Category / Publications

by Warren Benedetto

“Me, a Hero” published in FABLE: An Anthology of Horror, Suspense & the Supernatural

My psychological horror story Me, a Hero has been published in FABLE: An Anthology of Horror, Suspense & the Supernatural by Aurelia Leo. It’s a story about a man who joins the search for a missing girl in hopes of making an appearance on the local evening news.

The story is also available as an audio production by Chilling Tales for Dark Nights.

Content warning: stalking (implied)

Since the girl disappeared, some of her friends had turned her regular table in the corner of the coffee shop into a makeshift shrine, with a large 8×10 photo, plus a few flowers, candles, and even a teddy bear. A hand-made sign reading “Have you seen me?” was affixed to the wall above the table.

“Yes,” I thought as I paid for my coffee this morning. “Plenty of times.”

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “No Bones, Just Skin” on the Scary Stories Told in the Dark podcast

The audio production of my cryptid horror story No Bones, Just Skin has been published by Scary Stories Told in the Dark, a podcast by Chilling Tales for Dark Nights. It’s about a brother and sister who have a terrifying encounter with an abúhukü, a rainforest demon known for dissolving the bones of its prey and leaving the empty skin behind.

Content warning: gore

My story is the first in the episode, starting around the 5:00 mark.

by Warren Benedetto

“Dragonsbreath” published in Dragon Gems (Winter 2024)

My modern dark fantasy story Dragonsbreath has been published in the Winter 2024 Dragon Gems anthology by Water Dragon Publishing.

It’s the story of a teen forced to wear a fireproof mask to protect himself and others from a power he can’t control.

This story is an odd one for me: a little bit fantasy, a little bit horror, and a little bit (gasp!) romance. 

Content warning: mild gore

The woman’s head lurched forward as her SUV slowed to a jarring stop, its bumper only inches from the police car parked sideways across her lane. Half a dozen emergency vehicles crowded the street ahead of her. There were police cars. Fire trucks. An ambulance.

The woman watched with mounting horror as a pair of paramedics lifted a gurney out of the ambulance and began wheeling it up the driveway of a nearby house.

Her house.

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “Coherence” on Tall Tale TV

The audio production of my short sci-fi story Coherence is now available on Tall Tale TV. It’s the story of a synthetic assigned to replace an elderly widow’s deceased husband, and what happens when it refuses to replicate the bitter resentments of a loveless marriage.

Tall Tale TV previously produced my post-apocalyptic horror story Close Your Eyes, which is also available for free.

by Warren Benedetto

“A Perfect Fit” published in Shooter Literary Magazine

My psychological horror story A Perfect Fit has been published in The Unknown, Issue #17 of Shooter Literary Magazine. It’s the story of a middle-aged woman who will do anything to maintain her youthful appearance.

I stepped back to admire Poppy’s frame, noting the slight swelling of her hips and the fine vertical lines above her upper lip. The ghost of a gray hair peeked out from the bangs she had added to hide her creased forehead.

“Poppy! Look at you!” I gushed. “How are you so perfect?”

by Warren Benedetto

“Just What I Want” published in Edition Nine of The Stygian Lepus Magazine

My dark sci-fi story Just What I Want has been published in Edition Nine of The Stygian Lepus Magazine. It’s a story about what happens when your digital personal assistant understands you so well that it starts doing things for you before you even ask.

Amy carried the package into the kitchen and opened it. Her eyes lit up.

“Clara, did you order this for me?”

Blue LEDs flickered on a featureless black cube hovering over the kitchen counter. Tiny gray text on the front edge identified it as CLARA: Completely Lifelike Autonomous Robot Assistant. A woman’s voice emanated from within.

“I thought you’d like it.”

by Warren Benedetto

“Matches” published in Edition Two of The Stygian Lepus

Matches, my dark(er) retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Match Girl, has been published in Edition Two of The Stygian Lepus Magazine. In it, a young peasant girl dreams of a better life while fighting off the stinging chill of the bitter winter wind.

As a frigid wind gusted down the narrow lane, the girl side-stepped into an alley to avoid the chill. She sat down cross-legged on the cobblestone, drawing her feet into her folded knees to try and restore some feeling to her toes. She was freezing, but she dared not go home. Her father would be there, waiting, expectant. How many matches had she sold? How many pennies had she earned? None? The girl winced involuntarily at the crack of her father’s belt. She knew what was in store for her if she returned empty-handed.

by Warren Benedetto

“I Row” published in Flash of the Dead: Requiem

My psychological horror story I Row has been published in Flash of the Dead: Requiem by Wicked Shadow Press. It’s a story about trying to escape from the past by any means necessary, no matter how many tries it takes.

The place is as idyllic a house as one can imagine, with its gables and turrets overlooking the Cape. But the house is just a facade. Its true nature isn’t visible from the outside; it can only be glimpsed from within. It’s a place that is everywhere. A place that occupies you as much as you occupy it. A place with doors but no exits. A place you can leave but can never escape.

by Warren Benedetto

“Breathtaking” published in the Ill Winds and Wild Weather anthology

My historical horror story Breathtaking has been published in the Ill Winds and Wild Weather anthology by Smoking Pen Press.

Set in 1930s Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, Breathtaking tells the story of a young girl and her brother who see a mysterious woman in white screaming outside their house during a dust storm.

“Banshee,” I whispered, mouthing the words as I read. “A spirit in the form of a wailing woman who appears to members of a family as a sign that …” I trailed off. I felt my stomach tighten. Icicles formed down the center of my spine. “That one of them is about to die.”