A man climbs a mountain alone. He trudges through snow and climbs over rocks. It is hard work. When he reaches the top he looks out at the land around him, at the hills and forests stretching around the mountain, until the sun goes down and the stars come out, and he can no longer … Continue reading Waiting
Hidden City
Luna leaned against the window of the car as they drove, watching the drab people in their drab clothes walking down drab sidewalks. There were bags of trash piled up on the curb, the remains of old flyers stuck to every pole, and graffiti everywhere. They pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall … Continue reading Hidden City
Silence
Everyday he bathes in poison because he is afraid of bugs. Everyday he covers himself in varnish because he is afraid of dirt. Everyday he surrounds himself with sound because he is afraid of silence. When he bathes in poison, he is also killing himself. When he covers himself in varnish he cannot touch the … Continue reading Silence
Shadows
Despite having all of the lights on, there were shadows surrounding him, dancing on the edges of his vision. They moved slowly, sending tendrils toward with grasping hand trying to grab him before the tendrils thinned out, the hands breaking off and disappearing. He lay in bed, staring straight ahead, afraid to turn his head … Continue reading Shadows
Dance with the Devil
Katarina stood nervously in high heels and a sequined red dress. The room, which would normally be filled with the warmth of hundreds of people, was both empty and cold. High above her, the ballroom ceiling loomed in the darkness, and she could feel all of the empty space between her and the walls. There … Continue reading Dance with the Devil
Float On
Claire was in her backyard, eating chocolate cake off of a small paper plate emblazoned with monster trucks. She was about halfway finished with her piece, although she had already licked the frosting off the little toy truck that had sat on top. Her friends had torn through their own cake, although they did not … Continue reading Float On
A Burning Compulsion
Sam climbed over crumbled concrete, everywhere he touched came away black from soot and ash. The metal remains of furniture poked out in places, buried like twisted metal skeletons. There was no roof, and only a few steel beams standing like monuments in the corners to suggest that there ever was one. Sam shook his … Continue reading A Burning Compulsion
