Girl Killers, by E.F. Schraeder, Author of As Fast as She Can | #DarkFiction #Horror #Book @Sirens_Call

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Nina D'Arcangela

Girl Killers – More Than a Sum of Her Parts

by E.F. Schraeder

Dead ‘girls’ have historically been fairly common starting places for stories, but increasingly across many genres (thanks to persisters, resistors, and other rabble-rousers), that’s a dynamically changing trend. I wrote As Fast as She Can with these changes in mind. I wanted to write a young female-identified character who was the opposite of a victim, who was more than the sum of the horrible things that have been done to her. Even though Ginger didn’t set out to become a monster, I didn’t want that (tragic) backstory to be the main thing driving her. In place of bodily damage and a hole in Ginger’s heart, I imagined anger. I imagined her as powerful. First and foremost, I imagined Ginger as a monster.

Why? My interest in female monsters is basically a lifelong preoccupation. I’ve craved them like a vampire craves blood. As Mallory O’Meara wrote in The Lady from the Black Lagoon, women in horror “rarely get to explore … what it’s like to be a giant pissed-off creature” because they’re very often the victims of monsters, not the monsters themselves. Ginger is a product of my interest in reading and writing girl monsters, and her voice boomed while I wrote about her untamed appetites. As with Ginger’s uncontrollable urges and incredible strength, she stampeded through the story and joined the growing ranks of these girls imagined not as victims or heroes, but as flawed and dangerous beings ready to make the world see them— and fear them.

Ginger is a girl who doesn’t play by the rules, so keep your guard up. She knows the world can be a brutal, even for monsters. And I hope I did her justice.

As Fast as She Can, by E.F. Schraeder

Living in a quiet house on the outskirts of town, Ginger isn’t like the other girls.

When she wakes up and discovers the unthinkable about her adoptive parents, she runs away and goes on a rampage straight to the only friend she has. Can she control what they both become?

With a violent, growing hunger and more questions than answers, Ginger has nowhere to turn.

As Fast as She Can is currently available on:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR — The author of Liar: Memoir of a Haunting (Omnium Gatherum, 2021) and other works, E.F. Schraeder usually writes about not quite real worlds. Schraeder is also an avid gardener and hot pepper enthusiast who believes in ghosts, magic, and dogs. Say hello online at efschraeder.com.

Posted in Books, Dark Fiction, Horror | Tagged As Fast as She Can, book, E.F. Schraeder, Girl Killers, Novella, Sirens Call Publications | 2 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Kendra Hale @DevourAllWords @Darc_Nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Counting Stars
by Kendra Hale

If there was one thing life had taught Jazzman about life it was this, no one person deserved all of your trust and your love. Growing up in a broken home had already shown her facets of the world that most children never had to worry about except for in nightmares. This was only expanded upon once she was old enough to have sleepovers and got a taste of the life that other children had when it came to the parental roulette that people called God’s plan.

As Jazz grew older she found the differences more and more staggering and harder to cope with. She found herself withdrawing as often as she could to keep the silence that she found herself craving. Most from broken homes searched for love, sometimes in the darkest of places, but all Jazz found herself wanting was the quiet.

She yearned for it so much that her world became black and she began to enjoy the solace that the dark held for her. She enjoyed the night because even in the calm dark Byzantine blue that was painted over the sky, even the dimmest of stars shone. She had her calm place shrouded by willow trees and a small stream that lazily passed through, making its way onto where ever it needed to flow.

In the water’s reflection the stars seemed to align themself upon Jazz’s face creating a pattern. The starlight shone as though freckled across her face and once home again…she realized that they didn’t disappear. In fact they seemed to shine brighter and she swore she heard a voice calling to her.

“Feed us more.”

Jazzman didn’t understand it all at first but it was so nice to feel special, one of the chosen by the Gods. It comforted her in a way the gentle kindness of her friends and their parents never had because she felt like she was in control. It was that which she craved the most, to feel the control of her life, actions, and choices. In that thought she knew what the Gods wanted as all the history books and mythos couldn’t be wrong…a sacrifice must be offered and if she was able to provide and have that control, logic dictated she was chosen.

