I step up and into the cabinet. Angela shuts the door behind me. She and my other three assistants spin the box. Slower, ladies. You want me to throw up in here? We rehearsed this trick hundreds of times. In rehearsal, it worked flawlessly. Naturally. This is our first live performance. If it goes as… Continue reading The Cask of Magnus
Category: thriller
The Third Tarp
Harold’s eyes jab at the tarps again like a tongue probing a missing tooth. He sighs in disgust at all of it. Two missing teeth. Two. The first two, now two more. It’s the heat that bothers him the most today. After the power went out for the third and final time, that was the… Continue reading The Third Tarp
Wasp
MONDAY: I use the camera on my phone to see inside the bathroom vent. The buzzing sound has been a nuisance for weeks now, and I was investigating the source of the noise. I can hear it; a dry, scratchy rustling inside the walls. I’ve lived here less than a month. I’m still shocked by… Continue reading Wasp
Pause!
I’m such an easy mark for tech gear and apps, a true tech-addict. I never stood a chance with the PAUSE marketing hype. They loaded the ad with emotional hooks. Tired of feeling stressed? Tired of deadlines? Feel like you’ll never get ahead? . You need a break! Relax like a champion! . You need PAUSE. I… Continue reading Pause!
The Sixth Sowing Ritual
Ritual Day Whose name shall I put on my slip? Shirley’s eyes skimmed over her fellow tribe members. She didn’t dare write a man’s name. She shivered at the audacity of such an act. It would have to be a woman’s name. Three Weeks Earlier The day was sunny, and everyone in the compound was… Continue reading The Sixth Sowing Ritual
The Seventh Word
“But it’s just seven words?” Carl sips his overpriced latte and leans back in his chair. We’re sitting in the corner at his favorite Starbucks. We always meet here. His beard is flecked with the foamy milk from his drink. Jesus, Carol. What did you see in this uncouth simpleton? “That’s right. Well, that’s what… Continue reading The Seventh Word
Gamer
I glanced at the poster. It hung on the front wall above the third of five large monitors. Each of the screens mirrored one of the five tournament player’s monitor in the room. I swiveled in my seat and saw three cameras. That’s weird. We were informed the tournament would not be televised. If it… Continue reading Gamer
Basilisk
The question hung in the air, unanswered. I couldn’t tell if this was one of Pete’s pranks. With social media paranoia being what it was since 2031, I screened all my visitors for recording devices, of course. I mean, I loved Pete, but I was nobody’s fool. “Come on, Tim. Either you know, or you… Continue reading Basilisk
Bohío
His thick fingers shake with nerves and are damp with sweat. It takes the shorter man two attempts to pry open the tiny tin lid. The three of them peer in at the contents. The pills seem too small. Are they supposed to be that small? Rick wonders idly. There are three in the tin,… Continue reading Bohío
Papa
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 3 Uncle Kenny never rises before noon on the camping trips. So far now, it’s just me, Cheryl, Adam, and dad, finishing our breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. The cool air and the smokey smell usually make me feel giddy in the mornings. That isn’t the case this morning.… Continue reading Papa
Buster’s Business
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 23 At first, I had thought gravity stopped working. Slowly the details of what had happened come into focus. I was driving, and then my truck became airborne; I remember screams, pumping the brakes, then landing with a crash, and then? I must have blacked out. When I came to, I… Continue reading Buster’s Business
On the Lam
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 11 This is the third installment in this story Finding the Glasses Around the Fold I make it to Gstaad before being captured. But it’s not one of Bobby’s goons that catches me. It is the entity that left me the four-dimensional sunglasses. I felt jerked sideways as in… Continue reading On the Lam
Asylum
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 5 We were supposed to have four solid days of good weather. We got about twelve hours, then the snowstorm hit, and for two hours, we sat hunkering down in one of the shelters along the Appalachian Trail designed for the thru and section hikers. Taylor’s smartphone finally got… Continue reading Asylum
Monolith 4 – Many Miles Away
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 4 Earlier stories in this series. Monolith Monolith 2 Monolith 3; Tammy’s Choice Many miles away There’s a shadow on the door Of a cottage on the shore Of a dark Scottish lake The POLICE, Synchronicity 2 Folks that lived in the valley swore the sun never shone on… Continue reading Monolith 4 – Many Miles Away
Stories by Shawn 