Ben Cerasi

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2021

Stories (17)

17 Stories

31 karma pts

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“Thicker than Water” by Ben Cerasi

Oakland- The wraiths we become when the open late signs burn out become the cracks in mirrors, and the shadows that bleed into the streets.  Life is a fleeting measure. in the heat of combat, it can be marked by the passing seconds The  Kanashii had savored the pleasures of life, found none as intoxicating as the taste of blood escaping from his lips. In the center of their traini...

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“Dark Room and Ruins: (A Chapel Black Case File)” by Ben Cerasi

Its often said that each picture is a vessel for a thousand truths; I've come to believe they harbor a thousand secrets instead. In the cloistered confines of the darkroom, I meticulously arranged the virgin sheets upon the surface of the ominous chemical bath. The blood-hued bulb above sputtered faintly, casting an eerie glow as the once colorless photographs began their descent into the murky depths.. <...

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“Black Blood on the Red Hunt” by Ben Cerasi

 The War Letters of Doctor Amos Range: Recovered From the San Joaquin County State Hospital “There's a sea of black blood seeped inside foreign soil. Countless young boys, eager for adventure and a chance to prove their worth, found themselves on the frontlines. I wasn't just a mere dishwasher or shoe shiner; I was unseen. My purpose was further cemented by Uncle Sam as we were turned into gravediggers an...

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“The Kanashii” by Ben Cerasi

The blades bore an ancient style. James obtained the forensic reports from external experts. Security forces throughout the East Bay and the Shipping lanes of Marin had been meticulously dismantled, with each cut performed with surgical precision. The Spectre studied the forensics displayed on his screen, cross-referencing the findings with emergency rooms and whispers of a specter. <...

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“A Wake Beneath the Wakes” by Ben Cerasi

October 30th, 1943. Allied Intelligence reports. Middle East Command.   The magnetic audio reels will play the discussions of the prisoners and patients.  “Please, put me in the stockade, but don’t bring the ship to shore. Let the valleys of the abyss claim it again. I’ve witnessed the screaming in the camps, and the blood inside the bunkers. Imagine...

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“The Monolith” by Ben Cerasi

Our dreams are haunted by demons, sometimes they hold us down in our sleep. Other times they rip us out of bed and into the night.  My notoriety casts a long shadow, and the detectives withdrew from my presence. Each officer feared I carried the dark mark of a scarlet letter, and the specters that tormented me sought refuge within them too. They wore polished shoes and creased suits, wedd...

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“Chapel Black: The Marrow Among The Meadow” by Ben Cerasi

He made a pit, and dug it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. Authority: California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General. Acting Unit: The Violent Crime Investigative Support Section (VCISS) Inmate Earl Gr...

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“Chapel Black: The Roots Run Red.” by Ben Cerasi

The summer days grew colder as my time in the killing field continued. In this small town, life seemed to remain stagnant, with familiar faces from school days still residing in the same neighborhood. I delved into the bottomless well of the life of the victim, realizing that she might have been caught in a cycle of addiction and abuse. The tale of the central valley was lined with addicts...

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“The Red Nights of Summer” by Ben Cerasi

Speak now or forever hold your peace, I aimed the bolt downwards towards his heart's left curve. He begged to witness the sunrise one last time before the monstrous affliction took over his humanity completely. To make it in this line of work, you have to whittle away at your soul bit by bit. Those who can’t handle it end up taking the easy way out. “I apologize, sir. I never meant to disappoint you,” he ...

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“Sins in the Shade” by Ben Cerasi

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. The sins in the shadows get lost in the light. there's nothing mold loves more than dark voids. The corners of your home or a city block you pass everyday and wouldn’t give a seconds notice until the smell overwhelms you. It has to be cut out. An inoperable medical condition is one that cannot be cured by a surgical operat...

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“Eranko” by Ben Cerasi

The damp stains on the bones matched the red dusk that gave way the black night. Two hundred bodies had turned the rivers bed in the past season. The medical officers compared the sharp talons found on the first bodies to the corpse. The polished edges and yellow powder were too complex for a hungry carnivore. People were afraid to clock in the factories, the murders affected the bottom line. That mea...

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“Permafrost” by Ben Cerasi

Fire and Ice fused with the javelin as we fell from the stars. Red lights and green dots blinked without any further orders. This was like childbirth, an explosion, followed by a black void and a white light. The cramped pod collided with the blue glass caked on top of the lake. My hands yanked against the escape hatch. The small circle of fire and ash popped against the ash. The escape hatch was no different than the sa...

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“The Veils of the Valley (Part One)” by Ben Cerasi

Freedom of Information Act: Request. Memo:  United States Justice Department. Bureau of Prohibition The declassified Reports of Agent Harold Tempt. {Recovered with Permission from the San Joaquin State Hospital, Tempt family and the DOJ} The Thirst of July was upon the land it would, Soon the first fruits of August would bloom and be offered for the Regent who would soon me...

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“The Siren amongst the Stars.” by Ben Cerasi

The Last Transmission of the Divine Intercept: Security Officer Angel Ramirez. The cosmic citadel was without blemish as we floated against radiation, and space debris. The hairless apes were close to cracking the great barrier that shackled most species to their worlds. I popped a few heavy-duty pain relivers to get my head in the game. They gave me a nasty case of cotton mouth and I’d dry ...

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“The Whispers” by Ben Cerasi

The black hands reached across the walls as the white noise from the television echoed across the muffled walls. My eyes locked on to the uncanny shapes on the wall. The first officers on scene believed it to be another cooking room gone wrong. Synthetic drugs could be made with a little powder and a shopping list from a local big box store. The construction crew prepared ready to put down their tools before the payroll ...

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Author bio

Failed cosmic horror writer and director. I ran out of funds for the red corn syrup.