New Page 1

WHO DONE IT?
By T.C.W. Stray

Martha put her tattered detective novel down and rubbed her eyes; waiting for doctors took forever.

Only three people shared the waiting room with her, a first since her daughter's admittance. Under the harsh fluorescent lights their grief and fear was a shadow hovering in eyes and around mouths drawn tightly closed. Martha could sympathize.

Desperate for diversion, she wondered just how long it would take for her to concoct and release a poisonous gas that would only affect the poor souls in this room. Surely it would be kinder, and if done correctly, no one would ever suspect her.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
T.C.W. Stray, when not writing far into the wee hours of the morning, has a penchant for walking downtown in the middle of the night, burning anything from water to ice cream in the kitchen, and following where curiosity leads. Luckily there are at least five lives left.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 T. C. W. Stray

DARK WORLDS Magazine, Issue One goes to print very soon. Featuring Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery and Adventure tales illustrated in the old Pulp tradition. Available in trade paperback and ebook. For more information check out: www.gwthomas.org/darkworldsindex.htm

CHANGELING
By G. W. Thomas

The smell of boiling egg shells caused the baby to cry. He could see its tiny rows of white teeth. Born with teeth. Mid-summer. Never baptized.

The tiny frame rose up on arms and legs that shouldn’t even be able to crawl. It let out a final yowl and fled out the window in a puff of smoke. Changeling!

The real child should be returned any second. Something was at the window. A seven hundred pound baby troll crashed through the wall.

The priest smiled. Stupid humans! Ever since the Fantasy craze, they’re always trying to steal our kids!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
G. W. Thomas has appeared in over 400 different books, ezines and print magazines, including Writer's Digest, The Writer, Black October and Cthulhu Sex Magazine. His website is www.gwthomas.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 G. W. Thomas

The French & Indian War novel, AMBUSH IN THE ALLEGHENIES by William P. Robertson is now available. The adventures of four freewheeling trappers who are put out of business by the Ottawa allies of the French. For more info, check the website at http://bucktailsandbroomsticks.com

PEACE
By Pavelle Wesser

Mitzy strolled by the river, staring into the water’s hypnotic depths, trying to forget her day at work. She bumped into a wild-eyed youth.

“Give me your money,” he ordered.

“Here, take it.” She handed him her purse.

“Good choice,” said the youth, “now I don’t have to hurt you.”

Mitzy’s eyes lingered on him. “It’s not about pain; it’s about peace.”

“Whatever, Lady, take care.”

The youth walked away and Mitzy turned back to watching the river as it continued its course undaunted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pavelle Wesser’s writing has appeared in various webzines, including: AlienSkin, DemonMinds, the Short Humour Site, Flashshot, MicroHorror, and Twisted Tongue. She teaches English and lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children, where she spends her spare time writing and reading.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Pavelle Wesser

Check out STRANGE STORIES OF SAND AND SEA edited by Esther Schrader. "...ancestral curses, shape shifting marine life, foul murder, sinister sunken treasure, secrets dredged from the bottom of the sea, stolen from Davy Jones' locker, haunted beaches, treacherous riptides, demonic seamen, pirates, shipwrecks and mermaids...magic, wonder...sea yarns and supernatural tales of the unknown from coasts and waters around the world."
http://www.finetoothpress.com/

RAT DREAMS
By Jim Wile

The rat was in her dreams again. There was nothing else in her sleep.

She thrashed and cried herself awake. Her eyes snapped open and she saw the rat just feet away! Her heart raced as she measured the distance to the exits. No good -- she’d never make it in time.

The red flash in her brain matched her heartbeat throb for throb. She dashed for the hallway and then ran straight up the wall! When gravity won she kicked off from the wall and landed on the startled rat’s back as it ran towards the door.

Crunch! Mmmmm! Tasty!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim Wile’s own tastes run to steak, but protein is protein! Fighting to finish one of his seven novels, he battles eight cats, one wife, and that time-waster known as the paying job. The cats usually win.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Jim Wile

DARK WORLDS website now on line! Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Mystery from the pages of the Dark Worlds Club. Issue One features C. J. Burch's Sword & Sorcery novella "In the Service of the All-Father". Check out the cover for issue one. http://www.gwthomas.org/darkworldsindex.htm On sale very soon.

TALES OF THE TELEPHONE POLE
By Lee Beavington

“Want to go for a walk?”