Newspapers around the world would herald lines about “Spontaneous Combustion” and “Strange Occurrences Leave Only Ashes Behind.” But as a chosen she slid through the cracks never being noticed until she willed it to be so. A life of duck and being as small as you can had prepared her well. And watching the shine of her stars as they burned brightly taking in the essence she chose was euphoric. She was no longer human but above it all and the silence was deafening as the stars made it impossible to make a sound as the vocal chords burned first.

Blissful darkness with only the stars to guide her.

Fiction © Copyright Kendra Hale
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from author Kendra Hale:

Just Emotions:
A Gothic Bite Magazine Anthology

A collection of poetry.

‘Just Emotions‘ is exactly as it states, a group of writers who had feelings they wanted to express in poem form. Inside, there are a range of emotions to explore. Each writer has given a bit of themselves to you, each in their own way.

We hope that you enjoy these writings and that among the poems you may find some thing you can identify with or relate to. Thank you for giving us this chance to open the catacombs and share with you.

Available on Amazon!

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Kendra Hale, Ladies of Horror, picture prompt, Writing Project | 3 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Kim Richards @Kim_Richards @Darc_Nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Little Lonely Jakucho
by Kim Richards

Jakucho twisted the slender bamboo umbrella handle with her fingers. It resulted in the silk umbrella over her head twirling around. Its beaded tassels swung with the motion. She walked along the familiar garden path at sunrise as she did every day. Always she saw no one. There were not birds to hear sing nor animals to talk to. Her heart ached for something living.

Behind her the air rippled resembling the surface of water disturbed by gentle waterdrops. Then it stepped out and called, “Jakucho.”

Immediately she whirled around, letting the umbrella fall away. When she realized it wasn’t Him, she wrapped her arms about her torso and wept. Her long black hair cascaded to the sides of her head, hiding her face like a drawn curtain.

The demon waited patiently for her to complete her crying jag, sniffle, and left her head to stare directly at him. She did not wipe away the tears.

“Why didn’t he come? He promised to bring me back…home,” she cried out.

The creature flicked its black tongue like a snake and then spoke with an unnerving gravely tone. “I have a gift for you.”

In its clawed hands it held a heart as deeply red as blood roses. She looked at it with a pained expression.

“Eat.”

“But…He promised.”

“He cannot fulfill any promises to you now. He walks the fires of Tokatsu now. The only way to prevent you from joining him is to eat from the heart of Yomi.”

She looked at him sideways. “Heart? I was always told it was to eat at the hearth of Yomi.”

It shrugged. “Heart…hearth. Somantics. Do you really want to risk it?”

Jakucho took the beating heart in her hands, allowing the warmth of it to pulsed against her palms. She contemplated taking a bite and swallowing her fate. Then she would exist utterly alone. Her other choice was to cast it away and live all of eternity with Him among the flames.

Her passions burned bright. Her love deep and warm. She decided they were enough and flung the heart away from her. It hit the demon between its eyes with a splat. Then she turned away, picked up her umbrella, and continued down the pebbled path for one final time.

Fiction © Copyright Kim Richards
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Kim Richards, Ladies of Horror, picture prompt, Writing Project | 2 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Sue Renol @Darc_Nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Mercy
by Sue Renol

She traveled far, through murderous deserts and over raging seas. The difficulty of her journey wore down her resolve, but never dissolved it. The blighted lands held power feared by all. But the promise it offered drew her toward it without regret, despite the sacrifices she made.

When she reached the abandoned shrine, she felt the sadness of those left behind. Broken and nearly destroyed, her people were at the mercy of vengeful gods. They scorched the land, cast storms over every village large and small, and infected livestock with pestilence. They turned their backs on their children and the world created for them.

She knew there was only one way to help her people. It was the most heinous sin one could commit, but desperation drove her there. She called upon the unspoken god, the outcast and shunned among its siblings, the wicked bringer of terror and destruction. It was the first time its name had been uttered in eons, which is all it took to wake the patient beast.

A great chasm tore the very fabric of reality as it broke free of its prison. It rose in the sky above her, gazed down with eyes of fire and hate. She knew then that her people were cursed either way. Once it destroyed all other gods, her people would be at its mercy.

