I always loved this time of year. My parents could never afford to take us to theme parks, so the best roller-coaster I ever went on was the bone-shaker that was the pride of the travelling circus. My dad was always nervous when I rode it. I didn’t understand at the time, but I do now. The whole thing was put up in a day and a few days later was dismantled and shipped to the next town. I’d swear he was more nervous watching me than I was riding it. Read more »

When I woke, I had the urge to go to the sea. It was like a thirst. Over the day my mind wandered, obsessed with the thought. Visions intruded my mind. I saw the water glittering like brilliant diamonds, the waves lapping against the shore. I was mesmerised. The image was so crystal clear, the clarity so much more intense than a normal dream. I couldn’t shift it. I wondered if it was related to the sushi I ate the day before. Read more »

I was always nervous when attending a new church, and this one in the centre of the small village I had just moved into was no exception. When I arrived for mass, I was shocked with how many parishioners were here. For such a small town, it was quite a sight. Read more »

I’ll admit this now and get it out of the way. I am a massive skeptic when it comes to ghosts and the supernatural, but that didn’t stop me going to a seance with my girlfriend and a couple of buddies. I promised her that I wouldn’t make fun of it and that I’d be on my best behaviour. Read more »

I saw an article today about some poor Indian child getting over 500 teeth removed from their mouth. It’s lucky they were able to have the surgery; some aren’t that lucky. Have you wondered why it is you don’t hear more about that happening more, babies born with distressing deformities? It happens more often than you’d expect. Read more »

The house was full of other people’s junk when we moved in. We knew that. That was part of the deal, and was one of many reasons the place was so cheap. My wife and I spent the better part of the weekend boxing up the crap and putting it in the garage. We sorted it into things for Good Will and trash. Read more »

The day before, I was given detention for putting glue on a friend’s chair. I had arrived in class before everyone else and saw a tube of epoxy glue had been left from the previous lesson. I don’t know what came over me, but I had an overwhelming urge to smear it over Dave’s chair. Thinking it would be hilarious to see him try to get up at the end of class. Read more »

When our baby daughter was born, it was a bittersweet affair. My mother had died just months beforehand. We knew she had been ill for a while. We’d made the trip up north a couple of times; my mother held her hand to my wife’s belly and felt our daughter kick. Her eyes lit up. She told us she couldn’t wait until she was born. But cancer doesn’t answer to prayers. Tilly was seven months pregnant when my mother died. Read more »

It was only when I was cleaning out some old boxes I had shuffled from house to house that I found this tape. When I saw the writing scrawled on the side in Sharpie, it all came flooding back. All the guilt that I’d hidden for all these years oozed out. I felt a heaviness in my heart that I did so well to hide from myself. Read more »

I didn’t want to stay in a bed and breakfast. I find it weird. I’m not sure if you have them in your country, but in England, they are usually someone’s house. It’s not even like they convert it. For the nights you stay there, it’s as if you are a family friend staying over. Except you don’t know the family. I avoid them like the plague. It can be very uncanny. Though last week, I didn’t have a choice. Read more »

When I moved into my fully furnished apartment I cried. This was the last piece of the puzzle. I had got a job as a copywriter for a hugely popular website and was finally living in the city. It was my American Dream. Read more »

I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder five years ago. I developed this after a period of sustained abuse. I don’t think I left the house for six months. I moved back in with my mother, who took care of me so well. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Read more »

I’m an amateur magician. I’ve performed at children’s parties and done some touring. I wouldn’t class myself as an expert, but I am in the magic circle. I love to see professional magicians perform, there is nothing better than when you see a trick and you have no idea how it was done.

I read a forum post a month ago that had a link to a YouTube video, 10 times magic went wrong. I checked it out, and as you can imagine, the contents were quite horrific. Two of the clips were of the Nail Under the Cups trick. If you are from England, you may have seen Derren Brown performing this. It’s a good one, if the magician is qualified. If they aren’t, then you end up being at positions seven and three of this video. Read more »

We had been hiking all day and the sun was starting its journey over the horizon. The sky was streaked with purples and oranges as the early summer evening turned to night. We’d been following the same single lane road for hours, hoping to come in contact with civilisation.

“I think we should set up camp here,” Dan said, pointing to a field on the left.

I spotted the white triangular sign with a red border containing the icon of a tank. Read more »

I’d been married to my wife for ten years. We were young when we tied the knot and couldn’t afford to go anywhere for our honeymoon and it had bugged me for years. When I told her we should finally do it, I said we could go anywhere, Vegas, the Maldives, anywhere. But she had her heart set on the quaint little seaside town where we met. Read more »

Notice: This story includes graphic violence, the brutal beating of a man, the gutting of a sweet little dog, and a murder spree that starts from the man’s house, before working its way along the street, ending in an apparent suicide. You have been warned… Read more »

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. We gave him his packed lunch, and watched him run down the yard and into the waiting school bus. He took his seat, just like every other day and waved us goodbye. I waved back until he was out of sight. But that day he wasn’t going to come home to us. Read more »

Pica, a tendency or craving to eat substances other than normal food (such as clay, plaster, or ashes), occurring during childhood or pregnancy, or as a symptom of disease. Read more »

I was always creeped out when I visited my Aunt’s house. My brother made me watch the Shinning when I was only five. My Aunt’s daughters looked exactly the same as the ones in the film. That alone was enough for me to feign sickness when I was told where we were going. Unfortunately that only worked a couple of times, until my mum got wind and made me go no matter how much I played up. Read more »