As her husband descends into insanity, Lydia Danse becomes determined to protect her beloved young son from his father, but a possessive Arthur Danse refuses to give up on the boy he considers his property. Views: 360
Every story is exactly 416 words long. They are all horror. They are all fantastic. Trust but verify. There has never been an anthology like this. A special Halloween treat. Inspired by Authonomy's contest and my genius, "416" is a unique collection of horror short shorts. You could do a lot worse than spend a few hours reading these beauties.Four Hundred Sixteen. That’s all it takes to tell a story. A scary story. At least here. Every tale of horror and suspense in this book is exactly 416 words long (you can spend your time counting or reading, that’s up to you). Every story was written by a member of Authonomy.com.Stephen King takes 1,200 pages to tell a story. We do it in half a page. Sometimes we do it better. From Arachnoids to Zombies, “416” has it all. The first fifty four stories were submitted as part of my weekly Flash Fiction Friday contest. Always a treat for the readers, this particular contest was an outstanding success. We got a lot of “new” writers as well as the old standbys. Many wrote outside their comfort zone and they did it well.So, now we have a collection of horror worthy to be on the shelves of whatever bookstores are still in business (another horror story in itself). Unfortunately, timing is everything and my Ouja board tells me that there is not enough time to get “416” on the shelves. That shouldn’t stop you from putting it on yours, however. 416 words is less than two pages. But you won’t believe what we can fit into those two pages. I know I didn’t, and I still believe in Obama. When I first asked myself to edit this book, I thought “who wants to read a bunch of stories that aren’t even written by me. But after reading the submissions, I can almost see the logic of it. Besides, there are two stories that are by me, so everyone wins.Now, here we sit. You, me, and fifty-something tales, tailor made to be read on a cold October night. Short, intense and eerie. You can take them in small doses or plow through with one eye shut and one open. It’s up to you. Don’t be shy with feedback and comments. After all, a zombie can live on brains but a writer needs attention if he or she wants to thrive and survive.Finally, if you think it’s easy, feel free to give it a try. Send me a 416 word horror story before October 30, 2011, and I may add it to this lovely tome. Thank you to Authonomy and Rachel Authonomy for inspiring all of us to rise to this challenge. Mr. King and Koontz have set the bar. You tell us if we cleared it. And yes, this introduction is exactly 416 words. Views: 360
John and Betty Ford always dreamed of returning back to their hometown and owning Mr.Thompsons run down Inn. Since it's been over twenty years since they spoke to Mr.Thompson,things have changed drastically at the Inn. The Ford's had no clue what was in store for them both when they stayed in room 13 and no way out but dead.Thompsons run down Inn John and Betty Ford always dreamed of returning back to their hometown and owning Mr.. John was wealthy, so he had plenty of money to buy out Mr. Thompsons Inn and fix it up to modern times. Since it's been over twenty years since they spoke to Mr. Thompson, things have changed drastically at the Inn. As soon as the Ford's arrived at the Inn it was storming and there would be no turning back.As the Ford's stepped inside the Inn Mr. Thompson geeted them and handed the keys to room number 13 and the Ford's put their coats over their heads and went outside in the stormy weather to their room. Mr. Thompson let out an eerie laugh as the Ford's headed to their final resting place, room number 13. Mr. Thompson said "The Ford's aren't getting my Inn. The only thing they'll be getting is cooked on my stove and fed to my son Delbert." Views: 359
Saira has been trained from birth for this: to battle one of the Great Ones and retrieve that precious prize. But Rajani is old and clever, and like the Great Rocs before her, she is wise to the ways of thieves.A fantasy short story.Saira has been trained from birth for this: to battle one of the Great Ones and retrieve that precious prize. But Rajani is old and clever, and like the Great Rocs before her, she is wise to the ways of thieves. A fantasy short story."Clawbinder" was first published on Short-Story.Me! and is now available for the first time as an individual eBook. It also includes a short preview of the upcoming novelette "Night Feeders", a supernatural western. Views: 359
Harry Keough, aka the Necroscope, has always considered himself a master of the Mobius Continuum--a dimension existing parallel to all space and time and his personal instantaneous gateway to anywhere in the multiverse. But this is hardly overweening conceit on Harry's part, for to his knowledge he is not unique; two other intelligences, with powers similar to his, do indeed exist. One such is the long-dead August Ferdinand Mobius himself, the German astronomer, mathematician, and discoverer of the eponymous Mobius Strip which led him to explore, posthumously, his previously conjectural Continuum; and the other is Harry s son, who has not only inherited his father's mathematical skill but also the metaphysical talent by means of which the Necroscope converses with dead people in their graves!
Picture Harry's confusion, then, on returning home via the Mobius Continuum from an adventure in Las Vegas, as he witnesses however briefly a flailing figure hurtling conscious but uncontrolled through the endless midnight of the Continuum. Who could this be--how can it be?--that a helpless, silently protesting other is rushing meteor-like across the Continuum's Stygian vault? Moreover, if he hasn't arrived here voluntarily, then what vile murderer has sent his victim on this monstrous journey to the end of life itself? For Harry is sure that this is neither his son s nor Professor Mobius' doing.
