Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash Quarantine Day 1: Deadly virus spreads. Entire country housebound 30 days. Military delivers staples, medical supplies weekly. No one allowed out, including medical personnel. Quarantine Day 7: Family bored. Elderly neighbor Mr. Wilson injured at home, military medical staff arrive, take him away. Quarantine Day 10: Mrs. Wilson says unknown when husband will return. Quarantine Day 14: No response from military regarding Mrs. Wilson’s inq

Image and dialogue from “Titanic” courtesy of Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox The young man stood at the bow of the ship, the evening breeze tossing his hair as the sky faded from muted pink to deep plum. “Hello, Jack.” Rose approached in a cautious manner, a smile on her lips. “I changed my mind.” Jack’s eyes glinted against the dipping sun. “Give me your hand.” She did as she was told, cheeks flushed. He led her to the thin railing that lined the ship. His grin curv

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash The pumpkin was simple, yet unique. Not your average shade of tangerine orange. More of a rich honey color. Three faint kelly green stripes bled from the stem, reaching halfway down one side. The shape was mostly round, a small bulge the size of a fist near the top. Perfectly normal for carving a perfectly ordinary jack-o-lantern. Or so the Pattersons thought. This is their story. (Law and Order theme “dun, dun”) “Scary or funny?” Aubrey blew

“Do I have to take a bath?” Lydia clutched her stuffed teddy close to her chest. Her mother tested the feel of the bathwater and shut off the faucet. “Of course. Tomorrow’s a big day. You can’t be stinky.” She tweaked Lydia on her nose. Lydia refused to smile. “But Mommy, what about the drain? What if I fall in?” “You won’t.” Her mother ruffled her hair and walked to the door. “You’re a big girl. You’ll be just fine.” The door shut. Lydia stood in the middle of the chilled ro

“Mama! I can’t sleep.” Travis pulled the covers over his eyes and waited. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” His mom ran into the room, settled onto the bed, her head tilted. Travis dared to poke one eye back into the world. “I’m scared.” His mom tried to hide her smile. “Scared of what? Papa and I are just in the next room. What has you so frightened?” “The monster…under the bed.” Travis whined like a four year old, even though he was already five. He lifted his chin in an attempt

The sweet sugary scent of cookies drifted through the sparsely furnished house. Chocolate chip cookies, iced and sprinkled with silvery balls. “Are they ready?” Allyson bit her lip as she wrung her hands. “Almost there.” Valerie scooped the last of the cookies from the warm metal sheet and arranged it neatly with the others on the plate. “Is the milk ready?” “Got it,” Taft said, holding the cold glass of milk in the air. None of them smiled. The three children walked like the

“Dare you to Ding-Dong-Ditch Ms. Hannity’s place.” Casper wagged his brows, his broad smile reflecting a mouth full of metal. “Nah. We’re eleven, now. Let’s do something fun.” Jared cast a wary eye at the old woman’s house. Its run-down exterior and overgrown lawn gave him the creeps. He kicked a rock down the vacant street. If he didn’t look scared, maybe Casper would drop it. “What? You afraid of the witch?” Jared stifled a groan. “No. And she’s not a witch. She’s old. I ju

Amelia walked the familiar route to work just like she did every Tuesday. Down Sixth Street, west on College Avenue, to the corner stop light on Trade Street. A March chill forced her to pull her coat tighter. She frowned. The light turned green, she stepped off the curb— Only to be yanked back onto the sidewalk. She stifled a cry as a cherry colored BMW that had run the red light missed her by inches. Adrenaline slammed through her veins. “Are you okay?” The man was tall wit

“Donna? It’s been so long. You look great! How much weight have you lost?” Rose gave her old friend a hug as they stood in the check-out line at the store. “Over fifty pounds.” Donna’s cheeks glowed with excitement. “I’ve got another twenty to go but I’m happy with my progress so far.” Rose nibbled on her lip, thinking of the twenty she’d like to lose. “Do you belong to a gym?” The grin fell from Donna’s face. “Yes. It’s the Fit ‘N Slim that took over the old warehouse on Ken

The alarm yanked Ruby from her half-dream, not that she had gotten much sleep anyway. She rubbed her eyes and charged like a mad bull up the stairs of the hundred-year-old house to face her new roommate. “Jenna!” she yelled as she slammed open the door. “What in the world were you doing last night? All night long all I heard were footsteps marching through the living room and someone in that squeaky rocking chair.” Jenna sat up in bed with a scowl, one eye still closed. “What

