Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
The Gunfight
September 24, 1878, Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Notorious gunslinger James ‘The Butcher’ Jackson, so named since he once worked in a slaughterhouse back in Chicago, rode into town. It was late in the afternoon and James had just completed a long day of riding and was looking for the nearest saloon to wet his whistle. James was the leader of a group of outlaws known as the Butcher’s Brigade. There were usually five others in his brigade, but today, James rode alone as the rest of his gang were going to catch up with him tomorrow, in Deadwood.
By Roy Tsukishima5 years ago in Criminal
Infamous Little Black Book
Sari Montgomery opened her office door, moved inside, and shut it with a decisively quiet snap. Although she'd been a detective for eight years, few saw beyond the statuesque elegant woman with rich auburn hair and intelligent green eyes. Consequently, people tended to underestimate her abilities which worked in her favour, guaranteeing the breathing room required to gather pertinent evidence necessary in building a solid case to convict a perpetrator.
By Phyllis Holt5 years ago in Criminal
The Precipice
It was too fast. Everything happened far too quickly. The rain, the spin, the car, the man. Too fast. I lifted my head off the steering wheel with the words still echoing in my mind. I touched a shaking hand to my brow. It was far too dark to tell whether the wetness was from the rain coming through the windshield, or a cut from the impact.
By Liz Gleason5 years ago in Criminal
Good Deeds
On a bright morning in May 1948, Clyde Hawkins walked out of the Indiana State Penitentiary a free man. “Never again,” he said to himself as he glanced over his shoulder at the brick behemoth. Behind him was a twisted maze of concrete and steel, of chains and barbed wire. What lay before him was a world of endless possibilities.
By Buck A. Turner5 years ago in Criminal
The Lakeside Hotel
The Lakeside Hotel had been there as long as Michelle could remember. Her family had driven past it on the way to her grandparents house for Sunday dinners since she was a baby, and it had always stood out to her as a bit of a puzzle. The hotel seemed like nothing more than a bland, grey office building, mismatched with the most charming retro marquee sign at the entrance. The neon had long since gone dark, giving the impression that the hotel was abandoned, and yet there were always cars parked in the lot. The name had never made sense to her either. The property was clutched by woods, but there was no evidence of an actual lake nearby. She had never expected to have a reason to visit the hotel, but her daily scan for jobs on the college bulletin board had changed that.
By Leigh-Anne Hiltz5 years ago in Criminal
Keeper Of The Keys
My Great-Uncle Graham had more keys than anyone I ever knew. Mum said it was because he used to be a prison guard in a maximum security prison. She said that was why he always locked one door before opening another one even at home and years after his retirement.
By R.S. Sillanpaa5 years ago in Criminal
The Book of Aunt Fay
Avery Evans walked over to the window and reflected on his rough surroundings. He has always loved the desert and the mountains with its never-ending jagged terrain. It is a place that encouraged him to never give up, and to live life to the fullest.
By Danielle Blakesley5 years ago in Criminal
The Little Black Book
Our story begins with a dream, not an extravagant or lavish dream, but a simple one of a nice little home, a wife, a quiet life, and a promising career in the Marines. A dream Darren once lived in but has since lost to the reality of combat trauma, Alcoholism, and what they have now coined as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). With a medical discharge, a rocky at best marriage since his return from Iraq, and a long stint of not being able to hold down any job; Darren was on a downward spiral he was unable to pull out from. He couldn’t really blame his wife for going to live with her mother. She tried, she really tried. But the screaming sleepless nights, along with everything else made it hard to cope with, nothing more than a distant dream now.
By Jason Davis5 years ago in Criminal
