There are those who are simply unlikable, the kinds of people who without fail will irritate those around them in some fashion. It happens. Betty Leise was one of them. She had a nasty temperament, and was not ashamed of it. From since she was a young child, she was rude, nasty and sometimes downright cruel. It was not long until people figured for their sake, it was better to leave Betty alone. When Betty turned 18, her...

The wide walkway that was a few steps above the lengthy beach was teeming with the sun loving crowd. The first days of warm weather after weeks of a wet, dreary Spring drew the multitudes. As Melanie navigated her way among the strollers she looked past the sandy beach. Very few had braved the still chilly waters of the lake but there were some taking advantage of the warm sand to get their first tan of the year. She appr...

This is a tale of three men, an educated man, a glutton and a greedy man. Unfortunately for you, this happens more than you would like to believe. There is nothing remarkable about Riverdale Street, except for the town’s yearly parade that would march down that street. Besides that day, it was an ordinary street, a road for people to travel to get home and get to work. One evening, there was a man driving down on Riverdal...

Jacob Neilheimer was a gifted musician. Even as a young child, before he could walk, he could play songs on his grandmother's piano. His family, a family of means was elated and proud of Jacob. They brought the best tutors, they place him in the best schools and provided him the best kind of instructions that money could buy. Their investment proved worthy, Jacob in his young age, was better than his teachers were and bet...

Not long ago, in a small town in the United States, schoolchildren often had to walk past Old Man Jerry's field. Cautiously, they walked by the field every day before and after school. The children walked slowly, taking in the dark magic of the field. Old Man Jerry's field was an old grass field that caught all the townsfolk’s attention. Once a month, Jerry would trim the grass on the field, keeping it neat and clean. He...

I have no name. I have never concerned myself with names. I been living in the Anderson Ranch for the past...I do not even know. I been through so many families, they all look the same to me. Every so often, a family moves in, and I chase them away from the Ranch. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I take a soul with me. I enjoy terrorizing the families. I love the fear and the screams that the children make at night. What amuses...

Bath and Body Works As the evening sky turns into the moonless night sky, Bregan hides in the back of her closet, her only escape from her abusive father. She hears him open the refrigerator door, pulling out a can of beer. She knows what is coming next which only makes her hide deeper in her closet. Bregan presses herself as far back and close to the wall as humanly possible knowing that nothing can hide her from her fat...

There was a demon in my bathroom mirror. This was not one of those cartoon imps, with their chubby faces, and tiny horns. It was not the kind that waves its cute little pitchfork at you as it capers off to some daring, childish mischief. No, this one was a demon of the first degree. Its blood shot eyes stared through the glassy surface of the mirror, sharp teeth like tiny knives visible in it's open, screaming maw. Every...

Upon the shy of a beach lay an ideal camping space — a break between the bushes that offers flat grass land, firweood, and the opening to an untouched beach. Three travellers have pitched their tent. It is late, early hours of the morning so to speak and two of the three have settled into their tent. The one character that is left remaining is chilling out on his towel at the foot of the tent. Listening to music through h...

Squashed between my two hulking brothers in the back of my father’s coupe on a two thousand mile trip was not the way I wanted to start my summer vacation. The summer after the first year of college is a crucial time for a young adult. You need to be available to strengthen the relationships you just forged at school and you need to be around to reinforce your friendships with the people who live in your town and went to...

David was a loner, but never alone. He always had his thoughts. He encountered Mrs. Scott as she left the grocery store. “Hello, David, how are you today?” Like you give a shit. “I'm just fine, it's such a beautiful morning. Here, let me help you with those bags.” Why the hell don't you use a cart like normal people. “Thank you, David, you're such a nice boy, the car's right over there.” I know where your car is, you old...

_OASIS PALMS_San Bernadino, California, has forever been the home of mythic battles -- between ranchers, rustlers, gold-diggers, Spanish missionaries, and Native American Indians who discovered hot-and-cold freshwater springs, beneath a huge mysterious arrowhead-shape, carved into the mountainside.Last summer was the hottest summer since temperatures were recorded in the area. But, the previous summer had also been the ho...

Being a writer has its perks, like helping the police to solve a murder. It is not a good thing when you are a writer with an ability to talk to ghosts. From what Jenna heard, from a spirit no less, that it was her destiny to help the Tazewell County Sheriff with their case. It was an unusually hot day in October, even for Virginia standards. Jenna sat on the porch swing, enjoying her husband, Troy’s day off. Their childr...

LAWMAN The pupils of The Sacred Heart Primary School in Denlea didn't care about evidence or validity. The story of Lawman and the ritual that accompanied it was their heritage and it was their duty to perpetuate it. As such, the story was handed down every year from fifth graders to fourth graders. And at least once a week, the male pupils would run their death-defying gauntlet. By the time Chris Bell reached the fourth...

Misty was a writer; and she wrote horror. She was an expert on the subject, even though Misty never wrote a ghost story, surprisingly. One day she decided to write one, but could not think of anything to write about. Misty decided to write about one of the ghosts that she personally had seen. She was going to write about Suntree Apartments, but Misty needed a little background on the area. She went to the library to find...