“Jen!” I gasp, eyes now open as I sit up in bed. The spot beside me is empty. Where is my husband? Chilly air clings to my skin as I slip from beneath the covers and cross the room into the hallway. The stale scent of tacos I made the night before still lingers and my stomach winces. Why does this all feel so familiar? The living room is vacant, although sunlight streams through the cracks of the blinds. No husband. I rub my eyes and search upstairs, then the basement. Still

Jill wiped the windshield of condensation. A chill buzzed across her skin. How could it be both cold and humid? She shook her head and squinted against the rain that pounded the windows. Was that a form up ahead? Her car crept to a stop and a thrash of rain assaulted it, the sound of a thousand angry drums beating the roof. Yes. There was a person walking on the side of the road. A young girl, no coat, hair plastered to her head, arms wrapped around her body. Jill unrolled th

A police radio crackles to life as the paramedic dabs antiseptic on my bloody forehead. Lights from the cruiser outside flash through my living room. I squeeze my eyes shut. “Tell me again how you knew the man was here?” The officer is young, his face stoic as he scribbles in his little pad. “Neighbor. Across the street. Saw the attacker, called 9-1-1.” Pain laces down my neck. My shoulders tense. I see images of a man in black, his knife. That punch. I shiver. “Who?” “The li

The cat needed food. Joanie groaned and looked at the clock beside her bed. One thirty-two A.M. Fantastic. She crawled out of the sheets and took care of business as fast as her tired muscles would allow. With one final pat on Max’s head and a prayer that he wouldn’t wake her again, she climbed into bed, settled into warm arms and a firm chest that welcomed her. She nuzzled in, breathed the spicy scent of cologne, relaxed into the embrace. Her eyes shot wide and she gasped. S

Hi guys! Today I get to interview fellow writer and blogger (and friend!) H. Duke! Her blog, The Writersaurus, is a hub for anything and everything writing! Be sure to visit, if you haven’t already. H. Duke and I met on my brief stint in AZ and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her and follow her journey with Jeremiah Jones. Not sure what Jeremiah Jones is? Read on to learn more! (Her third installment in the Jeremiah Jones series releases Tuesday. Find it here.) Tell us a little

Sweat drips down my back. The day is unusually warm for the autumn equinox. “How much farther?” I say to my father. There are eighty of us, male, hiking to the temple. I’m the youngest, privileged to be among the men of our tribe. Pride swells inside my chest. Each year one male is chosen from those aged thirteen. Me. I’m the chosen one. Friends before me were chosen, are still on their Quest to seek the knowledge life. No one knows where they go, what they do. Now I will fin

Dan rubbed the hood of his brand new, cherry colored Chevy Corvette Stringray with a clean cloth, then stepped back to admire it. His chest swelled. He’d longed for one of these ever since he could drive. He leaned in to continue cleaning then— A cough from someone at the end of his driveway. His face fell as he turned, sparks flying through his mind, seeking the memory of how he knew this man. The guy was tall and thin, with a cigar that just barely dangled from his lips. Da

The neighbors were moving. Eleven year-old Danny kicked a stone along the sidewalk. He squinted against the sun and watched men move furniture into the house across the street. This was the third time the house had sold in two years. A shiver ran down his spine, despite the fact it was the first day of summer vacation. Place must be cursed or something. Crash! The boy jumped and glanced at the U-Move truck. His eye caught the glint of something shiny sitting in the back. Coul

No Trespassing. Mary Ann read the words allowed as she and her three friends stood on the sidewalk outside the abandoned, dilapidated Cape Cod. “So, the old witch finally died,” Sammy said. At thirteen, he was the oldest of the group. Sarah crossed her arms. “Oh posh, Sammy. She was just an old lady. Weirdly reclusive and totally mean to anyone who walked by, but still just an old lady.” “Yeah, but she’s been around forever. I mean, at least as long as we’ve all been alive.”

Hey folks!! Happy news! A Flash Fiction story I wrote for SlasherMonsterMagazine went live last week. You can check it out here. Interesting fact: It’s loosely–very loosely–based on something that happened to me in college!! Ha! Enjoy the story! Awesome artwork created by SlashMonsterMagazine. Go read the story! 🙂 #SlasherMonsterMagazine #flashfiction #flashfictionfriday #horror #Speculative #zombie #guestblog #specfiction #cheerleader