Fiction © Copyright Sue Renol
Image courtesy of Pixabay

Wicked Deeds: Witches, Warlocks, Demons and Other Evil Doer’s

Sometimes wicked people do wicked things simply because they can… The twelve stories in Wicked Deeds tell tales of witches and warlocks with ill intent, devilish demons bent on destruction, and other doers of evil who make the world a terrifying place. What is a mother to do when her daughter is gifted but lives under the thumb of her fanatical preacher husband who will brook no talk of the supernatural? What of a demon so desperate to free himself of a trap that he will force another to repeat his atrocities and condemn a young boy to his demonic fate? Or maybe the story of a crotchety old witch with a score to settle against the town she lives in is more to your liking – what evil will the seemingly harmless town-crazy call upon when faced with an ultimatum? If you’re looking for wicked people with supernatural abilities doing wicked things, this is the collection for you!

Available on Amazon!

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Ladies of Horror, picture prompt, Sue Renol, Writing Project | 1 Comment

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Ela Lourenco @ElaLourenco @darc_nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Blushing Bride
by Ela Lourenco

I gently tiptoe across the rose petals strewn down the aisle. Decked in all my finest jewellery, in my red silk sari like a gift waiting to be unwrapped by my eager groom. The jewels of my ancestors jingle daintily, my eyes down as I walk with the grace and hesitancy expected of young innocent girls. Someone is playing a sitar in the distance. The melancholy notes in sync with the beating of my heart.

I reach my destination and risk a glance up. The man who would be my husband is leering at me, as is his father. The stench of evil permeates the air despite the perfume of the hundreds of flowers they have bought. The flawless diamond that my soon to be family places around my neck an ice rock burdening me with their ostentation.

I exhale deeply and silently as the wedding rites are chanted. Not yet. Just a moment longer… The rubies on my headdress begin to warm. I can feel them glowing and vibrating, pulsing with the blood of thousands of innocent women shed for the pleasures of men. Sold and bought like cattle… The energy of my grandmothers and all those before them lights me up from within as I raise my eyes upwards. Red is all I see. My feet leave the ground as all those men watch, mouths gaping. And that is how they remain. Shocked and frozen in stone as I unleash the reckoning.

The red disappears, the sky is blue once again as I walk back down the aisle, alone – still the keeper of my own self.

Fiction © Copyright Ela Lourenco
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

More from Ela Lourenco:

Dragon Born: Book Three
Awakening

The Royal tournament, the Karnac, is fully underway. But there is deception and betrayal at every turn. Unseen dark forces are at play, both within the school grounds and out with. Even the Gods are unable to help when a new threat looms over them all.The very existence of Azmantium depends on Lara fully becoming the Child of Fire and casting aside the Shadows lurking in every corner of her beloved planet.Can she overcome the challenges that await? Will the Shadows cover the world in darkness? Only Lara and her friends can change the fate of Azmantium.

Available on Amazon!

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, Ela Lourenco, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Ladies of Horror, picture prompt, Women in Horror, Writing Project | 2 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Linda Lee Rice @Sotet_Angyal #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Circles of Light
by Linda Lee Rice

The twisted path before me leads me further and further into the dark place. Vines wrapped around my ankles, trying to trip me and wind me in their embrace. Eyes that glowed from the trees and broken rocks watched me, only blinking when I turned away. I followed the path inward, driven by a need that only the old woman could quench.

I burst through the clearing and past the eerie windchimes of bones hanging from every branch. Her hut stood among the mist, not so much as glowing in the full moonlight as glowering. The door was an open invitation, but I feared to step across the threshold.

Gathering my shrinking courage, I stepped through and into the pungent scent of herbs, ashes…and something else. The old woman shuffled forward, grinning at my discomfort. “I knew you’d come,” she muttered and reached out to touch my arm. “Come and sit by the fire; I have the brew ready for you.”

Still not understanding my purpose for coming here, I sat on the stool and warmed my hands. “I don’t know why I’m here!” The old woman cackled, showing her toothless grin, and dipped a ladle into the contents of the boiling kettle over the fire. She poured it into an earthen cup with strange symbols.

“Drink this, and all will be revealed!” Although I didn’t want to, and my stomach retched at the smell, I found myself reaching for the cup and swallowing half of the contents. The old woman quickly drank the other half and smacked her lips.

The room spun dizzily as I slumped over onto the wall. I could still see the old woman, but she was changing. Bright circles of light appeared on her skin as I felt an answering flash on mine.

