You might call me a successful entrepreneur, or businessman. A lot of people would envy my position. I am in my late fifties, and you could call me a career-minded individual. My name is Tristram Foley. It used to be Gary, but Gary is a dull name. I didn’t change it officially, just told new people I met, and they knew no different. I’m not the most attractive person you’ll ever meet, but certainly not the worst. When I s...

Present day Ron – the closest thing I had to a friend in school – had disappeared. That's not all. It was much worse than the simple disappearance of one boy. Much worse, trust me. What's left of their families still seek answers, but they won't find any – only I know what really happened. A pity no one believes me. Oh … wait. Shame on me for jumping ahead. I've been somewhat stressed, you see. The events of my childhood...

I sigh as I walk into the house and drop my backpack. All the cars are here, but I don't see anyone inside. The dogs are put away, the cats are nowhere to be seen, but I spy random lights turned on while most were left off. And of course, I see the full dishwasher opened just enough to signal that it needs to be emptied. Ignoring the dishwasher, I walk to the back of the house to unleash the pups from their confinement. O...

Who do you trust when you can't tell what's real and what's not? Who is really here, who did my head make up? Is the man with the drugs and the questions real? Are the noises, the lights real or imagined, hallucinated? I know the sleep deprivation is real, that much I know, but is someone really waking me up, or am I doing it to myself? Are they reading what I write, if they are real? He's so gentle and sweet when he brin...

Ponder honestly felt bad for the boy. He just watched as he tried to retrieve his stuffed animal from the other older children who were throwing it back and forth from each other. No one was coming over to help, no one to intervene. Ponder knew he couldn't do anything, no one could see him, he couldn't interact with anything besides the doors, he was just a spectator in this world. Suddenly a whistle blew, meaning recess...

Throughout his body, pain was the only thing he felt. His arms, torso, legs, but the most prominent pain was his head, he moved his hand to feel it and felt a large bump and a warm liquid that could only be blood; he then lost consciousness. Upon waking up again the pain returned, everything felt sore but he was able to think clearly now though when he tried to recall what had happen, he couldn’t remember. Still laying on...

Today was finally the day, that faithful point in Paul’s life. Of course he had no idea it was upon him, he woke up feeling like it was any other Saturday morning. His clock showed 6:30am meaning it was time for Paul’s daily morning jog; he took a shower, and got dressed as per usual. It was until he wanted to go downstairs where he found something quite odd, looking down his stairway it lead into a seemingly never ending...

Already picturing how he might need to play dead over and over again, Leana gauged Alec as the warranty for broken parts inside of herself since she couldn’t bring herself in for service. Chronically forgetful Leana pictured it would be incontrovertible to recommend that Alec accept her claims that she determined his worth. Meanwhile, as usual she took her time on everything. Even as she reeked of cheap noxious perfume th...

Mute, hung the valves from its cemented ceiling; It's knob cranked with a decibel of metal shriek.  Rained, with its acidic glow - the echo liberated his sigh; the flashing of pin-needle teeth that tear flesh from about the mouth, of him.  The repercussion caught by her ears, and eyes that open to liquidation.  She sits in this room with no awareness of how; It is not where she then slept - to fall asleep for.  Flooring w...

Upon the shy of a beach lay an ideal camping space — a break between the bushes that offers flat grass land, firweood, and the opening to an untouched beach. Three travellers have pitched their tent. It is late, early hours of the morning so to speak and two of the three have settled into their tent. The one character that is left remaining is chilling out on his towel at the foot of the tent. Listening to music through h...

**This portion of Damaged contains depictions of sex and violence. Reader discretion is advised.** Miki surprised herself again by actually attending classes the Monday morning. On Saturday night, as she lay under the covers in bed, she had thought for sure she would still likely be hiding at home for a few days. Maybe it was the exhausting run she did, or maybe it was the delicious Italian food she had later on for dinne...

When Saturday came by, the school kids and their families joined the faculty in the schoolyard for the annual picnic. It was a beautiful day, with nothing but blue skies and sunshine above them. “Thanks so much for fixing the shower,” Miki said as she and Alan set up the tables on the back field of Drummond Elementary. “Feels nice to stand up when getting clean.” Alan bobbed his head and propped up another table as Miki d...

This story contains scenes of graphic sex and violence that some may find offensive and/or disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. All characters, events, and locations are purely fictitious. On an early weekend morning, with a dull, grey haze in the air and before the rest of the quiet street had awoken, Alan Rosetti packed his tools into the back of his white pick-up truck, while Dean watched from the lawn. “Sure you...