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Latest Stories

March 19, 2024
Fantasy Stories Wondering Monk

Just My Imagination

The alarm clock went off and started playing an awful tune. Tom opened his eyes and closed them back, squinting. He reopened one eye and stood up to stop the torture. The phone was on the desk, in the furthest spot from the bed. Although he changed his way of…
March 19, 2024
Science Fiction Stories Ocelotlzin

Earth Is Dead

Recording… It doesn't matter who I was; I probably lived a long time ago, and I am now just a voice someone added to the audio-visual records. What is essential is the recollection of events that lead to the current state. So, a little history needs to be…
March 08, 2024
Flash Fiction Benoit

Some Enchanted Evening

It was a rugby tackle with tears: Chrissy burst in, sobbing and babbling, hugging James. Her face was all wet, eyes wild. What…? My parents split up, Dad has moved in with his boyfriend and I cannot join them. I am shut out. I have lost my dad. Torrent of…
March 08, 2024
Horror Stories Marvel Chukwudi Pephel

In The Hands Of My Legs

The car pulled up in front of the large salon. The neon sign, that sexy broad thing, on the salon'sroof read "Mr. Gil's All-night Salon". The exhaust pipe of the car was pumping solid smoke, theswirls moving from the car and towards the salon.…
March 07, 2024
Mystery Stories Vanessa Leigh Giles

Casualty of Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Chapter 1 Until Death do us Part ‘Ring, ring!’. I answered the telephone and asked, “Hello, good evening. Who’s this? “Hello.” This is Dr. Smith from Red Cross hospital. “Is this Mr. Locke, John?”, he asked, hesitantly scratching his bald head. “Yes, doctor.…
March 07, 2024
Crime Stories Robert Pook

Bar Room Trigger

Another return journey on footpaths so familiar. He strides across each crack in each paving stone. Regular loose drain covers sidestepped. Mapping long ago mapped in Richard’s desolate mind. His pace hastened by the sight of the oncoming storm. Quickening…
March 04, 2024
Horror Stories Ano Chinemerem

Sanctity

Where should I begin? I could begin by telling you about this comely boy, whom every notable person around the streets agrees his smile could charm the bills off one. Between one smile, there was his goodness, his dreams and humanity—a little far ahead?— but…
March 04, 2024
Flash Fiction Emanuel Diaz

Et Mortui Partium

As Rafael stepped out into the rain, it wasn't the ordinary drops that fell from the sky. Instead, it was a storm of souls, each one taking the form of shimmering jewelry as it cascaded toward the ground. Rubies, diamonds, and sapphires twinkled amidst the…
February 29, 2024
Poetry Jing Li Ava

London

‘Am I in London?’ "I am." Where is Elizabeth? Happy living story All of your chapter Bounlance joy Please my heart Power hand Wise mind Our baby Vow vow Love all love Miss I miss Endless wonder Bring us together Love all love Miss I miss For everything My…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Rob Pook

Life Sentence of The Smith

Born nine months after his country won the World Cup.A child prodigy.Cast off at age twenty-four.Husband, father, emigree, away on the other side of the world.The blue-collar life.The dreams of success.The search for fulfillment.The long years of empty…
February 29, 2024
Mystery Stories Joshua Lowther

The Operator

Jason looked over to his right, his eyes barely able to focus themselves on the subject of his attention. His neck ached terribly from the strenuous movement. He was tired. The captain’s gaze came to rest on the rookie sonar operator sitting tense at his…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Salvatore Difalco

The Chute

At dusk, we left our unit with a soft pink bundle. I carried it through the wet streets and into the black woods. I said I’d take it all the way, the bundle, but that we had to drop it in together. My wife’s green eyes flashed. “Don’t make me do that.” I…

The Unicorn
(A Tale of Hranda)

by Steve Lockley

The Unicorn was tucked away in the back streets of Hranda, out of sight of casual prying eyes and attracted the drinkers that other inns would not entertain; thieves and cut throats, beggars and vagabonds. And yet there was rarely any trouble for the landlord Piotr Garim, an incomer who  had bought the run down business many years before. He was a big man, well over six feet tall and barrel chested, his once blond hair now running to grey. But it was not due to him that there was never any trouble in The Unicorn. All the men who drank there knew that they would never be allowed into The Black Cow or The Welcome Arms or any of the other inns scattered around the city and at the first sign of anything getting out of hand, the trouble makers would be ejected by their fellow drinkers. It was a situation that suited Garim well as despite his own appearance he detested violence.

People came to Hranda for many reasons; some were looking to make a better life for themselves or their families, others to get away from their past. Garim fell into the second category and although he had left his former life behind he could not forget it. The arrival of a heavy cloaked stranger late in the evening threatened to change matters if he did not take any action.

The stranger was still sitting beside the fire when the last of the regular customers left. Garim took the man's empty beer mug to add it the rest and waiting for him to rise. The man showed no inclination to move though and Garim felt his heartbeat increase, fearing the confrontation that he knew would follow.

“It's been quite a while,” said the man.

“Sorry?” Garim said, trying to act as if he had no idea of who the man was, though he knew that the act was destined to fail.

“Piotr Garim,” the man laughed. “I thought you would at least have changed your name.

“You must have the wrong Piotr Garim,” Garim replied. Avoiding eye contact.

“I don't think so,” the man in the cloak said. “There are not many men who cheat the hangman in Kaarlsgrad.”

There was nothing he could say other than try to deny it all, but that would be useless. He recognised the man as Alex Turgov just as well as the man identified him. “What do you want.”

“To be sure that the secret is kept buried.”

“It is already.”

“I'm not sure that I can believe that,” Turgov said, pulling the knife from his belt and rising to his feet. “Did you think that you would be able to escape forever by hiding away in a place like this?”

Garim backed away, fearing that perhaps his time had come when a commotion grew behind heralded by the sound of heavy boots. Two large figures rushed from behind the bar sending two mugs crashing to the flagstone floor, shattering on impact and firing shards of pottery across the room. A chair was broken a table overturned but in moments Alex Turgov was lying on the floor with his knife sunk deep into his own chest.

Turgov slumped into the nearest chair as his two saviour righted the table and gathered the remains of splintered furniture.

“Sorry,” one of the men said, more concerned about the damage done than the fact that there was now a corpse on the inn floor.

“Looks like we were right to be a little concerned for your welfare,” one of the men said. “When our friend in the cloak didn't come out straight away we decided to go around the back and make sure you were alright.

“Thank you,” Garim said, feeling the words were inadequate.

The other man knelt down and pulled the hood from the man's face to reveal the ugly rope burn scar around his neck. The only man to cheat the hangman, and the hangman the only one left to identify him.

“Never seen him before,” said Garim and he knew that at last he could start to forget.

©2010

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