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Watcher In The Shadows

The ship was dark. Not as dark as the space it drifted through, but what little lighting still worked in the interior was weak, casting feeble splotches here and there to illuminate the cabin. Not long ago, the ship had hurtled through space like a shooting star. That time had ended. The ship had slowed, and soon the light would go out entirely, plunging its occupants into darkness. The woman,...

What Could Have Been

Floating, it feels so freeing to float. We’re lying in bed together; our legs tangled tightly, my head resting on your bare chest, your hand resting on my swollen belly. We’re comfortable, content, feeling that indescribable feeling of becoming parents. I look up at your face, but it is hidden in the dark of the room. I can feel your smile through your jaw, and yet you never smiled. You...

Reflections

Something’s wrong. A dull pain in my hip throbbed – the sharp edge of a rock was jabbing into me, but it was the thought that woke me up. Opening my eyes, I pushed myself into a seated position. Gravel crunched and cracked beneath me. The second I put weight on my right hand a jarring ache shot through my palm like electricity. Upon turning it over, I saw a large scrape on the pad of my...

The Book Man – Part 1

Joe Snopes swung the Bookmobile through the church parking lot, careful not to circle too close to the line of children and adults who waited impatiently on the sidewalk. Already, ten people stood holding last week's treasure's ready to trade them in for a new batch. Joe waited until he had passed them to pull a face. A few more years and he could retire. If he survived that long without...

Lights In The Wakes

The dirt path winds its way around the water. It is secluded and allowing me to watch the people in their houses going about their nighttime routines. Lights reflect off the lake with elegance.  The moon is larger than usual tonight, air sweet with the taste of flowers. I stop to look at a house, dreaming of a future of endless possibility. I wonder if the people can see me in the dark with...

Before The Sun Was Up

My mind felt clear as I ran. Feet clipping hard against the pavement and heart pounding in my chest, I felt peaceful, renewed. In the calm of the early morning, the only sound I paid attention to was the huff of my breathing and the splash of water underfoot. The air was bitter cold, pouring into my lungs like jagged ice - the only downside to going for a run before the sun was up. The path...

Intruder

Amy stepped off the forest trail, creeping into the shadows of the looming trees. Leaves and twigs crunched beneath the soles of her hiking boots, the sound mingling with the song of the birds high overhead. Carefully she clutched a shoebox, neither letting it tilt to the left nor the right, keeping the creature inside quiet and safe from harm. When she felt she had gone far enough, she crouched...

Justice For All

Justice For All M J Parker The storm came out of nowhere, rolling over the big rig like a colossal wave over a schooner.                         The rain pelted the windshield with the intensity of a hailstorm without the hard little pellets. Instead, the water created a mini river...

Hypnopompic Hallucinations – First Experience

It wasn't until I was sixteen that the sleep hallucinations became a problem. The Summer heat was quickly devoured by late-night frosts. Creeping into the Idaho air was the scent of decaying grass, rotting leaves, and the distinct odor of black garbage bags. To give you a deeper understanding of our situation: my mother and I were living off of bread from the foodbank and sleeping on a...

Welcome, Traveller!

As you can see, we're not much more than skin and bones at this point. Worry not! This is just a publishing starting point. By 5 pm on October 30th our first set of short stories and a few blog posts will be ready for your eager eyes to devour. For now, enjoy watching the site regrow its muscles, nervous system, and vital organs. It's a messy process, but bringing the dead back to life is seldom...