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Heather glanced around the GraveSecure office, at beige walls, a desk of unvarnished pine, and two brown plastic IKEA chairs, one of which she currently sat in. The only decorations were framed photos of families gathered at gravesites, their faces somber, yet satisfied. The door behind Heather opened and inRead More →

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As William ambles into the kitchen to retrieve his morning coffee, he slips on a patch of melted ice. When he falls on his back, the dishwasher swings its door open and smacks him on the head.  “Keepin’ it cool!” the fridge announces and pelts his crotch with a torrentRead More →

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Brother Gregor bent close to his work, his hands trembling as he lifted the taper. Candlelight flickered in the gloom; incense sticks pierced the fetid air. A drab grey light trickled through the tiny windows, illuminating the chalk circle drawn across the floorboards.Read More →

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I found it in the usual place, where I always find them. Under the rock. “Hello,” I said.  “What’s your name, little feller?” No answer. But I expected that. Read More →

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Grace is a cult survivor who is called to identify the body of her former cult’s leader and captor.Read More →

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A particle traveling from the beginning of time to the end and back contemplates the balance between hope and fate. Though powerless to control its direction, the particle still has choices. Read More →

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When reaching out to the stars above, the space beyond or the ether, we allocate disproportionate energy into preparing to cast the nets over catching the fish. What do we do with it? Read More →

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The allure of prospecting a deserted Mars becomes so compelling that nothing else matters. Not even love. Read More →

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Lightyears from home, a miner toils on a moon, gradually being hollowed out. They scrape a life, money to support their family, and something like friendship, from the dirt. But when disaster strikes, they are forced to make a hard decision. Read More →

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One day a rabid animal took a bite out of Breeder’s beloved pet and sidekick Top Dog. Top Dog is a muscular, spoiled canine with a colossal appetite. Breeder always let Top Dog play with Creatures, even dangerous and wild ones. He secretly got a kick out of watching Top Dog’s nature grow hellish and animated when he toyed with them. Top Dog also had a talent for dominating Creatures of all kinds. Breeder bragged to Brother often. Read More →

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A hitman hired to kill the Four Horsemen and prevent the apocalypse has one last target waiting for him in the parking lot of an abandoned strip club. But how do you kill Death? Read More →

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Inspired by both the art of Louise Bourgeois and a news story about a sex-bot repairman, “Spiral Woman” gives a kin of agency to a member of the already-marginalized servant class of the future. Read More →

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I haven’t seen what the world is running from, and my father won’t tell me. But I have heard what they say in the village. The monsters came from the sky to live in our oceans.Read More →

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Finding a laptop in Mr. Chapa’s secondhand shop was like discovering an Apple watch on an Egyptian mummy. But Vern’s find was another’s tragic loss.Read More →

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The Lingering Taste of Mars By Wendy Nikel “I feel like I left my mind on Mars. Even now, I can still hear the wind.” Rosie reaches over from where she sits on her rocking chair and winds her fingers around mine. She hasn’t changed a bit, despite the yearsRead More →

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A dying physicist makes a desperate attempt to spare his daughter grief by flying into a black hole.Read More →

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And then I was fading, ears ringing and body broken by shrapnel that jingle-jangled in my pocket, before I failed Christiane.Read More →

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Tesca watched as Braygin was enveloped in a blue orb, then winked out of existence along with a little section of tunnel floor he’d been standing on.Read More →