fiction

Mystery, crime, murder, unsolved cases. Contribute your own tales of crime to Criminal.

Overcast
I walked out the door one final time. Well, that was it, I thought to myself, the end of Vega’s. I trudged down the same, faintly bustling sidewalk I’ve walked so many times, trying not to look back. Maybe it was melodramatic of me to think life as I knew it was over, but it sort of was. My grandpapi had opened this bar 40 years ago. It was a small bar. Not one of these huge, super trendy hipster bars that stayed packed to the gills, but it was the proverbial watering hole I’d grown up in. I’d learned how to be a proficient barback by age 10. I was hired there officially the moment I turned 18. When I graduated college, I just gravitated back there. If I’d played my cards right, I could’ve been working in corporate America, crunching numbers in a cushy little office, driving a nice Audi, and more importantly I would’ve been considered “essential.” Now my unessential ass is being kicked to the curb, along with the rest of my family. I should’ve started making moves earlier, when I was 22 and vibrant, but I just got too comfortable to leave. Now I’m 29 years old and basically unemployable for anything but hospitality work, which is obviously going down the tubes the world over. “Damn COVID,” I cursed aloud, kicking an errant pebble out of my path as I lazily meandered down the street back to my apartment.
By Cydni S.6 years ago in Criminal
"Secrets"
Waking up on my birthday to my second dead husband at thirty three isn't exactly how I expected I would be spending my bday but here I am in a big gorgeous home with a very dead husband. there should be some joy in my story some how I cant seem to find it. The day my life ended forever will be one that I'll never forget. It'll always be the beauty and detail of the box that stood out.
By TEN6 years ago in Criminal
HARD LUCK
Sunday, April 1 Rodney screamed as the hammer came down on his left pinky finger breaking it at the three joints. Tears and blood ran down his bruised face where the brass knuckles got to know him more intimately. The hammer came down again on Rodney’s ring finger, breaking it at the three joints.
By roderick williams6 years ago in Criminal
The Little Black Book
The Little Black Book I used to be a good student. I was the best. Then college came and I don't know what happened. The people I see on the train every morning remind me of who I'm aiming to be, but as well, the failure I'm becoming. I used to be a straight A student; now I'm getting C's, thinking I'm doing well. I didn't understand. Then one day, everything changed.
By Frank Germano6 years ago in Criminal
Abyss
Life hadn’t been very kind to Harold Kyle. As a child, Harold was unremarkable and never really had any true friends. People would come up to him and ask to be his friend, but he knew that it was only because they wanted to be polite. You see, Harold moved from the metropolitan area he was born in while he was 4 and moved to a small town about 3 hours away from his former home and family. Something about severing ties with their past and starting with a clean slate(and as he suspected, none of his “friends” made any attempt to keep in contact with him). Although Harold was young, he was old enough to understand that his parents and his family had a falling-out and were no longer speaking. He was never that close to his parents and as soon as he was old enough, he was out of the house. One day when he decided to go back to his old house to visit his parents, another family was in their place. They had moved without telling him. ‘Oh, well’ Harold thought. ‘They can handle themselves.’
By Jackson Dickert 6 years ago in Criminal
Sprinkles and Swamps
"Let me put this simply. I want him dead. I don't care how you do it, just kill him and make sure no one finds him, or at least identifies him."
By Liane Carwardine6 years ago in Criminal
Busted
It was late when the call came, finally pulling me away from my files. I’d been expecting it, but maybe not this soon. My stomach tightened and flexed as I picked up.
By Ashley Marie Victoria Riegel6 years ago in Criminal
Powerful Magic: Bibbity-Bobbity-Book
The royal coroner removed the blanket, and the consultant nearly lost her breakfast. She’d seen plenty of bodies in her day but never like this. All around the mangled corpse were feathers. Handfuls of feathers; some of them bloodied, but most were white and gray. The disfigurement was fuel for nightmares, and then there was the smell. An unworldly odor permeated the air all around them.
By JASON MATTHEWS6 years ago in Criminal
The Confession
“well then Alex” Vinney said as he laid a large handgun on the table beside him, “I think it’s time for your confession”. Vinney’s eyes were fixed on the young man who was sitting on the opposite couch in front of him. Alex could almost see his reflection in them. Small and beady in the center of a large, bald face. Alex looked away at the bloody-beaten face of his friend, who was sitting hunched down on a large sofa at the back of the room, caught between two large unpleasant men, barely conscious. Well then, thought Alex, a confession is what he’s gonna get. He took a deep breath and started talking.
By Nevisandeh6 years ago in Criminal
His Greatest Obsession
I was his favorite. He'd think about me 24/7. Especially when he was sleeping. His dreams would give him crazy ideas. He felt as if he needed to protect me from everyone and everything. He hated when I would cry or when someone would make me mad. He would always tell me that I never deserved to be treated that way. But the truth is, I needed to be protected from him. From the start, I should've seen the red flags that were going one after another, but for some reason, I didn't. I was so distracted by the way he cared for me so much.
By Just A Girl6 years ago in Criminal
Tech The New Trap
Los Angeles, 1982. It is a surprisingly quiet night on the streets of Mitch’s neighborhood. All of the children had gone in for the night and he spotted only a few adults hanging out on their front porch from the usual several. He nodded at the group, did a routine quick survey of the yard as he often did when coming and going, unlocked the front door, and continued inside holding two black duffel bags. He proceeds down the hall with both bags in hand, drops one bag off inside one room, closes the door, and, then, takes the other to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen he’s met by eight unclothed women wearing masks and gloves cooking cocaine. The women raise their eyes to meet Mitch’s in acknowledgement, he returns their glance, then moves to survey the cocaine. He opens the bag, removes a bottle, and drops a yellow liquid into the pot declaring softly, “This should make it last longer.” He doesn’t wait for a response from the women, walks out the kitchen leaving the bag, and continues down the hall.
By CRYPTIC PHENIX6 years ago in Criminal
No. 1
It was a normal day and I was walking home from school clad in black. It’s a beautiful cloudy day and all I could do is sulk. School is monotonous as always; day after day of dealing with teachers, doing the same work over and over. My “peers” are the worst. Always laughing, talking…existing. The worst of them, Jake.
By Tabby Ashworth6 years ago in Criminal