It was time. I looked at the tense, frightened faces around the circle and knew what they were feeling. I’d gone through my own first Hunt at their age and lived. But it was important that they knew what they were getting into and how important it was; that was my job as Chief. “Tomorrow, you will all participate in your first Hunt, which runs for three suns. That much you already know. But this darkness, I need to tell y...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, blue jeans, and a red hoodie. No one really paid her much attention as she walked to the back of the bar and settled into a booth. Maureen did notice the girl as she came out of the kitchen. The server looked the girl over carefully. She decided that ID needed to be checked. This new patron did not look nineteen; more like fifteen or sixteen. “What...

In the real world there are MonstersThat look like you and me,They performed horrible deedsThroughout our history,You will not find themBy peeking beneath your bed,They are all around you though,Trying to get into your head.Their purpose is to frighten you,To make you feel unsafe,Hinting at conspiracies,You can scarcely keep apace.The Monsters feed upon your fears,And scare you everydaySo you will be emotionalAnd do exact...

It was time for bed I got in My imagination had started My toys started to spin This was not for the fainthearted I held my blanket to my chin The wind started to howl Goose pimples all over my skin The horror would start now Banging on my closet door The monsters were now here Under the bed or on the floor I wish they'd disappear How many were in here What do they want I brushed away my tears Now looking very gaunt I hea...

The next day he watched as the posse of rifle-armed men trailed through the forest in search of their murderous beast. They combed the woods like predators themselves, in all directions but towards Dale Benshaw’s. This, George found strange, and it gave just a little bit of credibility to Martin’s story. He took it upon himself to search the woods that led to the creek, where none else seemed interested to look. He had be...

It was a quiet town — if you could call it that. A few houses scattered throughout the deep forests of Northern Ontario bound together by nothing more than a one-lane gravel roadway that you could conquer with mild strides in less than twenty minutes. So small was this humble community of laidback country folk that their town didn’t even have a name. You couldn’t find it on a map if you tried. In fact, you could almost dr...

I can hear them trying to coax me to go back. I can feel the dark shadows' fingers reaching, trying to grab me, to pull me back into the dark pit. They're angry, because they had pulled me into the dark pit and tied me down with the slimy vines and the pokey tree trunks to make sure I wouldn't be able to escape, but I did. I got away. I freed myself, then ran as far as I could towards the light. I got away. And now they'r...

The voices are Loud, Angry, Sad, Hurt. They're mostly quiet during The day, When the sun is out, And everyone is around. They pretend to disappear, To be her friends And tell her To be a reasonable human being, With patience and understanding. But when night approaches, The voices turn Into monsters with eyes That glow red, Razor sharp teeth, And nails so long, They could kill. They scream, They growl, They cry and beg, M...

A silent scream in the dark, muffled cries echoed in hollow halls. Sounds amplified, making the quiet still and more painful. Wooden floorboards creaked with each step, years of abuse warped the floor beneath. Screened lights above flickered a dull yellow dimming to dark amber. Some areas submerged in the dark, for the popped lights now littered the floor.The walls were sticky and wet, stained red and thick as paint. A so...

In the beginning, there was Chaos: Ever-changing. All-encompassing. Eternal?Not quite. There came a separation of the darkness and the light, and then there were gods within the teeming void. The gods were mighty and wise, and they looked about them and saw that it was not good. The mightiest and wisest among them (some call him Wotan, and some call him Ra) gathered his brethren and a great war was fought, and the gods sm...

Jack was nimble, Jack was quick, Jack O’lantern was looking quite slick. With a pumpkin head lit by candle light, He’s the coolest dude on Halloween night. His date, I see, is Wendy the witch, An interesting pair, like Lelo and stitch. To a party they all went, to Dracula’s pad. Drac wore a black tux, looking quite Rad. There were others guests there, like Wolfman Jack. He held in his hands a candy filled sack. Alice Coop...

With the blackout having hit the cottage a few minutes earlier, Ariel propped the flashlight on the kitchen counter, opened the oven and peeked in anxiously. She hoped the cookies she had made survived the power outage. They certainly smelled great. Nothing like freshly baked cookies to warm up a cold, rainy night. She took out the baking tray and set it aside on the counter before turning the flashlight upon it to inspec...

Chapter Twenty Noah looked down at his map and sighed. “You know,” he said, “I don’t know if I am going the right way or not.” “And you’re asking me for directions?” Primordious asked. “Well I mean I never have been to Saeyune before, remember I went straight from Uryaen to Aeon Torris. Not many magicians do that you know. Still this map has none of the roads marked out on it; it’s very vague I was extremely ripped off.”...

Chapter Nineteen Draco returned to the waiting room, exhausted and covered in sweat and some of his own blood. His battle with Noah was intense, it was easily the greatest obstacle he had to overcome yet. The fight may not have been as long as some of his previous fights, but it took everything out of him and he barely won. He knew at the end of the fight it was all or nothing and he was gambling everything on Noah’s char...

Chapter Eighteen Darwin Petral stood at the top of the small hill looking over his home town of Laudrin, enjoying the last of the summer air. Before long his two older sisters, Edwin and Lesa, had come up the hill to grab him for supper. He pleaded with them to stay and watch the setting sun before going home and they obliged in his wishes. Together they sat down on the grass on both sides of Darwin. Ever since their pare...