Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Criminal.

GHOST IN THE TUNNEL
New York City, a city that never sleeps. It gets its name from the public transit system, because of the subways, which run day and night. Over a billion people ride the subway every year, in fact. Above ground the famous bright lights of Times Square, the illuminating adverts, courting your subconscious into buying products you don’t want or need. Hustlers on every corner, dope fiends looking for their next fix. The bustle of buses and taxis. Sanitation workers seem to be working an endless loop, as the piles of trash just keep coming. Underneath all this, there is a secret labyrinth of tunnels in total darkness, a network that would seem utterly impossible to navigate, not by the ordinary kind of folk, that is.
By Michal 5 years ago in Criminal
Herstory is Our Story
Alright, now breathe! In and out. In and out. My anxiety hasn’t gotten the better of me since law school, but I knew it would be back with a vengeance today. The incident in school lead to a midnight trip to the emergency room where an RN told me I was fine and just low on potassium. She sent me home with a banana and a large bill, but that is a story for a different day. Luckily, I invested in therapy and learned a couple tricks to come back to reality. The anticipation of today alone is shaking my heart and fogging up my lungs. Breathe in, breathe out, A – Anteaters, B-Bingo, C-Cantaloupe, D-Dynamite… I’m here, back in the court room.
By Katie Bolger5 years ago in Criminal
Irving's Money.
When you're raised in a small town in Alabama, you spend most of your time thinking about how to get out of there, or at least I did anyway. I never played the victim, but I damn sure I could have. Life was rough growing up and I was old enough and smart enough to leave it all behind now. I would daydream constantly about it. Living a life somewhere else seemed so much more exciting than just staying put like I had for so long. I entertained every fantasy that entered my mind, always plotting and scheming. I was willing to do whatever it took.
By Cody Joel Foster5 years ago in Criminal
A Painted Man
I have painted Renior, De Kooning, Picasso and many others. Not Pollock however, for obvious reasons. Always using the same oil paints and canvas as the greats, well as close as I can get. If the painting is done on wood, then I paint on wood, same with linen, or silk it all depends. My clients want the closest they can get to the original. No, I can not be found on the internet, you will not see a business card with my face on it. You will only know me at parties, or through a friend of a friend, this is how I get my business. You do not contact me. If I am interested, I will ask for your information and I give you a routing number to send funds through. Always half up front, then the rest when they pick it up. Normally in a location of my preference. Only serious buyers shall apply.
By HH5 years ago in Criminal
A Soul Lost in the Wilderness
He ran, he fell, he ran again. The bag hung low around his dark skinny legs, tangling him as he attempted to flee. The desert which burned his skin earlier, had turned cold and he shivered as he ran, wishing for the hot sun he cursed hours before.
By SEAN WILDE5 years ago in Criminal
The Win
“Caller12, you’re on the air! What’s your name?” asked the chipper morning-time radio-jockey.. “Hello Rod, Love your show. I can’t believe I got through! My name is Helen”
By Michael Civitano5 years ago in Criminal
Oregon Ducks, Not Geoducks
Travis sat in his first period class, Descisions. “A boring senior slack off class about boring life skills like writing checks, doing taxes, renting an apartment etc.,” is how he’d described it in his journal. When his teacher had urged them to write their post graduation intentions and to, “please share them with the folks sitting next to you,” Travis had responded with a hyperbolic sigh and exaggerated eye roll/chair slump then scrawled three giant, sloppy intentions in his spiral notebook, 1.College 2.Chicks 3.Snowboarding. But also worth noting, before anyone could notice, he slid his journal, a small, black, leather-bound Moleskine from his front pocket, scribbled a secretive 4th intention and slipped the notebook back in place. Travis then turned to Natalie, the neighbor he associated with her makeup-covered acne, and said “psh, so lame, right?”
By matt acosta5 years ago in Criminal
"Telling Time without the Ticking"
Franklin Mallory sat on his couch jittery and nervous, waiting for the woman across from him in his father’s chair to comment on the coffee. Abagail Hoffner sipped a minimal amount, hid her wincing well, and gave Franklin a gesture of ‘yum.’ “You don’t have to lie,” Frank said with the grin he had waited to use for twenty minutes. Russel Weiser was standing in the entrance to the hallway. “You knew my father,” Frank half-asked, half-claimed of Abby. “Sincere condolences. I should’ve said something sooner.” Frank raised his hands in a casual signal to halt the course of conversation. “No, it’s fine. Thank you.” One part general jumpiness was also equal parts eagerness to resolve the conundrum his father set upon him. Frank cut to the chase, “I’m sorry to be abrupt, but I need your help. I think I might be in trouble.”
By Taylor Merchant5 years ago in Criminal
The Pleasure's Ours
"May I have this dance, Miss Belle?" Mr. Fletcher's hand outstretched towards Serena Belle in the middle of the Michelin-reviewed french restaurant.
By Laura Sanchez 5 years ago in Criminal
The Secrets Behind Closed Doors
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." I know, I know. You have probably heard this cliche quotation about a hundred times in your life, and I had always thought of it as just another useless saying with no meaning behind it. Little did I know that I would have to start applying this quotation to come out alive.
By Zainab Ali5 years ago in Criminal
The Little Black Book
The Little Black Book It was a typical Friday when I clicked into work on my stilettos with my designer purse hanging off the crook of my arm, looking forward to the weekend. I unlocked my office, tossed my purse and keys in my visitor’s chair and started my usual routine of setting myself up for the day. It took me a couple minutes to notice the book that was tucked neatly behind my ergonomic keyboard, as if it had been specifically set there, not just simply tossed on my desk. It just was laying there, all innocent and unexceptional. A small black covered book, not much bigger than my hand. I knew I hadn’t left it there the night before and no one besides myself and the HR manager had access to my office. I decided to ignore it for the time being, popping up my email and starting up the classic rock station through my computer speakers.
By Erin Kelly5 years ago in Criminal
Autism Fights Back!
A tale about a real man's struggle with blatant disregard for his special needs child from the North Carolina school system. A parent nor their child should ever have to go through what these two merely overcame.
By Kelly Scott5 years ago in Criminal