I watched in horror as her skin became smooth, beautiful, and wrinkle-free. Then, I felt my skin begin to shift and change. A tooth fell out and onto my lap as I watched her teeth begin to rise in her gums. My eyes dimmed as hers grew bright and luminous.

I struggled to speak, and the voice I heard, I didn’t recognize. “What is happening to me?” The now young witch smiled and crooned, “I have waited a millennium for you to come to my door. I had to wait until the right moment for the bloom of youth to blossom to pluck it. Now it’s your turn!”

She quickly changed into my clothes while she dressed me in her reeking foul ones. Then, she gave me a pitying smile as she turned and went out the door, “It won’t be so bad. You’ll be surprised at how fast a millennium will pass.”

So here I sit, stirring my brew, waiting for a girl to come stumbling up my path driven with an untold need…and I wait impatiently.

Fiction © Copyright Linda Lee Rice
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More about Linda Lee Rice:

Linda Lee Rice aka Ruzicka has poetry published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Descending Darkness, Writing Village, Spine, and Page, Muses Gallery, Bloodbond, Lycan Valley Press Publishers, Alban Lake, Highland Park Poetry, Rosette Maleficarum, The Siren’s Call, Edify Fiction and the June Cotner anthology, “House Blessings” and “Garden Blessings

She has short stories published in The Grit, and Reminisce, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family, FrostFire Worlds. Plus, a personal essay at Mamalode. She also has various articles and blogs published online as a freelance writer.

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Linda Lee Rice, picture prompt, Writing Project | 2 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Angela Yuriko Smith @AngelaYSmith @darc_nina #LoH

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The High Cost of Assumptions
by Angela Yuriko Smith

I saw her at dawn, delicate

like porcelain, some fine China to mine

and make mine. She wouldn’t mind

my advances, my flirts, a girl like her

would like me, a hero. I showed her

my money, my green, took off my ring—

dolla dolla babydoll, I’ll make you sing.

I saw him at dawn

staggering down the road, lost—

and oblivious.

She’s hungry for me, I know

ready to go, licking her sweet lips

she wants to tickle my fancy

and I can’t wait for a taste.

With not a word, and she’s got me

this kinky doll, among the tombs—

this one’s too hot for me to handle.

I’m hungry for him

like a lamb, he follows me—

an early breakfast.

Lesson learned too late

the fair sex isn’t fair, deep sliced

deboned like fowl, I spilled my guts

secrets revealed, feeding flies on my lies.

I was just looking for fun, a tasty treat

an adventure before I settled, a story

to share over warm beer and hot wings.

Lesson learned too late

broken porcelain can cut—

most roses have thorns.

Fiction © Copyright Angela Yuriko Smith
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

More from Angela Yuriko Smith:

Angela Yuriko Smith is an American poet, author and co-publisher of Space and Time magazine, a publication that has been printing speculative fiction, art and poetry since 1966. Together we build a poem as a community each month. Visit “Exquisite Corpse” at SpaceandTime.net to submit.

Catch up with Angela here!

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged Angela Yuriko Smith, author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Ladies of Horror, picture prompt, Writing Project | 3 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Nina D’Arcangela @Darc_Nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Nextlahualli
by Nina D’Arcangela

Pain, muscles protest the need to move. Blind, she’s dragged into the glaring light. Vertigo, the edge of the frustum too near. Thunder, the sound of blood slamming through her ears. Clarified, a feather plucked from her hair. Disrobed, slaves paint her with blest symbols. Cold, her flesh upon the altar. Splayed, her arms and legs tethered. Wet, the tears that run from her eyes. Revered, the shaman that will take her life. Fear, the sound of naked feet slapping stone. Hot, the blade that opens her throat. Froth, iron-rich gurgle that feeds the trough. Panic, the struggle to pull in air. Chanting, her people revel in the sacrifice. Silence, the body is left as an offering. Drought, the wind scrubs the plains of seed. Famine, no crop will grow. Blame, she did not appease.

More from Nina D’Arcangela:

Mental Ward: EXPERIMENTS

A dank basement, shadow filled hallways, the deep echo of a metal latch being thrown while faint screams are heard… These are the things you might experience in a place where the unspeakable happens, where conscientious action and moral turpitude turn a blind eye in the interest of advancing one’s own personal pursuits in the most deranged and unjustifiable manner. The type of place where power corrupts, and depravity runs rampant among those imbued with it. A place where the unfortunate are abandoned to the devices of those who convince themselves their actions are in the best interest of science.

