Horror
What She Learned to Wear by Daniel Plate (horror)She's alive, in her way. Hungry for the scent of flesh and carnal love, Opal haunts an abandoned house, waiting for its visitors to lend her strength through their exploits - and perhaps to lend her something more.
Catch and Release by Bryan Wang (fantasy/horror)
Fishing is a pleasant thing - at the Little Akron in particular, where the river is delightful and the fish plentiful. The stories of a man who lost his finger to an improbable fish leave it, perhaps, a little less enticing - but certainly aren't enough to stop his son from trying his hand at it when he returns to old Center Run. But a simple day of fishing dissolves into strange happenings - a prehistoric beast in the Little Akron's water only a prologue to a wild town filled with revelers, where the price of entry is not so clearly defined as visitors might wish...
Spiderkid by Claude Lalumière (horror)
Ever love something to the point of obsession? This lonely university student adores all things spider: jewelry, comic books, websites - even the spider webs that fill the apartment. An unexpected encounter with a long-lost cousin of similar tastes only complicates things further. A story about the dark side of mania, in more ways than one.
What Uncle Howard Did by David C. Kopaska-Merkel (horror/fantasy)
Rob and his new stepdaughter, Lindsey, are two of a kind - good, old-fashioned adventurers. So when Rob's Uncle Howard unexpectedly leaves him an old property complete with log cabin, it's clear they have to investigate. But as they make their way into the dilapidated structure, down a tunnel behind a bolted door, and into a mad mushroom kingdom, they begin to wonder if it wouldn't have been a better idea to stay very, very far away...
After the Lake by A. C. Wise (faery tale/horror)
Despite her grandmother's comforting words, Rue has bad dreams: dreams that seem more real than real. A story of too-still lakes, bloody stones, horrific images, and a vindictive ghost, told with delicate poignancy.
The Carver by Guy Adams (horror/fantasy)
The Carver is a gentleman, an artisan, re-creating the living as they lie blankly on his tables: with the touch of his hands they break open, or come together, all in the wave of a finger. A vignette comprised of powerful images and strange occurrences.
Chain Letter by Earl Hartwig (horror)
What is the value of a love lost? Anne knows: from the tips of her remaining fingers to the bottom of her aching soles, there's nothing she wouldn't sacrifice - and a great deal that she already has. In the house where she lost her husband, Anne continues to butcher her own body to gain yet another visit with her dead husband. A brutal piece regarding love and loss.
Father by Matthew Lee Bain (horror/dark fantasy)
A child who never knew his father could easily idealize him; the perfect parent who was lost. This fatherless boy, however, dreams less of a darling daddy and more about a monster desirous of revenge and religious adoration. A dark tale of obsession.
Judy and Norman by Darby Harn (science fiction/horror)
Judy knows there's something going wrong. While everyone else is hearing it on the news, she's out there seeing it in the forest - first the dead frogs and birds moving again, and then the dead men and women. In a world gone mad, Judy finds a strange haven with her new friend, the very dead, and very kind, Norman.
Young Turks by Brian Patrick McKinley and Mark Jenkins (horror/supernatural)
In the world of vampires, things are solved with blood - and very, very careful planning over long and violent years. But times are changing, and the young werewolves, poor and lower-class, are making themselves noticed. The old mobster and vampire Faolan sees an opportunity there - but so do others. Broken dreams, broken bones, and broken promises: with vampires who came of age in the gangster days of New York and werewolves from the modern-day west, a bloody end is the only way.
The Searching by Gary McMahon (horror)
Someone's looking: that man, there, in the powder blue suit. And soon someone joins him - and another - and another, all without asking, without thinking, for hours on end, as the crowd grows greater and the results horrific.
Lockbox by David Kane (horror)
After a week filled miserable events from petty vandalism to a death in the family, Anna's dreams have never felt further away. When she meets Peter Wing, he seems to be the key to improvement - only to find that he will lead to her more horror yet.
Lilith by Larry Leeds (horror)
Most moral failures pass unnoticed - or so Lilith hoped on the day she failed to take the safe way home. As her husband waits through the agonies of her delivery, Lilith discovers that some sins stay with you in the ugliest of ways.
Bluetick by Tony Burton (horror)
A young black farmhand is desperate for money - and willing to weather a white farmer's disdain and hard labor for it. But as the reward is pushed further and further in to the future, he begins to have his suspicions about the person-sized mounds that surround the farm. A story of southern racism and supernatural vengeance.
Four Rivers by H. S. Roison (horror)
Some people measure time by seasons; others, by the growth of children. One woman measures it by her rivers, her trees - and her murders.
How to Torture a Vampire by Mathilde Madden (erotica/horror)
Killing a vampire isn't easy - but keeping it interesting when you're dating a masochistic vampire without killing him is even less so. A woman struggles to walk the line between pleasure and pain with excruciatingly nice results.
Unbirth by Zeke Iddon (horror)
What is the measure of loss? Charlotte may not be able to remember the date of her son's death, but she certainly can't forget him - or whose fault his death is. As she circles his remnant belongings and wanders through broken memories, she begins to question whether forgiveness, from anyone, is really possible.
Sea of Ash and Sorrow by Michael Kelly (science fiction/horror)
In the face of unimaginable tragedy and despair, one man goes searching for a childhood memory by the sea. A quest to win back lost opportunities results in a poignant tale of loss, regret, and redemption.
A Bedtime Story by Julia Rios (horror/fantasy)
There's nothing more frightening than the monster in the closet - unless, perhaps, it's the monster out of the closet, which your mother fails to acknowledge and insists on calling Uncle Steve. A story of a childhood nightmare with the complication of its being real.
The Machine by Thomas J. Misuraca (horror)
One day, Billy's father has an inspiration. Soon after, everything begins to be swallowed up by it: his day job, his concentration, even Billy's socks - until a moment of inspiration becomes a question of survival.
Board Approval by Daniel Marshall Wood (horror)
Obsession, depression, and fear keep some people from leaving their houses; they invites others in. An explanation from a murderer about his intended's life and death, and the better life being created for others.
Up by James Hargrave (horror)
There are monsters - and then there are monsters. Here Lucas breezes through an evening of carnage with little more on his mind than getting home by dawn. An eerie commentary on the casual nature of a violent society.
Salamander by Corinna Sara Bechko (horror/fantasy)
A strange creature makes demands and threatens terrible consequences if its demands are not satiated. With her trusty Keds ready, this woman leads a double life as she tries desperately to control it.
A Daughter's Gift by Margaret Mendel (horror/mystery)
Death is too familiar to this woman attending her mother's funeral. Despite her anger, she arrives just in time to make her farewell and give one last gift.
Isidro's Furnace by Michael John Grist (absurdism/horror)
Insanity can be a terrible thing. Not for Isidro, though; with his trusty furnace and an antique blunderbuss, life is good, even if his furnace is a bit demanding about the FBI and his tree is out to get him.
Possession by Joshua Moses (horror)
Most of us search for everlasting love; one woman is desperate to escape it. This story about trying to end an unwanted relationship explores the dark side of commitment.
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