Frightmares: A Fistful of Flash Fiction Horror

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FOREWORD

Lightning crashes outside and you jolt up in bed, drenched with sweat and panting like you’re taking in your last breaths. Body trembling, you try to regain a sense of logic, but the darkness surrounding you is too dominant. You’ve dragged yourself from one of the worst nightmares of your life, and you can’t even remember what it had been about. Only that it had been frightening; frightening and endless. Brutal and unforgiving. A minute’s worth of reality, and an eternity’s worth of memory. Like a snapshot in a book of screams.

You may not remember what had been in the dream, but you know whatever had been there sure remembers you, and it will never forget. From this moment on, you know you will never be the same. Forget about getting any more sleep tonight–or any other night for that matter—not when whatever is after you is still out there . . . waiting. And it will never stop until it’s claimed what it desires. All it needs–all it wants–is for you to lay back down and close your eyes. Just for a moment. Surrender your body . . . your mind. It can wait longer than you can stay awake. It has eternity on its side.

The only choice you have is to give in. The nightmare has found you, and it will never let go. So shut those eyes. Don’t say a word. The moon is hidden in the midnight sky and that is the way things will be for the rest of time. Feel the shadows caressing your cheek? It wants you. It is your only true lover. Embrace the darkness. Embrace the fear.

Embrace the nightmare.

-Max Booth III

co-author of
The Ultimate Survival Guide for Humanity

(2012 Dark Moon Books)

DARK MOON BOOKS

an imprint of Stony Meadow Publishing

Largo, Florida

Frightmares: A Fistful of Flash Fiction Horror

(Individual stories are copyright by their respective authors)

ISBN: 978-0-9834335-5-2

The stories included in this publication are works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

www.darkmoonbooks.com

E-mail: [email protected]

ARTWORK CREDITS

Cover Artwork: Whendy Muchlis Effendy

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book has been a long time in creation. I am not sure how many body pieces Victor Frankenstein used to create his “monster,” but I’ll bet he used a lot less than we did in stitching this thing together.

It was pointed out to me during the proofreading and editing process that the table of contents included more words (nearly 800 at last count) than any of the individual stories. It was an interesting observation, but it proves a point. A well-written, complete story can be told with very few words. It reminds me of the myth about Hemingway being challenged by a bunch of friends to write a compelling story in six words and he allegedly wrote “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.”

So here it is in all of its nightmarish, ghoulish glory:
Frightmares–A Fistful of Flash Fiction
. And it wouldn’t have been possible without all of the authors who have been so very patient with the process. It would also not have been possible without the assistance of several Dark Moon staff members including (but not limited to) Jennifer Word, Frances Augusta Hogg, Lori Michelle, George Lea, Ryan Falcone, Kurt Reichenbach, Sean Davis, Michael O’Neal and Katie Immethun. And a special thanks goes out to Max Booth III who edited stories like a madman for the last three weeks of the process in order to get this monster sewn up tight and ready for a jolt of lightning to bring it to life. And, yes, that time has come, my friends. “It Lives!”

Enjoy.

Stan Swanson

Editor/Publisher, Dark Moon Books

CONTENTS

Head Shot
John Erbar

Stranglers in the Night
Jeff Carter

The Deal
Mike Wilson

$2 Bust From An Antique Sale
Eric J. Guignard

Circle Of Salt
Adam William Spike

Genesis
Natalie Mcnabb

Running With The Pack
Stan Swanson

Serial Killers Don’t Pay Membership Dues
K. K. Philan