Urban Short Stories

David Bain brings you five stories from the dark side of town. Horror doesn't just happen in a creaking haunted house; the paranormal and occult can creep into every corner of the United States' urban landscape. These short stories of dark fantasy bring the metaphysical mystery of everything from demons to serial killers to your back door....

There is a haunted house up there that squats like a huge wooden toad behind a thick grove of pine trees on the end of a dead end road. Maybe once it was painted, but now it has a gray cadaver-like complexion, and its siding is sagged and splintered as if the devil had been poking at it with his pitchfork. Its windows are streaked and stained, and trying to see through them from the outside is like trying to look a skull in the eye.

Bevor Charles Dickens mit "Oliver Twist" berühmt wurde, schrieb er Kurzgeschichten. 1836 veröffentlichte er die "Londoner Skizzen". Es sind Beobachtungen, Fantasien und Fiktionen, in denen Dickens das alltägliche Leben humorvoll beschreibt und gleichzeitig die sozialen Missstände im England des 19. Jahrhunderts kritisiert. Sie alle zeigen das London, das er so gut kannte, im Guten wie im Schlechten – seine Straßen, Theater, Gasthäuser, Pfandhäuser und Gefängnisse. Mit seiner eindringlichen Stimme erweckt Tom Vogt Dickens’ Alltagsszenen zum Leben.

Jay is a typical 12-year-old boy. The story of the Man with the White Face has made the rounds in his neighborhood, and he never buys in to the legend until the day he's abducted. That's when Jay learns the horrifying truth about the Man with the White Face.

This collection of stories spans two decades of work by Bram Stoker Award winning author David Niall Wilson. From the streets of Jerusalem to the historical life of Vlad Tepes, follow this prolific author through 11 tales of vampirism, lycanthropy, and darkness. There's a bit of dark humor, a touch of the erotic, and a little something for everyone who loves creatures of the night. These vampires are guaranteed not to sparkle...

Dan and Brenda Stevens finally planned a night out without the kids, and were able to find a babysitter at the last minute. Brenda's friend Karen's daughter Susan happened to be free for the evening because her boyfriend was sick, so instead of being stuck home all night with nothing to do her mother suggested she babysit her friend Brenda's kids, and make a little extra money. Susan was happy to earn some easy money for a couple hours.

Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday provide a stunning introduction to the uncompromising work of John Edgar Wideman, whose literary achievements have inspired The New York Times to name him “one of America’s premier writers of fiction”. Damballah’s narratives examine the vexed history of Homewood, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, neighborhood whose origins are rooted in a time when slavery was still legal in the United States of America.

Let Tom Cardamone lead you into his wicked universe of changelings and mysterious creatures, where a boy transforms into lightning and illuminates his emerging sexuality. Where a man accidentally receives a package meant for his neighbor, a situation complicated by the fact that he lives next door to a Sphinx. A nurse finds herself working in a retirement home for vampires, while in the future a man questions his decision to live life as a manatee.

Olivia Locke, formerly the Greek titan Mnemosyne, has built a nice little life for herself. She's bound her ancient powers, has a steady job performing inspections for an insurance company, and even goes to the dentist. But when Olivia is sent to a traveling carnival, she discovers that the claims she's reviewing aren't accidents at all but rather symptoms of a depraved bargain struck to keep the operation afloat. And, at the heart of the carnival is a force intent on capturing her very soul.

From New York Times best-selling author Seanan McGuire, a haunting urban fantasy short story in the Carniepunk anthology - for fans of all things circus, supernatural, and mysterious.... It's been 17 years since the last time Ada's carnival passed through her father's hometown in Alabama.... and no one is expecting the reception she gets.

Having just quit Julliard, disillusioned fiddler Melanie St. James finds herself as part of a group of traveling musicians en route to an OtherFolk carnival. Eager to break the chains of a lifetime of conformity, Melanie throws caution to the wind and enters a reckless bargain, plying her musical skills for the chance to win a violin that can open Doors to the CrossRoads. But the competition turns out to be far more than she expected.

When Kiley learns firsthand what evil lurks in the heart of her boyfriend, he’ll learn about the Cold Girl, and her penchant for retribution.

Author of the Amanda Feral series Mark Henry lends his brilliantly twisted imagination to the gripping Carniepunk anthology in this creepy zombie short story. When the zombie apocalypse overtakes New York City, a trip to Coney Island is the most frightening thing of all. A gruesome tale of transformation, Ferris wheels, and transsexuals.

Marriage counselor Nancy Werlock didn't want to take over the family business. Unfortunately for her fate, and a bunch of conniving but well-meaning spirits, have other plans. Now Nancy finds herself fumbling through exorcisms and sorting applications for a new apprentice. Because for Werlock women, the family business is demonology. And at the Three Wishes Boutique, the customer may not always be right, but he may very well be possessed.

Marriage counselor Nancy Werlock didn't want to take over the family business. Unfortunately for her, fate and a bunch of conniving but well-meaning spirits, have other plans. Now Nancy finds herself fumbling through exorcisms and training a sexy new apprentice. Because for Werlock women, the family business is demonology. And at the Three Wishes Boutique, the customer may not always be right, but he may very well be possessed.

Featuring New York Times best-selling authors Jim Butcher and Simon R. Green, and national best-selling authors Kat Richardson and Thomas E. Sniegoski, Mean Streets offers four novellas from the hottest names in contemporary paranormal suspense. Running the gamut from demons and werewolves to zombies and black magic, these whodunits crackle with otherworldly secrets, making for a noir collection with an extra set of fangs.

The Drayton Chronicles is a collection of novellas chronicling the evolution of a vampire. In "Drayton, The Taker:" Blake Barnes commits suicide by freezing on Mt. Hood. As his life fades, he assumes Death has come to him in the form of a young man. In his last moments, he asks Death to find his family, to tell them he's sorry. Drayton honors this last request as he absorbs Blake Barnes' waning essence. He travels to the Lowcountry of South Carolina to find his family. But saying sorry is not always as easy as the words imply.

Er ist jung. Er ist mutig. Und er ist auf der Jagd: Jack Deveraux - der Dämonenjäger. Der finale Kampf steht bevor. Als Jack einen Laden betritt, geschieht das Unmögliche: Die Zeit bleibt stehen. Niemand außer ihm kann sich bewegen, selbst ein Paket, das gerade zu Boden fällt, hängt starr in der Luft. Gleichzeitig hört Jack ein seltsames Summen. Er folgt dem Geräusch und stößt auf einen Riss in der Wand, in dem es seltsam rot pulsiert. Jack tritt näher - und wird von einem grellen Licht geblendet.

It can be really hard to find the right person to settle down with. People have sex with each other all the time, yet there is always that special someone who makes the difference makes you want to make the decision to settle down for good. The author shows how that can happen by suing two different sets of characters in two different stories. The yin and the yang, perfectly joined. Total opposites coexisting in harmony and love....

Half Life is a triplet of supernatural stories which journey to worlds that linger between life and death. Fear, disappointment, and loneliness permeate these worlds, forcing each character to face up to the dark side of human existence. An original blend of horror, pathos, and humour, these curious stories will cause disquiet, heartache, and a thrilling sting of pleasure.