Tag / short-fiction

by Warren Benedetto

“The Man Who Ate the Road” published in Haven Spec Magazine

My weird horror story The Man Who Ate the Road has been published in Haven Spec Magazine. When a woman tries to return home after visiting her abusive father, she discovers that the road is closed … but just for her.

It wasn’t until I had already steered onto the narrow shoulder and rolled to a stop that I began to realize how risky it was for me to pull over. I was a woman driving by myself down a deserted highway in the middle of the night, in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere. I was completely and utterly alone.

by Warren Benedetto

“Set For Life” Audio Edition released by Dark Matter Magazine

The Audio Edition of my cyberpunk story Set For Life has been released by Dark Matter Magazine. This is an extraordinary production, with top-notch narration, acting, and sound design. The MP3 can be purchased for $1.99, or you can get it for free as part of your Dark Matter Deluxe membership. You can’t go wrong with either choice.

Andy loaded the body into the back of the van, then slammed the door. “Last one,” he called out, knocking on the rear door with his knuckles.

by Warren Benedetto

“From Below” published in Parsec #5

My post-apocalyptic eco-horror story From Below has been published in Parsec #5. In the flooded remains of Old Manhattan, the wealthy live in penthouses and dine on fresh meat, while everyone else is left to fend for themselves against the unseen horrors lurking just below the surface.

The boy from the boat—the one who had spoken to him only minutes earlier—was at the window, pounding on the glass. His face was a mask of pure terror. Panicked, the boy looked over his shoulder, then down at Jeremy. He screamed, his lips forming two words that Jeremy easily understood, even through the thick, soundproof glass.

“Help me!”

by Warren Benedetto

“A Sinking Feeling” published in the Emergence anthology

My underwater horror story A Sinking Feeling has been published in the Emergence anthology by The Writer’s Cache. It’s the story of two survivors trapped in an air pocket in a sunken ship at the bottom of the ocean. And they’re not alone.

I didn’t know how long we had been underwater at that point—we had no way to measure time—but for however long it was, we hadn’t heard any noises outside of our own movement and the occasional groan of the ship’s structure as it settled into the ocean floor. But this noise was different.

Something was moving. And it was close.

by Warren Benedetto

“Feed the Worm” published in the Beautiful Darkness anthology

My horror story Feed the Worm has been published in the Beautiful Darkness anthology from Dragon Soul Press. If you like stories about carnivorous cosmic murder worms, this is the one for you!

The girl was on her knees, crouched low behind the rear bumper. Exhaust swirled around her, lit up a hellish red by the glow of the taillights. Her hair hung over her face in damp ropes. Breath steamed from her nose in short, rapid bursts. She looked up at Ben. Her eyes were wide with terror. “Hide,” she whispered.

You can also listen to the audio production of Feed the Worm on the Night’s End Podcast.

by Warren Benedetto

“Butterscotch” published in HAUS: Anthology of Haunted House Stories

My short ghost story Butterscotch has been published in HAUS: Anthology of Haunted House Stories by Culture Cult Press. Renting an apartment above a funeral parlor might freak some people out, but not Ellen. Not at first, anyway.

For a moment, I imagined my grandmother laying there on one of the tables, her body cold and stiff, her eyelids stitched shut, her tissue-thin skin pulled taut over her jutting cheekbones. Nicholas had done that, I realized, right in the room where I was standing. 

by Warren Benedetto

“A Piece of the Sky” published by The Dread Machine

My sci-fi horror story A Piece of the Sky has been published by The Dread Machine. 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.

With all due respect, sir, you don’t know what you’re talking about. There was no way Bakely could’ve known what the thing was when he picked it up. It looked like a rock. Hell, it was a rock, just a hunk of the asteroid’s crust that he grabbed as a souvenir for his kid. There’s no way he could’ve known it was a nest.

by Warren Benedetto

“Baby Food” published by Teleport Magazine

My horror story Baby Food has been published in Teleport Magazine. It’s about a man who convinces his wife to overcome her fear of bears to go camping with him, only to discover that what awaits them in the woods is much, much worse.

I looked around the area where we stood. There were no signs of trouble, no other indication that anyone had been there. But obviously, someone had been. Something must have happened. And whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good. Scratched into the side of the water bottle were two words, just six letters, in all caps:

HELP ME

by Warren Benedetto

“Make It a Double” published by Fiction on the Web

Another day, another reprint of Make It a Double is live. I’ve been very fortunate to have this novelette reprinted three times in the last few months. This time, it appears on Fiction on the Web, a popular destination for short fiction for over 25 years. And at least one reader (who is definitely not me) seemed to like it, already posting an awesome review: