fiction

Mystery, crime, murder, unsolved cases. Contribute your own tales of crime to Criminal.

Secrets Revealed By The Little Black Book
I remember nothing about my first few years on earth. All Grandma Misty ever told me was that someone murdered my parents when I was a baby. I know that they loved me dearly, and Grandma Misty raised me as her own. She constantly reminded me of how much my parents loved me. We would lay on the floor next to the fireplace, where she told me stories about my mom while we both sipped on some hot cocoa during the winter nights. We didn't know much about my dad but that he was a refugee with no living relatives.
By Ali SP5 years ago in Criminal
The Fight
It was a clear night; not a cloud in the sky. The moon was shining so bright, the streetlights were barely needed. Jake couldn’t help but look at the stars, wishing he was going anywhere else. Still sore from last time, Jake held his ribs and took a deep breath as he scanned the area to ensure he wasn’t being followed. He clutched his gym bag in his hand as he ducked into a dark alley, where even the man in the moon couldn’t see him. Jake walked up to a large, steel security door and knocked two times. A small window popped open and a set of eyes glared at him. “Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches,” Jake said confidently. The door opened and Jake walked in.
By Heather Fritch5 years ago in Criminal
Grandma's Black Notebook
As I opened the letter from my Grandmother a chill came over me. I wanted to throw it away but couldn't. "You have to find the black notebook. It was taken or lost in the black of night. In this book are the codes for the continuation of our species and if the code is not connected before the 21st hour of the 21st day in the 21st year we will die. You are the deliverer born on the 21st day of the 11th month. You alone must find the Black Notebook."
By Michael Neumann5 years ago in Criminal
A Hike in the Woods
Steele sat impatiently at the door with his large brown eyes watching me, eager for his walk. “Ok mom, I have to go. Steele needs his walk or he will destroy the house,” I said, getting his harness and leash out of the coat closet.
By Anna Olech5 years ago in Criminal
The Well-Intentioned Hit List
I write all of their names in a journal, every single one of them. At first, it was my way of holding myself accountable for my actions. I thought that if I was forced to look at all of their names at the conclusion of each job, I would see them, relive my guilt, and have no choice but to stop. When I first began, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to do more than five. It was surprising enough that I did one in the first place, but five would surely be when I clocked out.
By Megan W.5 years ago in Criminal
Nothing's Free
The room was barely lit by a little gloomy cloud-filtered sun through one window. There was a rustling sound that was part crumbling bricks and part scurrying rats. James pulled the comforter up over his head to hide from the cold. Home sweet squat.
By Tyghe Deerfield5 years ago in Criminal
Serum
Pink and green lights moved across her in waves, bathing her bare skin in comfort as she stood by the window watching the relentless stream of ads that flashed across the giant screen opposite her window. They had started putting up the Scriins all over London when she was young, and now every building in the city was wrapped in them, their holograms filling the city with neon from dusk till sunrise. It had been another endless encompassing night that slipped easily into dawn as the tell-tale sky high above let her know it was time as it changed slowly from darkness to a familiar pale silvery-blue. She shifted herself from the wall and padded over to the sleek black panel that took up an entire wall in her bedroom and touched it lightly, it slid open, immediately offering her a glossy flat envelope from the hundreds that lay in neat little rows behind it. She ripped into it, dropping the bio-plastic on the floor and throwing her uniform on over the comfy, worn underwear she’d put on the night before. She sidestepped in front of the old-fashioned mirror that hung next to the wardrobe, the one she’d found in one of the junkshops in the lower levels. The Company had offered to pay for a plexi-mirror to be installed when they’d upgraded her to her own flat, but she’d flatly refused, opting instead for the old and worn antique. She loved that it wasn’t tech reliant, it was simple, quiet and pure. No touch screen beauty bot options, just her.
By Sara Whitney5 years ago in Criminal
A Fortunate Finding
11:35 Monday 14th of September 1718 So he ran, dotting through the crowd trying to lose the pirates that were chasing him. And that’s when he lost track of it all; a sudden burst of colour as the town fool shook his marotte inches from his face, an old lady tying a raggedy ribbon onto his hand “It has healing powers love it will do that nasty frown of yours some good” and a girl grabbing the very thing he’s been protecting for years. He landed on the floor, the world in front of him becoming blurry for a mere second, but even so, he knew that it was too late.
By Joanna Juszczyk5 years ago in Criminal
Madam Hollywood’s Little Black Book of Sins
The infamous City of Angels, home to nearly four-million sinners who hide behind the facade of saints. A city so bright that the only stars available for weary eyes to witness are on the streets of Hollywood Blvd. Many come from all walks of life, all looking to obtain the American dream only to find those same desires to be polluted with the worries, fears, and self-depreciation manufactured by a city filled with more envy than hospitality. There are only two souls that survive and more or less thrive in this City of dreamers, and that is either a soul that has no ulterior motives to obtain money, power, and glory to fulfill their egos or compensate for their lack of intrinsic self-worth. This is because they are individuals that radiate true positivity wherever they go. This is the soul that can be seen on the beaches in Venice, basking in the warmth of the sun, appreciating and reflecting on all that the Earth continuously and generously gives its inhabitants, whereas, the other soul only seeks to take and gain. This darker soul will not be found in the same generalized image of a typical antagonist with a villainous smile or malevolent gaze; this is an individual who can look like a mother, father, or friend but has no intentions to be there in your time of need. Some say “not all hero’s wear capes” and in this sense, it is important to know that not all villains have horns. This soul, which you will encounter far more of in your travels to the city of angels, is consumed by greed and pride. They seek the satisfactions of fame, wealth, and obscene power to meet their every demand to feel even the slightest available sense of joy, and they will do anything to obtain it. Even if they have to sell a piece of their soul.
By Sabrina5 years ago in Criminal
The Bloody Dance. Top Story - March 2021.
“Dance with me,” he yelled. Move your hips to the beat of the music. Who cares who is looking, as long as your beads hypnotise me with their jingles.
By Tito M. Williams5 years ago in Criminal
How much for your life?
How do you quantify the value of someone’s life? We apply our own ideas of what makes something valuable to objects all the time. If you ask a stranger on the street what they would be willing to pay for a candy bar, what would they say? One dollar, maybe five it it’s some kind of fancy, gourmet stuff. Now ask that same person, how much for the life of someone you love? They would do what any sensible person would do right? They’d gasp or act appalled at the very idea! But everything has a value, a number based on the demand we have for it. So, I ask again…
By Zurlia Mosby5 years ago in Criminal
A Privileged Statement
It wasn’t a bribe, if that’s what you’re implying. It is not uncommon for a tenant to reward good service from his building manager. And our building, as you are aware, is known (no, renowned) for its excellent (no, flawless) service. A bribe – ha! The incident with Mr. Diavoli and the unfortunate termination of Ms. Rabinovitch’s lease have nothing to do with each other – not one thing.
By Griffin Gonzales5 years ago in Criminal