I step into the subway car as I do every evening after work, finding it completely deserted at this time of evening. These late nights have become common and my family has become understanding of it. This night, however, I feel especially tired and anxious, like I'm expecting something. I settle onto a long bench along the far side of the car. I lie my head back and ... slide my eyes shut, ready to curl up in bed and enjo...

Lying here so close to death has kept my mind focused on the most significant moments of my life. My wedding day, the births of my children, the death of one, so many family members come and gone in my life and us left wondering why they died so soon. I now lie where each of them lied ... my mind occupied with the same thoughts of what came to be, what should have been, and what was never meant to be. Somehow though, of e...

I never meant to kill him. There was one moment, just a single moment when I genuinely wanted him dead but that isn’t a crime is it? I mean on TV people get whacked over the head all the time. It never seems to do them much harm. They simply pass out for a bit and then they wake up and the show goes on as before. If I tell you what a bastard he was would that make it more understandable? It started with an argument as mos...

He hadn't seen anyone since he passed that police car on the other side of the forest. Finally he thought it was safe to pull over, swerving onto the verge and killing the engine. The countryside seemed so quiet compared to the blasting noise of the stereo but he'd needed it loud to help drown out the hammering from the boot. Glancing back down the road, he spotted lights in the distance. Typical, the cop was already catc...

This happened up in Yellowstone. Rick was taking a year off of college, going all kinds of places. They have a swimming area up there in the Firehole river where a hot spring keeps the water nice and warm, and after a summer of people swimming there, he went through with a mask and snorkel and collected all kinds of coins, people's house keys, nothing real valuable, but of course it was all treasure because it came from u...

“Oh my God Tommy, pull over, pull over!” Maria Casanova squawked, grabbing her husband’s rock-solid shoulder. He slammed on the brakes, making an abrupt right-hand turn up a shabby, weed-filtered gravel driveway. Tommy parked the car under a soaring, lifeless tree where a rotted out birdhouse dangled from a heavy branch. The dented black mailbox stood with the name Rey finger-painted in bold white letters. “I gotta have t...

Brian reached to his left and opened the refrigerator. Bright light flooded the area around the floor in front of the open door. He reached in an extracted another beer can from the half empty case that was the lone occupant of the fridge. He cracked the top, then brought the can up to his lips and tilted his head back. He really didn’t swallow; he just sort of opened his throat and poured whatever he was drinking down. S...

“And that was when they realised it was the babysitter that had been killed. The murderer was wearing her clothes.” Kev sat back, triumphant. That was surely the story to beat them all. To his satisfaction most of the other kids round the campfire oohed and ahhed appreciatively. All apart from Mark. He just tutted and rolled his eyes as he had to all the other stories. In his hand he wielded his stick, poking the campfire...

Richard Bailey dashed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it. He trembled as he reached for his cell phone, dialing the appropriate three-digit number before dropping it on the tile floor; luckily it didn’t break. “Come, come on,” he screamed. “Answer the phone! Hello?” “Chatham Police, what is your emergency?” said the female voice, cool and firm. “I’m getting attacked by a pair of stiletto heels!” “I’m...

“What’s in cell 119?” Albertson looked up at me for the first time since I’d sat down. I’d been building up the courage to ask about 119 for ten minutes, but his expression made me wish I’d kept my mouth shut. He leaned across the desk, examining me closely. I felt suddenly nervous, was I about to be fired before my probation period was even up? “What did you say James?” “It’s just, I was running over some of the blueprin...

Barry hadn’t committed a crime for over twenty five years. Surely that was long enough to let things go, let the past swallow up his misdeeds? Enough time to move on. Standing by the front door, he held the handle in his clammy shaking fingers, gulping for air as his breakfast threatened to reappear on the stained carpet at his feet. When he’d woken up that morning, he’d been so sure he could do it, take that first step o...

Mrs. Smith once again rushed upstairs after work with heavy steps and shut her bedroom room door behind her. After his mom’s strange entrance, Joan, her eleven year old son tried to follow his mother into the room. His delicate fingers reached out to the doorknob and just like the last two days, he found that the room was locked. Instead of turning away from it like the last two times, Joan decided to stand there, holding...

Having been out of work for over a year now I was becoming a little frantic. I had done everything I had been advised to do by all of the organizations out there attempting to help stem the joblessness in our economy. I had joined self-help groups, resume writing seminars, you name it. No one was hiring a city planner right now, or in the near future. The ones with jobs were not leaving unless they had a job in hand. The...

ALMEEA  Lukas Palan She hadn't even entered the building yet but old Regy was already standing in the middle of the hallway. His left hand was straightening his collar while his right hand continued to hold a wooden broom that was so old that it was a wonder why he hasn't given it a name yet. “You must be Almeea”, he said without moving an eyelid. The sun had barely made its way above the horizon and the entire town was a...

Everyone in the village liked Raffi- the friendly mongrel dog who lived near the bus station, in an improvised kennel made of wooden crates. Though not pure- blooded, Raffi looked impressive, maybe because he had gotten many of the genes of his granny – karakachan dog with a pedigree. Everyone knew Raffi and many fed him regularly so he had managed to pick up flesh. After his owner died three years ago, Raffi started roam...