Story code: ST-001923 Part 1: The Refusal The agonizing hum of the fluorescent lights buzzed in the sterile silence of the twenty-four-hour pharmacy. Elias drummed his fingers against the laminate counter, watching the young pharmacist firmly avoid all eye contact. The man in the white coat was sweating heavily, his pale fingers nervously hammering the … Read more
Story code: ST-001922 Part 1: The 6:00 PM Deadline Arthur pressed his forehead against the reinforced glass of the holding cell, his eyes locked on the red digital clock above the intake desk. The glowing numbers shifted to 5:42 PM, and a hard tremor rattled down his spine. He had exactly eighteen minutes to make … Read more
Story code: ST-001921 Part 1: The Silent House The silence in the house was heavy enough to make my skull throb before I even opened my eyes. I reached across the mattress to find my husband’s side perfectly made, cold to the touch, and absent of the usual Saturday morning cartoon noise from down the … Read more
Story code: ST-001920 Part 1: The Glare Marcus balanced on the top rung of the aluminum ladder, bracing the heavy-duty floodlight against the brick above the garage. The evening light was bleeding out fast, leaving the driveway in heavy shadows. He held a cordless drill against his hip, pressing his weight forward to drive the … Read more
Story code: ST-001918 Part 1: The Settlement The cork from a bottle of vintage champagne struck the recessed lighting of the sixty-fourth-floor conference room with a sharp, sterile thwack. Marcus flinched, though the sound was immediately drowned out by the cheering of six senior partners. Lead counsel Diane Miller slid a piece of heavy stock … Read more
Story code: ST-001917 Part 1: Lab Fees Mrs. Chen’s knuckles were swollen to the size of small marbles, the skin cracked and weeping clear fluid at the joints, as she pressed the blue cashier’s check against the peeling linoleum of the kitchen table. The stiff paper bore the logo of the local credit union and … Read more
Story code: ST-001916 Part 1: The Glass Audience The shockwave hit Marcus before the sound did, compressing his ribs and stealing the breath from his lungs. He stood frozen by the grand marble staircase, his grip locked on a silver tray carrying twelve flutes of vintage champagne. A heartbeat later, the deafening roar of the … Read more
Story code: ST-001915 Part 1: The Drowned Stacks The smell of river silt and decomposing carpet filled the main branch of the Oakhaven Public Library. Arthur aimed his penlight at the bottom shelf of the Young Adult section, his thumb sliding over the crinkled, water-logged spine of a hardcover to make out the author’s name. … Read more
Story code: ST-001914 Part 1: Server Disconnected The ringing in Arthur’s ears drowned out the crickets and the frantic barking of the Miller’s golden retriever across the street. He stood in the center of his own driveway, the pebbled concrete cold against the thin rubber soles of his plaid slippers. The heavy metallic weight in … Read more
Story code: ST-001913 Part 1: The Red Light The plastic faculty badge tapped against the scanner plate, emitting a sharp beep before the LED indicator flashed a solid, unforgiving red. Arthur pressed his shoulder against the heavy metal door of Oakridge High, expecting the familiar give of the hinges, but it held firm against the … Read more