur Finch had given up on the possibility of dignity sometime around the age of forty-three, when the last respectable clump of hair abandoned ship and swirled defiantly down the shower drain. Now, six years later, the most exciting part of his week was the dimming of the fluorescent lights as they powered down for…