Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
Sarah, The Little Black Book
Sarah, The Little Black Book by Eudora Aletta It was on a hot summer afternoon in Victoria, British Colombia (BC) when Sarah was held hostage. I still don’t understand what happened and how the hell she got there before me. However, I loved every bit of it.
By Eudora Aletta5 years ago in Criminal
Nicholas Blake’s Little, Black, Book
The shelter my suburban life carefully constructed kept me living in a safe world where bad things didn’t happen to good people unless from tragic accidents or standard errors. The walls were too paper-thin; if only the veil had been made of glass, I could have seen him coming before my perspective collided with a reality I never imagined could exist. All I know is, I'm not the villain, and he's not the hero; allow me a moment to offer you some valuable insight into this dark turn of events.
By Imani Hicks5 years ago in Criminal
Lisbon
I was hurriedly sent to Lisbon. Although I wasn’t fluent in Portuguese, it was similar enough to the other Latin-based languages I did speak that it wouldn’t be an issue. What concerned me was the lack of instructions I received regarding my assignment. I had faint photos of the OSS officers working in and around the city and scant details about them that were barely more than one might gather from striking up a conversation with a complete stranger. Since I had only just been activated, I doubted that any of them, nor any of the Germans would have much on me either. They probably didn’t even know what I looked like. That gave me a temporary advantage that likely couldn’t be utilized because I did not know what I was supposed to be doing in Portugal.
By Ron Kretschmer5 years ago in Criminal
Formula
Formula It was so cold you had to think just to get through it. You dared not stop for a second or you might freeze in place. It was an “ear-flaps-down” kind of day. Turn a corner and watch your breath get carried away in a cloud. Keep your head down. Keep moving. Nothing was worth stopping for.
By Diane Reindl5 years ago in Criminal
Little Black Notebook
When I woke up Saturday, I wasn’t looking for an adventure. Sometimes you find yourself going through everything that happened that week. My Aunt Eliza died Thursday. At seventy-two, she had been a bundle of energy. She worked part time at the local museum so she could chat with people. She claimed it gave her a little extra cash. It was the perfect job for her. She loved learning. She was a college librarian for twenty-five years. She got my brother, Marco a job as a security guard at the museum. He is spending time at our Mom’s house making sure she is okay.
By S. L. Kirby5 years ago in Criminal
A Thief's Prize
Sipping on some lukewarm hot chocolate, Percy started going through his earnings for the day. He rummaged in his many pockets and removed all contents within. Percy had managed to obtain: four wallets, two high-quality phones, an expensive-looking ring, and a lighter. There had been no real need to take the lighter, but it had been so casually left on a table that it felt rude not to take it.
By Joshua Stevens-Shachar5 years ago in Criminal
A Bird Walks Into a Bank
A bird walked into a bank with a gun. It had been an especially slow day at the branch, where only one teller was working. As she had done for the last forty years, she was passing the time by doodling in her notebook. She was nearly finished with the last page of its slender volume when she heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps.
By Ash Navabi5 years ago in Criminal
Robin_Margeaux
Our apartment isn’t huge. It’s 700 square feet, roughly, so, with two kids plus a dog, it feels much smaller. The living room is a chaotic assortment of furniture, baby toys, Barbie dolls, crumbles of dried out play dough, junk mail, bills and shoes that no one wants to put away, no matter how simple I make it for them. Just about daily, I use a selection of expletives to inquire with each and every one of my family members how hard it is to wash a spoon. Or a cereal bowl. Or to take their dirty garments just six inches further, and into the actual hamper rather than scattered within short proximity of it.
By Emily Armijos5 years ago in Criminal
Dark Santa
Twenty-three years ago, a woman gave birth to a child in a black market, underground cave where she is one of many; held captive. Her abuser is the father of a budding crypto cult, where the RNA of male genes and chromosomes are empathetically mutated and used on female babies to strengthen their body’s natural immune system. After a negative gender identity, her child was swiftly removed. Only to be used like all other negative results, as test subjects for the next batch of girl babies. Surprisingly, the caretaker deviates and ships the baby to a disclosed facility were the rare few, are given rays of hope through adoption or foster care.
By Rheda Denning5 years ago in Criminal
