Jonathan hooks his hundredth-something worm, desperation mounting with the waning of the sun. Time is running out. His grandfather’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and there’s no telling he’ll survive another day. Jonathan glares at the sea as though offended by its serenity, knowing full well that he’s being unreasonable. Here he is, a grown man … Continue reading The Golden Fish
Your flight leaves in 1h 20 mins. The taxi’s outside. It’s already honked once. 1h 19 mins. Honk. You can’t find your teddy bear. 18 mins. You hear the taxi start. Honk. 17. Where’s the damn plushie? 13. Engine running! 10. Honk honk. GODDAMMIT. You throw the weekend bag over your shoulder, sprinting out the … Continue reading Where Is Teddy?
Once upon a time, in an otherwise inconspicuous village, a woman gestated an extraordinary baby. When a baby is born, it cries; this is common knowledge. And evidently, the infant let out a sound that could be classified as a “cry.” But it was not a human baby’s scream that could be heard from the … Continue reading The Pigman’s Story; Beginnings
I sit on the edge of my bed, gazing out the open window. It’s still dark outside, but soon the sun will rise from the depths, and with it, my journey will begin. I look around the room, this treasure trove of memories. Should I feel sad about leaving it all behind? Maybe, but I … Continue reading Call To Adventure
Once upon a time, there was a forest, oh so green. Sparkling, yes, almost glowing with life. But one awful day, a shadow loomed the woods, painting the forest in hues of death. Shh, here he comes. See how he slumps his back, notice how beads of ice trail his white cheeks. That’s the face … Continue reading The Miserable King of Ice
Creak says the door to our bedroom, despite my efforts to open it silently. And following that grinding sound comes a loud yawn from the bed. “Where are you going?” asks the love of my life, in a worried, almost desperate tone. At hearing the sadness in her voice, I wince. Oh, how I want … Continue reading For Love’s Sake
The man without a name stands tall amidst pillars of stone, pondering times long forgotten. Reminiscing times when he was more than an empty husk. Looking back at what was, he sees the faint silhouettes of people in his past, moving ‘neath his eyelids. He calls out to them, over and over again in a … Continue reading The Man Without a Name
I gaze up at the moonless vault of heaven, tears falling gently down my red cheeks. But, oh, how incomplete it appears, and so very dark. Where are you, my precious one? How come you treat me like a pest to be avoided — don’t you see? I wish not to pester you, but merely to bathe … Continue reading Where Art Thou My Moon?
I lay down, confused, paralyzed, and enveloped in a veil of total darkness and quietude. Frantically, I attempt to rouse my body, seeking evidence of authority over my own flesh. But nothing. I can’t do anything. It’s as though invisible arms keep me stuck in position, dooming me to a lonely and rigid existence. I … Continue reading The Dark Room
Creak, says the door, despite my attempt to open it smoothly. Sweat floods my cheeks and a sense of heaviness forms in my gut, but I do my best to press it down, for I cannot afford to let the fear win. I would pay the ultimate price for such a mistake. Get moving or … Continue reading The Darkest of Creatures
Benjamin Bratz 