16 stories
Bunny
Samantha Mackey is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort – a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other 'Bunny'. But then the Bunnies issue her with an invitation and Samantha finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door and down their rabbit hole.
Sour Candy
Phil Pendleton and his son, Adam, are just an ordinary father and son. They take walks in the park together, visit county fairs, museums, and zoos, and eat together overlooking the lake. Some might say the father is a little too accommodating given the lack of discipline when the child loses his temper in public. Some might say he spoils his son by allowing him to set his own bedtimes and eat candy whenever he wants. Some might say that such leniency is starting to take its toll on the father's health. What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that until a few weeks ago, and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen that child before in his life.
(Mostly) Human Resources
After Alexys' dad was killed on the job as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy . . . from the safety of a desk. Now, she works in human resources for ENTITY , the private company that categorizes and manages the world’s cryptids. When one of Alexys’ new Wardens goes missing after inquiring about a mysterious and highly dangerous monster, her chances of promotion disappear along with him. Determined to save her career—and to shield the Warden’s family from the trauma she experienced after losing her father on the job—she marches off into the monster-infested wilderness to find him herself. Meanwhile, Nic (Director of Research & Cataloguing at ENTITY), with ambitions of becoming the youngest employee to discover a new monster, follows Alexys on her hunt. But the work nemeses are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark…
A Plagued Sea
Haewon Village is now home to horrors. An earthquake unleashed an ancient plague that transforms its victims into fishy monsters, and the government’s lockdown has cut off any hope for help.
The Summer House
Back to the place where it happened, to where, as carefree teenagers, Lana & Ollie lost their elder sister, Camille, in the most brutal of circumstances. As executors of their grandmother’s will, the twins need to empty the house for resale. What they don't expect to discover is Camille’s journal containing her most private thoughts and shocking dark secrets.
When Among Crows
Dymitr slays monters. Ala is cursed with "visions". One fateful night in Chicago, Dymitr comes to Ala because he needs her help finding the legendary witch, Baba Jaga, in exchange for an enchanted flower that just might rid Ala of her curse.
Wolf Worm
Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator employed under the reclusive Dr. Halder, illustrating his vast collection of insects. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”
Rizzio
The moments leading up to , and after David Rizzio's murder right before Queen Mary's eyes.
The Caretaker
After an endless string of failed job interviews, Macy Mullins gets a 3 day gig as a caretaker. What starts as a peculiar, temporary job soon becomes a waking nightmare, because an incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property…
Play Nice
Clio Louise Barnes grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parent’s messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. After mum's death, the girls inherit that house and Clio moves back in.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
There Is No Antimemetics Division
Humanity is under assault by malevolent "antimemes". They are the perfect predators, equipped with the ultimate camouflage—the ability to wipe out memories of their own existence. And they aren’t just feeding on us. They’re invading. But how do you fight an enemy when you can never even know that you're at war? How do you contain something you can't record or remember? Welcome to the Antimemetics Division. No, this is not your first day.
Alice Chen's Reality Check
In desperate need of cash, Alice and her fiancé enter a reality show. Not only does she realize one of the contestants is her academic rival from school, but something sinister is going on on set.
My Sister, the Serial Killer
A nurse rants about covering up and cleaning up her sister's crime scenes, and her sister never seems to learn from her mistakes.
A Touch of Jen
A couple is obsessed with their influencer friend, Jen. As various characters pursue what they believe is their path to enlightenment, they discover that the real Jen is far more complicated and flawed than the idealized version they've constructed in their minds.
The Night Circus
A magical competition unfolds within the enchanting confines of Le Cirque des Rêves, a wondrous circus, that appears without warning and is only open at night. Two young magicians, Celia and Marco, have been bound since childhood by their mentors to compete in an elaborate contest of illusion and wonder, unaware of the true stakes or nature of their rivalry.
