Jade Home is the old farmhouse in the middle of the prairie, miles outside of town. Where Pa tended to pigs, and Ma, the best seamstress around. You hated the bacon she served. Ma and Pa told you to be grateful. In protest, you ran through Pa’s soybean fields in one of Ma’s hand-sewn party ...

My name is Shanequia, and I have a story to tell you. You won’t believe me, but I swear on a stack of bibles that every word is true. The day started with cool, crisp temps like any other fall day. Leaves were bursting in maroon, orange, and saffron. Not a cloud in the azure ...

The landlord was right. The passing trains behind her row home had become white noise. Hattie lived her life around the comings and goings of thousands of commuters. She was one of them. Departed at 6:39, returned at 5:10. The train rattled like a dog shaking the rain from its fur just before it dipped ...

The time has arrived. The sun has set on the horizon and inky darkness is overtaking the city. Streetlamps light many walkways, and you can see the cars pulling into the designated parking spaces. Excited teenagers and even some adults making their way towards the house. The doors officially open in two minutes. Enough time ...

“It’s for the best. We have to get rid of it.” Sally sat on the couch. Her eyes never left the small doll on the ebony rocking chair. Benjamin sighed and took a seat next to his wife. “I’m not disagreeing with you, but why don’t we just throw it away?” Sally didn’t look away ...

The road is empty and the sole street lamp on the corner flickers; the power waning. It will eventually go out for good, just like all the other electrical equipment. I pull back the curtain and shudder out a breath as I lean against the wall. The house is silent, with only the tick-tock of ...

You’ve waited all year for this night. The night that they say the ghosts and goblins roam. The veil between the mortal world and the world of the dead is thin. Some people believe you can talk to those who have passed before you. Your thoughts on the matter vary. While you aren’t sure that ...

The fire is roaring, but I hardly feel the heat as my body shivers. My skin is hot yet refuses to sweat, indicating a fever has set in. Doctor Jones is being fetched at Mr. Bingley’s insistence, but this gives me little comfort. I am in a stranger’s bed, in a borrowed nightgown, and being ...

The Old Woman ran her fingertips over the dead leaves, then clenched her hand into a fist, and clawed at the drooped plants. Water dripped out of the hose on the dry ground beside her. A strong breeze rustled from beyond the garden fence. They stood in the distance. Without her glasses, they were blurry ...

I am lying on the bedcovers, my white dressing gown glowing in the moonlight spilling from the open window. A slight breeze swirls the curtains and a chill runs down my spine. My chest rises and falls as if I had just run across the lawn of Longbourn. A few moments of silence pass when ...