Originally published December 20, 2007 In college, I, Nick Hayden, would occasionally interview the movers and shakers of the world and post the transcripts via email to those who were interested in such personages. At the time, my main subject was Stuart Lem, headmaster of the prestigious Lem Institute. Recently,…
It is twilight. Shadows lie curled like dogs in front of the fire. The table is set for dinner. The Lady Delia sits upon one end, her husband, Lord Cronin upon the other. “You have done well tonight,” says the Lord, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand….
The world is asleep in its grave at two o’clock, and I’m still awake, unable to sleep, aware of every sound, aware of every second as it flashes out of existence like a burnt-out bulb. Two o’clock is 3600 endless moments of darkness, 3600 ghosts passing through my body, 3600…
The city below lay shrouded in darkness, with only a few pinpricks of light shining from the street lamps and windows. “I don’t remember ever seeing it that dim,” Eljar muttered. “There’s several good veins past the Black Valley,” his uncle reminded him, “and there’s potential beyond the Empty Sea….
Freddie knew it was going to be a bad day when he checked his RSS feeds and discovered Chuck Norris had exploded during the night. There were no details, just the bald fact of his demise. This shattered Freddie’s entire existence. He climbed under his bed, clutched the crocheted Dalek…
What surprised him most was how vividly he remembered it all the moment he stepped inside—the linoleum tiles, the blue lockers, the stained ceiling tiles, the tired yellow fluorescent bulbs. He had hated those bulbs. They made the hallways feel more claustrophobic than they already were. Add to that the…
Alex lay on the floor, crying inconsolably. “Do you want to play get-you? Why don’t we play get-you?” A new, hysterical pitch entered Alex’s fit. The boy was overtired. But Grandma was not without resources. “Maybe we can go outside and jump in the puddles. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Alex…
Without looking back, Lamar stepped through the rip in space-time, knowing well he might die. It didn’t bother him much. Treated like a mech-drone, abused by the whole star-lost community, if he died, he’d find peace sooner than later. A strange pulling sensation gripped his body, as if he were…
If you’ve managed to stumble upon this site, you’ve discovered it’s a collection of girders and drywall without a final shape. Be patient. There’s much more coming–more stories, more pictures, more features. Until then, feel free to test out the foundation, point out any cracks, or simply sit back and…
Six I asked mom for a dog. She said no. I asked mom for a dog again. She said no. I asked dad for a dog. He said yes. I named him Jumper. Eleven Suddenly, the alien attacked me, but I punched him and he flew through the air and…
Peter held the gun in a trembling hand. He had never before fired a gun. This one had sat by his bedside for the last month, new and unused. He sat in the balcony of the Embassy Theater, staring up at the domed ceiling. The stage lay empty below. He…
Mark had enrolled in the Eden Project just out of college, nearly twenty years ago, when it was still an experimental government program. It was strange to look back on those pre-Eden days. At 40, he was fitter than he had been at twenty. He was well-fed, but he completed…