Urban Short Stories

When the villagers of Godestone report a series of bizarre and troubling events, Sir Hugo, his heavily pregnant wife, Lady Alice, and her distant kinsman Father Gilbert are honor bound to investigate, for they are “born to the Fang,” shape-shifters dedicated to fighting evil in secret. And the events are worrying indeed - stolen farm implements, a mutilated goat, and now a missing child. Their investigation is further complicated by the arrival of Robert Fynch, who was drawn to the scene by the tales of mysterious happenings in the village.

Dust storms pop up out of nowhere and are a danger for drivers on the open highways of the southwest. But when you can't see what is in front of you, maybe, with a little help, a fresh pair of eyes, you see something new. Something that might not even be there other times, something that is accessible only when dust storms may exist!

When you're a fast-failing organic farmer in New Hampshire, with a known termagant for a wife, an event like this - digging up a human hand in your potato patch - can be devastating to your small profits when the news gets out, especially since that ancient hand has peculiar "qualities." This discovery sets off a chain of inexorable events that lead Leonard Johnson to rash action resulting in a terrible kind of justice. A balance must be restored and a lesson learned.

The worst part isn’t being dead, but finding a job. Francis Lee Lemons wakes up in the land of the dead, unemployed and bored. As a criminal in his life in modern America, he figured that the best plan in his afterlife is to stick to what he knows. But getting in with the local crime syndicate - run by an 1800s gunslinger, Alicia - isn’t that easy.

Max Thorton faces a life-altering revelation: werewolves exist and his best friend might be one. What does that mean for his friendship? What does that mean for him? Enjoy this short for Max's introduction to Lycan and the Texas Pack.

Experience 13 common urban legends like never before. Expanded and retold in a way to really connect you to the story - are you brave enough to read them?

Susan is the epitome of the happy housewife, contentedly conducting her daily ritual of cleaning her home and keeping everything just as it should be. Wrapped up in her own little world within those familiar walls, she hardly notices the altogether different arrival in her own back yard. She may ignore the sudden shaking beneath her slippered feet, she might even neglect to spot the conspicuous sight itself - but she can't evade the stench. Something's wrong. Very wrong.

Count Eric Stenislaus Stenbock (1860-1895) was an aristocrat of German-Estonian origin who lived in England. He wrote weird, macabre fantasy fiction and was a favorite of H. P. Lovecraft. He was well known for his eccentric lifestyle, keeping snakes, salamanders, and toads in his bedroom, and owned a bear, a reindeer, and a fox. He had a life-size doll with him at all times which he claimed was his son.

Arthur Machen has been cited as an influence to many writers of supernatural horror. He was also a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This story, originally from 1888, is about a monk, in charge of the wine cellar at his abbey, who finds a strange jar and decides to take a drink.

An errant encounter with a passing star has flung Earth away from its old Solar System into the dark and cold of deep space. With the entire atmosphere frozen as chemical snow dozens of feet deep, one last family struggles to survive. But what are they to think when they see figures moving in the city ruins? Are Earth's dead coming back to life?

It was Halloween Night and Damon was excited about trying out his new Halloween prop in his front yard next to the busy road that ran in front of his house. He was putting on the finishing touches to his new prop when some friends from school decided to drop by and check out his new prop he had been bragging about at school all day. His friends Steve, Jack and Karen rode together in the same car and pulled into Damon's driveway and watched as Damon was practicing slipping the noose around his neck.

It was June and what a perfect month for a wedding. Dan and Melissa had been dating for several years and Dan finally popped the question she had been anticipating for over a year. She thought that day would never come, but it finally did and when Dan asked her to marry him she said, "Yes! Yes!" and they shared a long kiss. Melissa said with excitement, "Dan, I know the perfect place to have the wedding."

"Mother Urban's Booke of Dayes" originally appeared in Dark Faith, published by Apex Publications. The late Jay Lake was the author of 10 novels and more than 300 published stories. In 2004 he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Over his long career he was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and many other awards.

Jenny was so excited that Mike asked her to be his girlfriend. She was a cheerleader and Mike was the star quarterback at their high school. They were so in love, and ready to get more serious, and one day get married and start a family of their own, but that dream would never come to light because of what was about to unfold that night.