Enemy He coughed, the heat stung his eyes, and smoke choked his lungs. His shoulder struck the locked door. It shuddered in the frame, plywood shaking and groaning. Growing dizzy, fire crawling over the floor and snaking up the walls of the small bunkroom. Struggling to breathe, his legs getting heavier, he slams into the … Continue reading Night Terrors (4) – Horrors of War
Night Terrors (3) – Horrors of War
Bodies A howling scream rattled him awake. Disoriented, he nearly fell out of the chair in the command room. What was that! He sat up and stumbled forward, his feet moving before he regained his balance. Checking his pistol was still on his hip, he opened the door. The iPod played quietly a ragged whisper. … Continue reading Night Terrors (3) – Horrors of War
Night Terrors (2) – Horrors of War
Dig “And you knuckleheads didn’t think to tell me?” Gunny sighed deeply, stretching his arms into the air, trying to wrap his head around what could be happening. “We weren’t exactly sure what to tell you,” Marshall replied. He leaned back in his chair. “It was easier just to tell you that we were doing … Continue reading Night Terrors (2) – Horrors of War
Night Terrors (1) – Horrors of War
Falling Away from Me The skin had peeled back, the muscles gray and rotten, leaving only the bone on the last digit of its finger. Through the dark, it reached out with a groan, followed by another groan, moan, and exasperated exhale—the slow, overwhelming, grasping, clawing, howling horde. “We have to move,” Gunny Dos yelled. … Continue reading Night Terrors (1) – Horrors of War
Goodman (4)
A Good Wife “I’m sorry, Mum,” Tillo whispered. “For what, dear?” Agnelia asked while she tucked him into his small bed. “I should have stayed. Fought with Clo.” His small body shook, and shame and embarrassment wracked the young boy. His eyes were wet with tears. “Don’t you say that, little one.” She comforted him, … Continue reading Goodman (4)
Goodman (3)
A Good Husband “WOLF!” Tillo’s screaming still echoed in his ears. He wanted it to stop, but another part of him hoped it wouldn’t. Let it burn, that moment when he still believed his son was alive. He had run into the woods like a madman, the branches tearing through his tunic. Stabbing into his … Continue reading Goodman (3)
Goodman (2)
A Good Father The howling unsettled him, drawing a shiver down his spine and making his heart ache. The gray sky overhead, the sun dimmed by an unknown force, earlier in the year, at the end of winter. The old tree loomed above them, gnarled and watchful. Its leaves fell early this year. They stood … Continue reading Goodman (2)
Goodman (1)
A Good Son “The wolves are hunting. Pressing closer. Be careful, they are hungry, like us.” His hand was sturdy, resting on his shoulder while he kneeled to talk to him—a warning before they entered the forest. His eyes were warm and tired. The skin hung from malnutrition, the sky had gone dark, gray since … Continue reading Goodman (1)
Goodman (0)
Author's Note The year 536 is often called the beginning of the "worst year to be alive"—an environmental catastrophe triggered by massive volcanic eruptions. These eruptions darkened the skies, disrupted crops, and ushered in a cold, famine-stricken decade across much of the known world. In Merovingian Gaul, these years of blight, war, and societal upheaval … Continue reading Goodman (0)
Little Brown Bear (5): Horrors of War
Red Door Maliha stood outside the door, her bear in hand, while her father stuffed a squirming, very confused chicken into one bag and held another small plastic bag overflowing with flatbread. Reza had begun to paint the door red, using red paint that he had been storing in his room and an old shirt … Continue reading Little Brown Bear (5): Horrors of War
Adam Fenner 