Tag / horror

by Warren Benedetto

“From Below” published in Best of Metastellar Year Four

My short eco-horror story, From Below, has been published in The Best of Metastellar Year Four anthology.

In the flooded remains of Old Manhattan, the wealthy stay dry and well-fed in their penthouses, while everyone else is left to fend for themselves against the unseen horrors lurking just below the surface.

Content warning: cannibalism (implied), gore, suicide

“We will be safe there?” the boy asks.

The roar of the powerful outboard motor echoes through the flood-ravaged streets of Old Manhattan as I pilot the boat down the center of what used to be 5th Avenue. Water laps at the facades of the submerged structures, spraying a fine mist into the cold night air.

I glance down at the child. He’s young, no older than ten, with straight black hair and dark brown skin. The way his bangs flop over his forehead reminds me of myself as a child.

“Of course,” I lie. “You’ll love it.”

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “Interminable” on the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast

The audio production of my dark fiction story, Interminable, has been released on the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast. It’s the story of a man trapped by an incurable condition and an inescapable fate.

Content warning: suicidal ideation

My story starts around the 4:00 mark.

by Warren Benedetto

“To Die Unseen” published in the Three x The Fun anthology

My weird cosmic horror story, To Die Unseen, has been published in the Three x The Fun anthology by Rebellion Lit. It’s the story of a man adrift at sea and the giant eye staring at him from below.

Every few years, you’ll hear a miraculous story about survival at sea, about some wayward fisherman found adrift in on a piece of wreckage thousands of miles from the nearest shore. You’ll hear about his rescue by a passing cargo ship that just happened to spot him on its radar, about how he survived on a diet of raw fish, fresh piss, and the occasional seagull he managed to strangle with his bare hands. You’ll see the shaky post-rescue smartphone video of him with a blanket draped over his shoulders as he sips hot tea from a dented metal cup. You’ll marvel at the man’s strength of character. His will to survive. His unshakable faith in God.

This is not one of those stories.

by Warren Benedetto

“Breathtaking” published in The Taborian

My historical horror story, Breathtaking, has been published in The Taborian. 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.

The dust storms were getting worse.

People in town called them “black blizzards.” That’s exactly what they were like, too, like snowstorms made of soot and ash. One minute, the sky would be as clear as glass. The next minute, the dust would billow up so high that it blocked out the sun. It would go from noon to midnight just like that, right in the middle of the day. The wind would pick up out of nowhere, first whistling, then moaning, then shrieking.

“Like a banshee,” was how Papa called it. “Man, listen to that,” he would say. “Wind’s screaming like a banshee.”

by Warren Benedetto

“Leftovers” published by Époque Press

My short horror story Leftovers has been published in the Hunger issue by Époque Press.

Leftovers is a story about the challenges immigrants face when trying to integrate into a new country. It’s about the tension between holding onto the old ways of the old culture and assimilating into the new, especially across generations. And it’s about how food is often the one common thread that binds immigrants together, no matter how different their lives may otherwise be. As for how it relates to the theme of Hunger, well… once you read it, you’ll understand.

by Warren Benedetto

“I Row” published in Blood & Bourbon

My psychological horror story I Row has been published in the Ocean issue of Blood & Bourbon. 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

Listen to “A Piece of the Sky” on the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast

The audio production of my sci-fi horror story A Piece of the Sky has been released on the Lunatics Radio Hour. It’s told through the testimony of the surviving member of a two-person asteroid mining crew that picked up an unfortunate souvenir during their expedition.

Content warning: gore

My story starts at around the 43:00 mark.

by Warren Benedetto

“The Salt Circle” published in Howl: A Shapeshifting Anthology

My weird fiction story The Salt Circle has been published in Howl: A Shapeshifting Anthology by Graveside Press.

It’s not your typical werewolf story. In fact, it’s not a werewolf story at all. Instead of turning into a wolf when the moon is full, the main character turns into a slug when he has an early morning meeting.

Were-slug?

Yes. Were-slug.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Linda said, wiping at her nose with a soggy, crumpled tissue. “I’m worried about you.”

I extended my eye stalks toward her, giving her what I hoped was a look of indignation. I couldn’t believe she was trying to spin it like it was my fault. “If you didn’t want me to get hurt, maybe you shouldn’t have been so quick to deploy the chemical weapons.”

She waved her tissue with a dismissive gesture. “It’s just a little salt.”

by Warren Benedetto

“Something’s Wrong With Mom” published by 7th Circle Pyrite

My short horror story Something’s Wrong With Mom has been published in Issue 8 of 7th Circle Pyrite. It’s the story of two brothers who wake up in the middle of the night to discover that their mother is on the ceiling. Again.

Content warning: suicide (implied)

“Jimmy!” Grant whispered. He grabbed his sleeping brother’s shoulder and shook him. “Jimmy, wake up!”

Jimmy groaned. He opened one eye and looked at the Darth Vader clock next to his bed. It was 3:05 AM. He rolled over and pulled his Star Wars blanket up over his head. “Go away,” he mumbled.

Grant yanked the blanket away from Jimmy’s face and shook him again, with both hands this time.

Jimmy planted a hand on Grant’s chest and pushed him away. “Stop, I said!”

“You have to get up!”

“Why?”

“Something’s wrong with Mom.”