Welcome to 2025
In the technical sense, last week, at the conclusion of the Hellworld Hellweek run (by our six lovely writers), was Week 513. So, as we open this brave year of 2025, we will keep pace with ever fleet time the best we can. Thus, here we are at the end of week 514. A Happy New Year to All–and now on with the usual show.
Continue reading “Week 514: Happy New Year; Honesty; Six Honest Writers and Confessions”
This is a crime scene. I shouldn’t be here; I’m not a cop anymore. So, I ducked under the yellow tape strung across the two trellis supports and picked the lock. Dusting residue coated surfaces in suspect locations; someone had cut two patches from the cheap gray rug. A ceiling fan with a squeaky bearing rotated slowly, which helped me breathe because the smell of death hung like diesel exhaust.
Continue reading “Slither by Ed N. White”
Ed was at a conference in Bakersfield and told me there was a problem with the pet sitter tonight and could I stop by the house and feed the dog her dinner. I’d done it a few times before. Ed was my brother-in-law.
Continue reading “Alumni by Ted Gross”
James, an assistant editor of a small online literary magazine in Brooklyn, moved to
Alaska. He was recently divorced, and his novel, which had taken him ten years to write, got rejected by every major New York City publisher.
Today will be like any other day. You’ll softly snooze the alarm clock as it sounds, just over an hour before your train pulls into the station. You will feel the groggy effects of sleeping fitfully, as has become the norm. Pressing snooze, you tell yourself you’ll get up on the first alarm tomorrow, already knowing you won’t.
Continue reading “A Day Like Any Other by Danielle Rhodes”
Saturday 24th January 1987
Sound-checking the venue’s PA system, Jesse strapped on his battered jumbo guitar, and proceeded to tune it. After all these years, he thought, he could still tune his instrument by ear. He adjusted his microphones to accommodate the position of its hole for amplification, and his height for vocals. The house lights were on, revealing a square, empty floor, with a bar down the left hand side of the room, and a number of tables and stools on the other side. The place itself, still reeked of last night’s booze, no matter how much they’d disinfected it. It was a cramped, dark walled room with graffiti on the walls, and smudges of faded reds and greens for effect; reminding some who came in of a run down ghost train.
Jesse: ‘Testing, testing,1,2,3.’
Aaron: ‘What do you think, brother?’
Jesse:’Just fine.’
Aaron: ‘You bet! We’ll kill em!’
Continue reading “Elvis is Alive and Well But… by John Cunningham”
This is an account of a beguiling little puzzle, beguiling to me at any rate.. All the facts known to myself are set out below. A possible explanation is then offered. I would very much welcome any alternative solutions that suggest themselves to LS readers.
Continue reading “Sunday Whatever – The Deserted Painting by Michael Bloor”
It’s over. You did well. We all did well. All we have to do now is to get through the hell that is New Years Eve. The parties, the alcohol, the hangover, the smelly uncle who wants to kiss you. We hope this might help. Our last in this series of stories to counteract the bonhomie, the joy, the horror that is The Festive Season.
I Called my Alcoholic Friend Sad Satan by Ashlie Allen
Image: Scary Christmas Baubles from www.freepik.com n.b. This is an AI generated image.
Brilliant. Wehave almost made it together. Thanks to our wonderful authors we’ve survived the shmooze, the sweet, the gooey. It’s been great, it’s been scary, it’s been Christmas Hellweek. Stories to counteract all that goodwill – I hope we helped – Literally Stories, bah humbug editors.
How to Raise a Monster by L’Erin Ogle – warning some explicit content.
Image: Scary Christmas Baubles from www.freepik.com n.b. This is an AI generated image.
Well done, you survived – the worst is over. Or is it? Are there rellies coming? Is there turkey left? The torment goes on. We’re doing our best here – stick with us. Christmas Hellweek. Stories to counteract all that goodwill: Enjoy
Image: Scary Christmas Baubles from www.freepik.com n.b. This is an AI generated image.
literally stories 