Buster wagged his tail in excitement. At the park, he bolted to the straight tree by the entrance. The explosion of smells told him Petite Puffball had come by thirty-seven minutes ago, followed closely by Yap-a-Lot. Poor Eats-His-Own-Poop was still fighting that bladder infection. Cat-Slayer and Rabbit-Destroyer were on the hunt. And…wait. What was this? Pug-Face -- that toilet-bowl cleaner -- had whizzed next to Princess Long-Ears? While Half-Wolf had caught a --

His leash tugged at his neck. “Come on, Buster. I haven’t got all day!”

Grrr! Humans. Always using their mouth and never their nose.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Beavington works in biology, toils in writing, swings in dance, dabbles in Buddhism, revels in travel, and specializes in being. His novella, “Evolution’s End”, was published in Writers of the Future XXII. The curious can find out more at www.leebeavington.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Lee Beavington

IT'S SO EASY
By Janine Bouyssounouse

It's so easy to hold you in my arms when you are gone.

All I have to do is feel all of the wonderful things the thought of you brings to me.

I think, therefore I am?

No. I think, therefore YOU are.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janine Bouyssounouse lives in South Dakota and works on an educational website www.edonyourown.com. It took all of her experiences and education to work with at-risk teenagers and convince them high school graduation was a good idea. Now she helps teachers and parents through creative educational supplementary materials.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Janine Bouyssounouse

FLASHING SWORDS web comics! "The Marsh God" written and scripted by Bruce Durham, inked by fantasy artist Miko, is now online. Each week on thursday we'll add a new page. Just visit our home page at
http://flashingswords.sfreader.com.

TASTES LIKE CHICKEN RANCHER
By Steve Talbert

"I'm hungry," Brandy announced.

"You're always hungry," Naomi responded.

"We're ghouls. We're supposed to be insatiable."

"What are you in the mood for? Cop? Accountant? Construction worker?"

"You know what sounds really good? A chicken rancher!"

"A chicken rancher? Where are we going to find a chicken rancher? The nearest chicken ranch is 200 miles away."

"But I had a chicken rancher in Montana, and he was really yummy."

"How about a cowboy? Cowboys are good. I'll find us a cowboy."

"I don't like cowboys."

"Have you ever tried cowboy?"

"No."

"Tastes like chicken rancher. Trust me. You'll see."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Talbert would've invented flash fiction if someone else hadn't beat him to it. His work has also appeared at Pen Pricks, 55 Words and 55Fiction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Steve Talbert

DARK WORLDS website now on line! Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Mystery from the pages of the Dark Worlds Club. Check out the cover for issue one. http://www.gwthomas.org/darkworldsindex.htm Issue One on sale
very soon.

HE LOVES ME ... NOT!
By Alana Hastings

“He loves me. He loves me not.”

“He loves me. He loves me not.”

The booming voice above me chimed these words, making me remember my childhood and the games I used to play.

It also made me wish, with all my heart, the giant had used a flower for her game instead of my body.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alana Hastings currently lives in South Dakota with her husband and two children. She enjoys writing, fencing and being with her family. She wrote this story because it popped into her head during a boring meeting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Alana Hastings

THE GREAT PLAYER
By T.C.W. Stray

The actor, Magus Beguileus, strode across the stage, his footsteps echoing briefly before being muffled by the velvet-draped walls. Two blazing hot lights shone down. One followed his movements, the other lit up a pewter crown, painted with gold leaf.

For a thousand nights Magus had performed "The Tempted King," a comic tragedy about an aging noble who, upon the King's death, claims the crown only to be poisoned by it.

This time, as the noble donned the crown, it was Magus who was poisoned, as long exposure to the pewter and inferior gold leaf caught up to him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
T.C.W. Stray, when not writing far into the wee hours of the morning, has a penchant for walking downtown in the middle of the night, burning anything from water to ice cream in the kitchen, and following where curiosity leads. Luckily there are at least five lives left.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

FITTING IN
By Comateta M. Clifton

Home from work, Walter frowned at the bare dining room table. His peek into the master bath left him even more disgusted. He'd regretted marrying Agnes a month after they'd met.

"I'll never be a Stepford Wife," she reminded.

"But a tidy bath and a hot supper waiting on me must be worth a Paris vacation, at least." Walter attempted bribery.

"I just don't fit in when it comes to all that cooking and cleaning!"

"Oh, I beg to differ," Walter imparted, hours later. "You fit in just fine," he told Agnes' corpse before he shut the deep freezer's lid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comateta (Co-ma-tea-tah) M. Clifton enjoys reading and writing speculative and crime fiction. Her recent stories will appear in Mouth Full of Bullets and Strange Stories of Sand and Sea. She invites you to visit her online at www.geocities.com/black_ink_tales.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Comateta M. Clifton