Stories

Wars have been fought over obsessions, and millions have died; but not all obsessions produce effects that severe or lethal. Most only affect a small group of people. But what personal obsessions often have in common is that trivial, careless remark, or an unknowing or uncaring act, that triggers them in someone of an impressionable age. A small thing, perhaps, but it can last a lifetime, as our narrator discovers.

Set against a backdrop of dial-up modems and Y2K paranoia, this story is a deep dive into pure 90s nostalgia. On the final Spring Break of the millennium, music snob Leo believes a CD-ROM playlist from his best friend Caleb is a nerdy ark designed to save their decade's music from the apocalypse. He champions its eclectic mix as genius, until a single 80s song shatters his theory. Leo is forced to realize the playlist isn't a museum, but a love letter — the culmination of a decade of unheard confessions hidden in the B-sides of every mixtape Caleb has ever made, forcing him to finally stop analyzing and start listening.

Poems and verse for those who have passed from this life.

A poem featuring all 23 story titles from the 2025 Creature Feature Anthology.

In the crucible of the Pacific War, two Marines, Tony from Brooklyn and Josh from Nebraska, find a fragile salvation in each other. Amid fire and rain, their bond deepens from comradeship to something neither dares name. A portrait of love, loyalty, and survival when the world demands silence from the heart’s loudest truths. They return home carrying more than scars. From the jungles of the Pacific to the fog of San Francisco, they navigate a fragile peace, searching for a place that will let them exist as they are, between the silences of survival and the noise of a world moving on without them.

Sixteen years ago, their friend disappeared from the amusement park - no one knows where to. Since then, the remaining friends return every year on this day. Until he suddenly stands in front of them...

Every cedar holds a spirit. Every spirit longs for home.

When a young Japanese cedar sapling is transported to a Canadian zoo for a new “Trees of the World” exhibit, no one realizes it carries with it a kodama—an ancient tree spirit torn from its home. As the cedar begins to wither, strange phenomena ripple through the zoo, and a girl named Maureen O’Neil decides to find out why. With her mother's support, Maureen challenges the botanist who brought the tree overseas. A violent storm reveals the truth so, together, child, mother, and scientist undertake a journey to restore nature's balance.

2025 Halloween Horror short story:

Jonah, an eighteen-year-old freshman, is invited to attend a fancy Halloween formal party at an old fraternity house by Griffin, a flirty upperclassman.

On Halloween night, Mason leads his friend up the old firewatch tower above Wilbur Falls — just to get away from the noise, the beer, and the same faces down by the creek. But something about the night feels different. The wind smells of smoke, the dark hums with electricity, and the space between them glows with something neither can name. High above their small town, mystery and longing blur together, and what begins as a quiet escape becomes a moment that will haunt them long after the night is gone.

A haunting Halloween tale about connection, silence, and the spark between two boys learning what it means to be seen.

Every town has a history. Every town has stories that have been handed down through the ages . . stories that tell of people or events that may, or may not, be real. Thompsonville is no different. In fact, this town probably has more than most. Here’s just one of them!