A quiet week from our fabulous group of writers with seven stories. We have fiction from the flying finger tips of Icy Sedgwick, Carrie Clevenger, Laura Eno, Annie Evett, Tony Noland, Jason Coggins and JM Strother. Kick back and enjoy!

“Something In The Attic” by Icy Sedgwick

The staircase stretched up into darkness. Evey stood at the foot of the stairs, her little hand on the bottom step. She heard water running, somewhere up there in the dark. She planted her other hand on the step, trying to gauge the height.

“Evey? What are you doing?” Read on…

“Bobby Jones” by Carrie Clevenger

He revved that old Chevrolet up and we shot down that road like a black muddy bullet. Read on…

“Employee Relations” by Laura Eno

Lucien gathered his staff in the break room before the bar opened for the evening.

“I want you to be on your best behavior tonight. We have a dignitary coming in.”

The new demon bartender looked confused.

“When you say ‘best behavior,’ do you mean best behavior as in human standards or worst behavior because we’re evil?”

Lucien sighed. It was so hard to find good help these days.

“I know you’re evil. I meant no screw-ups, got it? Death and Chronos will be in later—” Read on…

“Grandad’s Attic” by Annie Evett

Irritated rustling was punctuated by scrabbling and groans of despair. Yellowed once white trousers were flung into the rafters, disturbing the lazy dust particles as they danced on the sunlight beam cast through the attic window. Read on…

“The Livin’ Is Easy” By Tony Noland

She saw trouble walking down the beach, but didn’t say anything to her companion. Maybe they’d see someone else with bikini smaller, breasts bigger, anything to entice them to veer off and ruin someone else’s day. Read on…

“Shadows Inside Boxes” by Jason Coggins

Her husband was so distraught she barely recognised him. Wild eyed he paced the kitchen as if caged. Flecks of spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke:

“I was up there hiding your Christmas presents … when it woke up. The attic … the attic is its brain. It was as if I was standing inside its head. I could see its memories in the clouds of dust. Synapses firing down mortar and cobwebs. My god … the house is alive!” Read on…

“Insight” by J.M. Strother

Greta says they are coming for us.

Greta is never wrong.

She knew a fire would destroy the town hall. Told everyone she ran into at the grocery store. The idiots arrested her two days after it burned down. Of course they had to release her the next day—she had an airtight alibi. She was at her grandmother’s house, up in Denton, the night it burned. There was no way she could have gotten back to town to set a fire. Plus, the Fire Marshall declared the cause of the blaze was an overloaded electric circuit in the attic. Given that, and the fact that she is short for her age, seven, and could not have reached the attic trap door even with a ladder, they released her with apologies, and a recommendation that we contact a child psychiatrist.

She also called old man McGrudder’s heart attack. Read on…