Horror
Sinister Vines
A pale white face descended into the dark waters. Her lungs were aflame with her final breath pushing against her rib cage. She started going down deeper and deeper into the lake. Her vision became blurry until light disappeared along with her hope.
By Alexis Lease4 years ago in Fiction
Lilith of Lake Huron
Rumor has it by tourists, that Mackinac Island off of Lake Huron is the place to go for a good time and discovery. Mackinac Island off of Lake Huron has stunning sunrises, which is how it became known as the Sunrise Coast. Visitors can take a scenic drive along the Lake Huron coast on the Huron Shores Heritage Route, which runs for 200 miles along US-23, or you can pick up the Huron Shores Coastal Water Trail in Standish and paddle your way along the coastline. Another option is guests can take a ferry across Lake Huron to Mackinac Island or plan a sunset cruise. Recreational diving is a popular activity on Lake Huron because of the hundreds of shipwrecks that are stationed at the depths of Lake Huron.
By Michelle Mathis4 years ago in Fiction
The Groundskeeper's Contract
Sweet and salty, the essences indulge my palates as each lick catches the fresh blood dripping off my lips. The iron-infused concoction dribbles downward on my chin, painting a dark red message on the fallen leaves lying at my feet. A warning to escape while I can. Somehow, I can’t convince myself enough to leave this crouching position, though I should know better.
By Luna Jupiter4 years ago in Fiction
Jaguar Eyes
The mourners at my nephew’s funeral do one of two things as I walk to the front of the gathering to stand with my remaining family; they either stare at me or avoid making eye contact at all. A few whisper quietly amongst themselves, but most of them are too far off for me to hear. The ones I do hear are from a conversation between my niece, Tanya, and her mother, Emma.
By Megan Baker (Left Vocal in 2023)4 years ago in Fiction
Happy
They sang the song they knew so well, the dimness of the candle flame illuminating each family member’s false smile. As the moment came, the veil of joy was quickly replaced with undisguised fear as they all watched Toby blow out the candles. He blew at the waxen wicks as if his life depended on it. His father closed his eyes and wished that when he opened them again, he would see nothing, but darkness and his family would be spared from another visit. Before he could lift his eyelids, he knew the result by the sound of his wife’s desperate scream. Feeling her grasp his arm, he quietly whispered, “No, it can’t be, not again.”
By Jason Fischer4 years ago in Fiction
The Listing
Barbara pulled into the neighborhood and instantly felt out of place. The houses were all much too large, and the lots were more than twice the size she was used to seeing. Amongst the multicolored leaf strewn lawns, she drove down the winding road glancing at her GPS. The house that she was fooling herself that they could afford was less than a quarter of a mile away. Passing what could easily be described as a manor, it was well over six thousand square feet. She almost turned around feeling overwhelmed. As she rounded the corner, she saw the house from the listing. It was perfect in every way. The tall, gabbled roof stood three stories in the air, giving the cottage home a look of elegance amongst the perfectly manicured lawn. As she pulled into the horseshoe driveway, the GPS made an odd beeping noise she had never heard before, and the screen flashed ‘Wrong Address’ repeatedly. She hit the large X on the digital display, canceling the navigation. Hers was the only car, assuming she beat the real estate agent there, she pulled up the listing. It would be the fourth time she viewed it today, but still wasn’t tired of it.
By Jason Fischer4 years ago in Fiction
Mama's Boy
He was standing very still, looking eastward, as the sun began its morning climb into the sky. He had been wakeful during the night. That was nothing particularly remarkable as there was rarely a night during which he slept soundly, nor was it much of a problem as he could easily nap during the day to make up for any lost nighttime sleep.
By Marie McGrath4 years ago in Fiction
Gods of Time
Author's Note: The cover photo and the (somewhat silly) video at the end are all me, bad singing included. Sorry about that, I suppose I got very invested in this story. It was intentionally written with the gender of the second person protagonist left ambiguous so you can put yourself in their shoes regardless of your gender. However, if you can figure out what classic work of literature this is very vaguely inspired by you might guess what I had in mind while I wrote it. I will let you know the answer at the end.
By Yana Aleks4 years ago in Fiction
Time To Escape The Ocean
Listening to the music playing from the crashing of the waves sounds so pleasant as the vibrations are soothing to feel by lying by the shore. But I don’t deserve pleasure. At least not anymore. Not for anything I’ve ever done. Plus by staying here in this gang of ‘unapproachable creatures’ I’m only destined for more condemnations.
By Keanna Barry 4 years ago in Fiction
Don't Drink the Water
Kyungay fell, landing on the dry mudstone floor with a thud and a snap. He tried shifting to a more comfortable position, but was rewarded only by an intense pain in his left ankle. Cautiously, he brushed his hand along it - a sliver of bone was jutting sharply outwards, threatening to break the skin. Kyungay forced himself to his feet, gritting his teeth and grunting with the pain. The pain didn't matter, he reminded himself. Once he'd found the Fountain, he could stop worrying about pain and injury forever.
By Daniel Tessier4 years ago in Fiction