Mental Ward: Experiments is a collection of ten short stories that demonstrate the worst of humanity’s ambition in the interest of ‘civilized’ advancement. Step into a world where sanity is left behind, and horror is what the doctor ordered!

Available on Amazon!

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Nina D'Arcangela, picture prompt, Writing Project | 6 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Melissa R. Mendelson @melissmendelson @Darc_Nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

She Closed Her Eyes
by Melissa R. Mendelson

Her toes curled along the edge, reaching for the soft velvet underneath her. Warmth caressed her arms, and a gentle jingle filled her ears. Metal kissed skin, and satin wrapped around her. Her toes reached along the edge again when a strong breeze met her face.

“Everyone, this is Ikshana.” Her sister’s hand wrapped around hers. It was no longer cold for her sister finally saw that she was right. The man that she loved was far from being good, but the one that she was forced to marry would give her everything that she wanted. “Sai, this is Ikshana.”

Her sister pulled her closer, but Ikshana stopped moving, giving her sister a gentle smile. “I got it,” she said. “You can let go of my hand now.”

“Why is her eyes closed?” That must have been Sai, who said that. She liked his voice, but voices could be deceiving. “She can’t see the room, so how is she going to find me?”

Because I cheated, Ikshana thought. When she was alone, she opened her eyes, looking at a picture of the ballroom. She knew where the tables were, and even if the chairs were pulled out, her fingers were extended, ready to brush against them like whiskers. And she listened to the shoes tapping against the wooden floor, but Sai’s feet were quiet, surprising her a moment later with a hand on her arm.

“Nice to meet you, Ikshana,” Sai said. “Why are your eyes closed?”

She listened to her sister walk away. Her sister was so tired of that question. She wasn’t around for the beginning when the sight set in, and her parents refused to talk about it now. They would change the conversation or walk away, and she could smell her father’s strong cologne nearby. Glass clinked against the jewelry on her mother’s face, her eyes probably avoiding everyone else’s.

“I didn’t think you were blind,” Sai said.

“Is that a problem?” She turned her head towards his voice. “Do you not like someone that is blind?”

“No, I didn’t mean any harm. I just didn’t know about it, but you’re beautiful. You’re very beautiful.” He was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry that your first marriage didn’t work out.”

“Me too.” A drink was placed into her hand. She felt a waiter brush by and held the glass out for them to take.

“You don’t drink?”

“No, I don’t.” The waiter took the drink and left.

“So, what happened to your first husband?”

“He fell.” She moved toward the wall, and he followed. “Fell down a flight of stairs.”

“Freak accident,” and she smiled at his words. “Here.” He pulled out a chair for her and helped her sit down. “Are you comfortable?”

“Rarely,” she muttered. “I’m fine. How are our parents getting along?”

“Okay.” She didn’t believe that. “Well, kind of okay.”

“What does my family get out of this arrangement?” She sensed his surprise. “Money?”

“Nothing. Our fathers met and thought that we would be a good match for each other.” He turned away from her.

“Something wrong?”

“My shoelaces are untied.”

She took the opportunity to open her eyes. As she suspected, nobody was paying attention to them. They were too busy enjoying themselves, but one young girl saw her eyes and gasped. Was it the blue color, or that they looked reptilian?

She focused on Sai. He wasn’t too tall, and his hair was short and brown. His skin a soft tan. He seemed okay, and she relaxed. That was until she saw the gray mist lift off his body and out into the air around them. The mist whispered that he had never done a single harm to anyone, but there would come a time, where he would. And he would get away with it, and a chill raced down her spine.

She glanced at his glass resting on the table. He was still occupied with his shoe, fumbling with the laces. She pulled at the edge of her silver snake bracelet that was wrapped around her arm, a gift from her grandmother, the only one that she would see with these eyes, and a small shard fell into her palm. She dropped it into his glass as he sat up and watched him reach for it, but he stopped for a moment, almost to look at her. But then he downed his drink, and she closed her eyes.

