I was never one of those people who hates the rain. Some people—most, I suppose—see the gray clouds rolling in like fluffy waves and feel the first few drops tap…
Horror
The Traffic Cone
Leo ran his pawnshop out of a brick storefront he rented in a strip mall just outside of town. It had a Cut-Rate Vacuum on one side and on the…
The Greatest Gift
The stockings were up, the tree was strung, and the night was aging quickly, when John saw Matty sit up in bed and stare wide-eyed at the ceiling. “He’s here,”…
The Judgment of Cambyses
It was August 2075 in Brussels. A dying arts and antiquities dealer needed an heir – a suitable one, one that wouldn’t squander and ruin the business he had spent…
Six Vincents
“Now it says here that you used to eat your paints? Can this be true?” Graham Norton asks his guest with a hint of amused disgust as he shuffles through…
Nocturama
“I don’t see why you’re so upset,” she said, tapping the ash from her cigarette. They were sitting outside on the back porch. It was August, still warm in the…
You Can’t Take It With You
Unbeknownst to his wife, Edwin Hersek was involved in a full-blown affair. Her name was Gina and she sat in Edwin’s garage looking lovely as ever. He ran his hand…
Tourette’s Crucible
Tourette’s Crucible “I am sick of meetings; cannot a man turn his head without he have a meeting?” —Putnam, The Crucible. “Yip, yip, bark, shit-fuck-shit.” —Anonymous Tourette’s Sufferer. Act 1…
The Readings at Blighted Corners
I The Cottage on Arnold Street We learn too late that everything is written on the land, and in houses, too. Under their sharp roofs, they are like elders with…
Some People Never Return
“What’s wrong? Where are you going?” “What?” “You’re pulling off to the side of the road.” “What do you mean?” “You’re pulling off onto the shoulder—there’s no tollbooth here.” “I…