Tag Archives: Short Fiction

Strange Signals

Strange Signals
Horror < 100 Words

The headaches and jaw pain were unbearable. Even the simple act of chewing food produced acute facial pain.

Due to a steady diet of sugary drinks growing up (along with a neglect of basic oral hygiene), Dave’s mouth was riddled with mercury fillings. Because of a susceptibility towards conspiracy theories, Dave believed microwave radiation directed at his fillings was the probable source of his ailments. He thought this could be explained by natural phenomenon, or cell phones, or perhaps… aliens.

Doctors were unable to find anything physically wrong, and dismissed his other, more unconventional, concerns.

Then his molars exploded.

The Headlights

The Headlights
Horror < 100 Words

As I pulled my car out of the nearly deserted lot, the headlights of an old parked sedan flicked on. Turning onto the dark streets, the other car lurched into motion, its twin beams reflected in my mirror as it followed me.

The unknown vehicle matched my left and right turns, pushing me into a virtual panic of frayed nerves. Finally, it made a left and sped away as I rolled up in front of my house.

Relieved, I stepped out onto the sidewalk. 

The car slid quietly past again, a street light illuminating the cabin.

The driver was me.

The Heat Wave

The Heat Wave
Horror < 100 Words

The dome of extreme hot weather showed no signs of moving off, having settled over the city for several days. The melting roadway threatened to buckle as Michael drove to an air-conditioned movie theater.

Careful not to touch its sizzling metal exterior, he left his parked car and took a few tentative steps on the pavement. He immediately began to feel lightheaded, his sweaty face growing a vivid red. Crumpling beside his car, he sensed a vague mass swirling toward him, like a swarm of earthbound bees.

The mutant scorpions left behind a few slivers of dull gray bone.

Easter Break

Easter Break
Horror < 100 Words

The public restroom was surprisingly clean, for a deserted rest stop along a rural highway. Normally, I would avoid such solitary respites, but an extra-large Dunkin’ Donuts coffee that morning mandated my pit stop.

As I washed my hands, I caught a movement in the wavy reflection of the mirror. Although I initially thought the restroom was empty, I now saw a figure emerge from one of the stalls behind me. A cold ripple rushed down my spine as my frozen brain registered the rabbit suit.

In its dirt-streaked paws, the rabbit carried an axe.

The Unusual Diagnosis

The Unusual Diagnosis
Horror < 100 Words

The white paper crinkled underneath me as I shifted on the examination table. Waiting for the doctor to return, I lifted out a tongue depressor from its dispenser and began sucking it, as if trying to pull out the last remnant of a phantom popsicle. The taste and smell hallucinations were the latest symptoms, along with the occasional black-out.

After a quick knock, the doctor stepped inside, and I blurted, “Is it a brain tumor?”

“No,” he said, frowning, “Not a tumor.”

I felt relieved, but sensed more was forthcoming.

“Not a tumor. More like an egg sac.”

Stella

Stella
Horror < 100 Words

Partially waking, I rolled over onto my stomach and let my arm drop over the side of the bed. No sooner than my hand touched the threadbare carpet, it was covered in gentle licks. Stella, my French Bulldog, had been a great companion since I adopted her, providing comfort in my otherwise lonely city life.

Shaking off sleep, an uncanny sense of bewilderment overcame me.

In the bedroom doorway, Stella was staring intently across the room at my bed, a growl forming deep in her throat.

I felt the violent bite of human teeth on my fingertips.