About Author Melissa R. Mendelson:

Melissa R. Mendelson is a Horror, Science-Fiction, and Dystopian Author. Her short stories have been published by Sirens Call Publications, Dark Helix Press, and Transmundane Press. She also has a variety of short stories and poetry available on Medium.

Posted in Authors, Dark Fiction, flash fiction, FREE, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Writing Project | Tagged author, fiction, flash fiction, Horror, Ladies of Horror, Melissa R. Mendelson, picture prompt, Writing Project | 6 Comments

Ladies of Horror Flash Project – #Horror #author Michelle Joy Gallagher @Aphelia @darc_nina #LoH #fiction

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Ladies of Horror

The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Appropriate Punishment
by Michelle Joy Gallagher

“I watched the light leave my mothers eyes at a train station when I was just 7 years old. A man bludgeoned her with a fire extinguisher he’d ripped off the wall because she refused to give him change. She told me to run but I’d only gotten as far as the stairwell when her screams filled the station then stopped. I couldn’t help but watch.

No one looked up. No one helped her. I ran up the stairs and into traffic, cars screeching to a halt around me. That’s it. That’s the worst day of my life.”

“Objection your honor!” An overweight district attorney spat, his face growing more red with each word. Ruth had forgotten his name. “The purpose of the telling phase of any trial is to adequately select the day in which the criminal must relive as appropriate punishment.”

The judge stared at the DA blankly. “Sustained. Ma’am please try and refrain from emotionally illicit language during this phase. Counsel?”

The court appointed defense wore an ill fitting suit jacket. He was young and still passionate but he looked like a kid playing dress up. Ruth flinched anytime he spoke.”

“Your honor, I feel the selection of this memory would be considered cruel. There are a few more-“

He was abruptly cut off by the judge.

“Ms. Sama has been convicted of murder in the first degree and desecration of a corpse. You’re arguing cruelty?”

Her attorney nodded. “Yes sir. And the man she killed?” She patted his hand. “It’s alright.”

The judge had had enough. “Is he here to defend himself? What he did in life is inconsequential. Ms. Ruth Sama is hereby sentenced to 10 years memory replay without incarceration. I hope your decade of being haunted by your mother’s last breath sobers you.”

She was whisked out of the courtroom surrounded by what seemed like the entirety of the San Diego Sheriff’s department.

They drove her to a lab that was unmarked. An imposing cement edifice with no windows. Inside the smell of antiseptic made the back of her throat itch. She was seated in a reclining chair with an attachment that reminded her of the dryers at the salon. It was lowered over the top of her head, while an attendant clacked away on a keyboard, the monitor out of sight.

“You’ll hear a slight buzzing sound and then a click. You might have a metallic taste in your mouth for a few days, but it will fade.”

Ruth only nodded. There was a buzz and a click and her mouth tasted like copper, but then a searing pain shot through her skull and a hot white light filled her vision. He hadn’t prepared her for that. She groaned in pain and he smirked. He got off on it. Her face felt sunburnt and she couldn’t tell if it was from the procedure or anger welling up.

Then she heard it. A panicked voice that echoed around the room and shot through her: “Ruthie baby, RUN!”

She couldn’t see her mother, but the man who killed her stood behind the lab tech, fire extinguisher in his hands. He raised it over his head and brought it down onto her mothers head. Blood spattered onto the lab tech’s jacket and onto the counter behind him. He didn’t react. The procedure had been a success.

More from author Michelle Joy Gallagher:
Disremembering
Welcome to Blackhawk, Colorado. Blackhawk has always been strange. Natural disasters. Disappearances. Murders. High strangeness is a part of daily life. We can’t hope to explain it, but we can chronicle its past. Learn from it. Fear it. Blackhawk is an experimental fiction series set in a shared universe, written by a variety of talented authors. It is the brainchild of David M Brown (Plague Doctor, Modern Animals) and Carl D Smith (Moleb the Giant, Darkness Out of Carthage). Each story will contribute to an organic, evolving mythology as diverse as the voices behind its tales. For fans of True Detective, Lost Highway, Twilight Zone, and The Terror. This is Volume Two of the series and contains five stories by five different authors, each in tune with the specific strangeness Blackhawk has to offer. NOTE: For fans of Lake Lord Publishing’s prior horror titles, be warned that Blackhawk will contain content that is perhaps more disturbing and mature.