Who and where is he, this Mobius murderer? It is a mystery that only the Necroscope can ever hope to solve--but at what risk to his own life? Views: 359
MORTAL RECALL
For Sam Ryan, life began at age fourteen. She has no memory of her parents or her childhood. In a decade of service with the State Police, Sam has exhausted the resources of the force searching for clues to her identity. But all mention of her family seems to have been deliberately wiped off the record. Everything changes the night Sam’s missing partner resurfaces as a vampire . . . and forces her to kill him in self-defense. Now Sam is charged with murder. Suspended from the force, and with no one left to trust, Sam accepts some unexpected help from Gabriel Stern, a shapeshifter who conceals startling secrets.
While investigating the circumstances surrounding her partner’s strange behavior, Sam discovers that Garbriel’s been involved with a dangerous organization that’s planning a war on the human race. More immediate, someone is guarding the truth about Sam’s past—someone who’d rather see her dead than risk her knowing too much. To stay alive, Sam must unravel the threads of her past—and find out not only who she is but what she is. Views: 359
Winner of the Blood Curdling Tales Of Terror Contest! Bill’s busy workday takes a terrifying turn when he shares an elevator with a disgruntled co-worker. A 1,000-word punch to the gut!What if:You returned from war only to discover that your childhood sweetheart is with your mortal enemy?Your tranquil Amish community was invaded by vampires?You were committed to a mental institution, only to have your nightmares follow you?You fell asleep and couldn’t wake up?The resort you chose for spring break turned out to be something horribly different?You had 20 minutes to live?You were buried alive?World War I never happened?You fell in love with a painting?These are a few of the possibilities presented in this collection of 12 short stories by speculative fiction author Glen Robinson. Some will startle, some will mystify, but all are guaranteed to make you think. Views: 359
The 5th Spookie Town Murder Mystery is finally out.Who wouldn't want to find a chest of buried treasure, ancient gold coins and exquisitely priceless jewelry, on their land? A treasure a sailor dead for over seventy years once found in the shallow waters of a distant island and later buried, hid, the remnants of at the end of his tragic life. The townspeople of Spookie have been searching, fighting and killing each other over it, for decades and no one has ever unearthed it. Abigail, Frank, Myrtle and her psychic grandniece, Glinda, are on the hunt for the treasure…and they might just find it with Glinda's and the dead sailor's help. For Frank, ex-Chicago homicide detective, there's also a new and dangerous case that brings him temporarily out of retirement and back to Chicago because it threatens his adopted daughter Laura's safety at the art college she is attending. There are three missing college students, young women, one a close friend of Laura's, and the... Views: 359
He is not to open the door which leads to the strange time and place, nor to invite Him Who lurks at the threshold ..." went the warning in the old family manuscript that Ambrose Dewart discovered when he returned to his ancestral home in the deep woods of rural Massachusetts. Dewart's investigations into his family's sinister past eventually lead to the unspeakable revelations of The Great Old Ones who wait on the boundaries of space and time for someone to summon them to earth. Acclaimed cult horror writer H.P. Lovecraft's notes and outlines for this tale of uncanny terror were completed by August Derleth, his friend and future publisher. Of the many Lovecraft-Derleth "posthumous collaborations," The Lurker at the Threshold remains the most popular, having sold 50,000 copies in its previous edition alone.
** Views: 359
Squirrel, the chief mischief maker from 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel � 1 Dog = Chaos is ready to party. He enters Cuddles the dog's house through a special entrance for squirrels on the roof, aka the chimney. Holiday festivities are soon in shambles, and Cuddles, the presumed culprit, is banished to the basement. Meanwhile, the littlest human runs away into a snowstorm unnoticed by everyone except Squirrel. Long-suffering Cuddles must team up with the willfully obtuse Squirrel to rescue the child in this comical story told from a squirrel-centric point of view. Views: 359
On the heels of a perfect vacation, and marriage to the guy she thought to be the man of her dreams, Naomi finds herself in the middle of a zombie outbreak. It is the beginning of the end. And what may be her last normal day, a day that was nearly perfect in every way, ends with chaos and a nightmarish journey home.Love is a powerful thing, not just between lovers, but also between friends. The desire for vengeance can be even stronger. Draco is about to experience this first hand. When duty compels him to avenge the death of his best friend, it becomes his primary obsession. How will this obsession affect his relationship with his new wife? Will it end well for Draco and Julia, or will they be ripped apart by Draco’s desire for vengeance? About 4700 words. Views: 359
W. W. Jacobs was a very popular English author of short stories at the turn of the 20th-century. Most of his tales had a humorous edge, though he revealed his dark side in one or two works. This particular collection contains 15 largely humorous short stories. Views: 359
