A Story About Nothing
When Rick Chimmer got to work, he was a bit irritated to see that his partner for the shift was Alan Rykes. The tradeoff for a surprise night shift…
The Shadow of That Hideous Strength
When I found a dead crab outside my door, it made me wonder. A fly or a spider or something I could have dismissed easily, but a crab? A crab seemed…
“The E-Farer,” “The Center of the Universe,” and “Gynter, Guenes, and Gareth”
The E-Farer A dreaded mod / / did posters ban. In his mickle / / might he gloried. The site went down / / one dark dull day. He was not warned / /…
A Manuscript with a Happy Ending
“Oh no,” said Kitten, “I've lost my favorite ball!” “Oh my,” said Puppy. “Do you remember where you had it last? When I lose my toys, I can always…
Black Stains, Part 2
X. There was no trash to take out the following morning, and without the usual knock, Nick woke up several hours later than normal. For all the extra…
Black Stains, Part 1
I. Sunrise. A knock came at Nick Braxten's door. "Sweetie, I'm going to bed now. Can you get the trash when you get up?" "Yeah, Mom." "Thank you."…
Sheet Ghost
You want to know a secret? Most of psychology is nonsense. I should know; I make a living teaching it. Freud, for example, didn't do a single…
Templar
A flashy animatic of an androgynous, golden figure tells me that my TV is tuned to the Goldman News Network. The picture fades into a burgundy…
Eliza
Day 52 Her name is Elizabeth Smerdy. You don't know her. Or maybe you do; she did move into the apartment right next to yours. No, never mind; you…
The Silent Man
The silent man awoke at exactly 0700. He didn't use an alarm clock; he'd woken up at this time every day of his life. It was written on his genes. He…
