fiction
Mystery, crime, murder, unsolved cases. Contribute your own tales of crime to Criminal.
Visions of Grandeur
Ray thought he liked his neighbors…but the kids were a little noisy. When he and his family moved from Wisconsin to the small western Kansas town during the 60’s he had no neighbors. But that was fifty years ago. The little wooden shack that was established during the 60’s was the same he currently lived in. Time had taken its toll on the building, but Ray had done his best to keep the place nice. Over the years, the wooden shutters needed replaced, the door refurbished, and the roof re-shackled. The windows had never needed attention. The quality of old windows far surpassed the quality of modern glass.
By Joshua Mehl5 years ago in Criminal
Second Kill
I closed my hands around her throat and watched the light swell and swirl frantically in her eyes. She was thinking she was going to die. Fighting against me but at the same time slowly convincing herself that this was it. Her will dying out and the sheer weakness of acceptance taking over. Her muscles were tense but she wasn’t fighting me nearly as hard as I knew she could. She was just like the rest. Would cry and scream to live but in the dark recesses of their own lives they all desired to die. Her struggle grew weaker and weaker until her entire body went limp. Her arms dropped to her sides but I still held fast. I wanted to kill her, not incapacitate her. After a few moments I repositioned my hands and snapped her neck for good measure. I couldn’t take pride in what I did if I got sloppy. After she was dead I left her body lying on the kitchen floor. The old man was next. He’d probably fallen asleep waiting for her to come back up. Even so, the creak of the stairs wouldn’t disturb him much. He didn’t know she lie cold on the floor already.
By Bruce Arnold5 years ago in Criminal
The Color Black
(The beginning according to Joilah) Joilah My name is Joilah Elizabeth Johnson. There are many things that I need to tell you, but first I have to tell you about my dream. It’s the same dream all of the time, every time I close my eyes. It is not a nightmare as some may assume upon first experiencing it. Rather, it is a forecast, a glimpse into my destiny. A forewarning, a presage. How do I know that? I’m not sure, I just do.
By Jamie Dyke5 years ago in Criminal
The Color Black
(The beginning according to Zion) Zion My name is Prince Zion King. I don’t go by Prince, for obvious reasons. I’ve already heard every joke there is about my name, so don’t even try. Everyone calls me Zion, except for my mother. She will go down into her grave calling me by my first name. She claims that she gave me my name for a reason—a reason that she never explained to me. Perhaps she envisioned herself as some kind of queen. If you knew my mother you would know what I mean.
By Jamie Dyke5 years ago in Criminal
The Color Black
(The beginning according to Sice Taral) Sice Taral My name is Sice Taral Jacare. I saw Joilah from across the classroom the first day of kindergarten. I remember because she was wearing red, my favorite color. It was my favorite color because my older brother wore nothing but red all the time. I looked up to him even though he wasn’t a role model in any sense of the word.
By Jamie Dyke5 years ago in Criminal
My Only Witness. Runner-Up in Return of the Night Owl Challenge.
The cracking of sticks and the crunching of leaves were the only sounds as I barreled through the dark woods. It was a frigid, November night in Utah, and I had nothing but my short, silk night dress and thin windbreaker on. I had kicked off my slippers when I first jumped out of the car, and my bare feet were raw from the rough earth. Nothing hurt though, it was as if my sense of pain had vanished when I began to run. I didn’t even feel the sting of the thorns and branches cutting my skin as I plowed through the brush.The only thing going through my mind was that I had to get away. Away from him. My mind was thick with confusion, desperation, and above all, fear. My foot caught hold of a tree root, and I hit the ground with a heavy thud. I crawled behind a large oak, and lay on the cold, mossy ground, trying to catch my breath. Was this a dream? How did I get here? Who was he and what did he want with me? The events of that night spun through my head like a film reel.
By Jenna Tomovich5 years ago in Criminal
Forbidden Lust: Part 1.
A smartly dressed man stands outside the Yonkers public library. A determined look is tattooed on his face. He has wallowed in the sewage of mediocrity and despair long enough. He refuses to be choked by the stench of regret and stagnation. Now was the time. The automatic doors opened briskly and B.M. Swift confidently stepped forward. He struts like a proud rooster towards a vacant seat parked in front of a lifeless computer screen. Before he notices it, he finds himself directly in front of a grossly obese creature, with a 6‘o clock shadow and bulletproof glasses. His breathing is unnerving, like a lawnmower that was years past its prime.
By Nima Nabavi'nejad5 years ago in Criminal
The Other Side of the Leaf
The ratched click of a lighter cut through the silence in the park. The flame illuminated McGrath's grizzly face as he pulled it close to his cigarette. He had bags under his eyes from years of sleepless nights. A crooked and flattened nose that had been broken countless times since his youth. A full beard except for a small scar on the left side of his chin which kept hair from growing there. His hair was the neatest part about him. No balding or receding line. No gray hairs. Just soft, smooth, straight hair he kept just long enough to run his fingers through.
By Derrick L Coleman5 years ago in Criminal
I'm Not Cam Sonnet
This is going to be a weird letter. There are going to be a lot of questions. Too many. Or, who knows, maybe nobody will care. Maybe we’ve sunk low enough that nobody will even notice. Or maybe, because we’ve sunk so low, everybody will make sure I get pushed as low as they can get me. That will probably happen, come to think of it, so it’s best I get this written down before life gets too crazy.
By Danny Swanson5 years ago in Criminal
