stories

Gloria Swartswood, Glory to her friends, knew she was on the right path. The broken spout of a whiskey bottle. Horseprints. Even the air around her wafted the air of the Bankcroft Brothers. Four of the dirtiest, lowest slugs to crawl on the earth, as Glory was fond of saying. For years, their...

AP - Hollywood, California Another bizarre addition to the recent celebrity cancellation epidemic occurred today when Jessica Alba (Dark Angel, Honey) backed out of a role in the upcoming film “Scary Movie 4”. Shooting was scheduled to begin this March, but has been delayed until Ms. Alba’s...

A fitful sleep coupled with low-level anxiety were two things that a Torturer did not need. Torture, at its most effective, required much more than the average person realized. A good night’s rest, top physical performance and decades of experience culminated in what amounted to a human machine...

Harley sat in his office, going over his papers for the month. Production up. Prices up. Profit up. Morale down, but that was no big surprise. Harley’s empire had grown out of a small service he provided back in his street-gang days. Wanted someone disposed of? Call Harley. Had a witness you...

Jennifer Combs walked into the psychiatrist’s office with something unshakable tagging along for the ride. No, it wasn’t the delusions or the fear or any of the myriad other things that had brought her to this point, but something else… …déjà vu. Serious déjà vu. She wasn’t one predisposed to...

Justine fought to catch her breath as the white-haired man left the room. He hadn't released her, and had she had even one hand free, she might have considered strangling herself. If she had to bear one more second of the torture she'd been put through so far, she would surely go insane. Just...

Holy Shit, thought Rachel, it IS possible to tickle someone to death! Better think fast, girl. Rachel looked down at the bound, still body of the man that was her customer until about 30 seconds ago. Curiously, she was surprisingly calm. Her associates had always joked that she was going to...

Tarrin entered the building through the hole she’d cut with her lightsaber. She’d scouted the place for some time, and knew exactly where to enter. This is where she would find him. The one responsible for the death of her Master, Ji-Hun. True, it was Darth Vader and the Emperor himself who were...

(With thanks and a tip of the feathered cap to Wes Craven…) He walked through the city, senses tuned to everyone and everything around him. What a place to grow strong, he mused. So many dreams, so much despair…so many people willing to give anything for what they wanted. That’s what’s wrong...

Hey there. Yeah. It’s me again. That little voice in your head. Your conscience. Remember me? When you were in Tijuana and they told you not to buy food from the street vendors, and you did anyway and got sick? That was me. And when you were talked into peeing on that electric fence in 8th...

Pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you? See what happens when you finally listen to me? So, I screwed up a few times in the past, but when it really matters…who’s looking out for you kiddo, huh? By the way, as soon as you found out that little college cutie was coming back over tonite, I got a...

Feeling better? Good. You were starting to worry me there for a few days. I’m still pissed that you let that blonde get away, but at least she didn’t go to the cops. No sweat off my incorporeal back. We gotta talk, you and I. I know you’re the one with the legs and all, so where you go, I go...

Lauren stared into the pair of deep, brown eyes and for the first time in her life gave in without fear of the future. Those eyes held compassion, understanding and an unspoken bond within their depth and Lauren needed these things more than she needed to breathe. The fact that the eyes in...

(Hello again. With all the advances in the Internet, I thought an interactive story was long overdue. Millions of dollars went into this technology, so I hope you enjoy it. Just decide where you’d like to go with it!) She awoke with a (start, jump, squeal, squirrel) to the sound of glass...

As Melissa entered the room, the thought of turning right back around crossed her mind for perhaps the ninth time in the last fifteen minutes. To say she was here of her own free will would be a little vague. Yes, she had the physical ability to turn tail and run, but it wouldn't do her any...

Blaire Constantine sat at her desk, wondering how to proceed in the matter laid before her. A crime with proof was easy to investigate, but this one was different. It was hard to tell whether she had a crime on her hands or not. It could just be a prank or a seriously twisted piece of...

Somewhere in New Jersey…August 1986 The midday sun was the only witness as the girls in Leonard’s neighborhood unwittingly changed his life. He was not a well-liked kid, and the young girls had had about enough of his annoying attempts to win their affections. It was the summer after senior...

A bed. It has so many uses other than the obvious, and inspires a cornicopia of mental images in those who find themselves thinking of one for whatever reason. It is a place of rest and comfort. It can keep the pressures of the world at bay. It can be an artistic centerpiece to a luxurious room...

Becca grumbled as she adjusted one of the spaghetti-thin straps that held on the tiny patch of leather that served to cover her most private area. Two months in the news business and this was the only story that was thrown her way so far. Some late-night “catch-their-eye-with-sex” report. Of all...

I dated Annie back in 1986. We were both 19. We got a very small apartment (I’d lived in vans that were bigger), and had about four happy months. Annie was very cute. She was about two inches taller than me, and had short blond hair. She wore glasses, which made her even cuter, as far as I...