Jj Gomez

“Chicago Witch Trials, Part VI: American Horror Toy Story” by Jj Gomez

The doll tossed Prez and Juniper away and then floated to the ground, hands clasped behind his back. “Ah, Raelyn,” he chuckled, pretending to inhale deeply. He didn’t need to breathe after all, as both a ghost and a doll. “You must be truly desperate.”“Andrew,” Juniper snarled with an uncharacteristically enraged expression. “What is she thinking?”Andrew shrugged. “Don’t know,” he said, popping his neck. Cracks formed in the plastic that were quickly mended by ghostly blue whisps of energy. “Don’t care. Haven’t gotten playtime since Vietnam....

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“Chicago Witch Trials, Part V: A Collision of Color” by Jj Gomez

Red and blue light flared across the back passenger-side window as the cruiser sped through the streets. Raelyn sat in the back, trying her best to calm her breathing despite the circumstances. She had successfully summoned Andrew and sent him out with very clear instructions to incapacitate Kennedy. Alive if possible. If Juniper had not already flayed the boy alive…“This is awesome!” one of the officers, Steve Harper, declared from the front passenger seat. “Nothing ever happens in this city!”“Except, y’know, crime,” grunted his partner, Of...

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“Chicago Witch Trials, Part IV: Her Little Friend” by Jj Gomez

“Thanks a lot,” Raelyn managed to wheeze with as much sarcastic air as she could muster. The explosion had sent her flying. Two of Juniper’s soldiers had appeared to catch her, with a third placing himself directly between the older woman and the blast to intercept any airborne shrapnel heading her way. Even so, her clothes were singed, her chest hurt greatly, and she’d lost her hat. Her hat!Despite the pain, she tore herself free from the soldiers’ grip and turned toward a wolf’s enraged howling-No, not a wolf, she thought. The boy, Kennedy...

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“Chicago Witch Trials, Part III: Bring the Heat!” by Jj Gomez

“I don’t give a damn, Harper,” Officer Spader said through a mouthful of powdered pastry. “stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Asians are good at math. Latinas make damn fine dancers. And cops, such as myself, love donuts. They’re easy to transport, come in a variety of flavors, and don’t make much of a mess-Ooh, fuck!”He quickly started dabbing at the power he’d accidently sprinkled across the front of his shirt with a napkin. Officer Harper smiled behind his cup of coffee. He was driving tonight. They’d parked the cruiser at a mall p...

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“Lovely King” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #106

“Papa? Why don’t I have any hair?” asked Becky as she was tucked into bed. Her father, Eddie Deschain, a man who could string together a good yarn, thought about it, sat down beside her, and took in a deep breath. “Once there was a prince too curious for his own good. He wandered through his family’s large kingdom, constantly outwitting whatever poor bodyguards the queen and king assigned him. The majority of the common folk grew fond of their little prince, who seemed to come and go without a care. Those with more… malicious intent...

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“Chicago Witch Trials, Part II: Duck, Duck, Ghost” by Jj Gomez

“HOWARD!” I screamed, bolting upright. A sharp pain shot up my arms. Panicked, I looked down and saw that somebody’d stabbed tubes into them. And worse! They’d taken my dress and put me into this ugly, polka dotted gown! My head began to spin as I looked back and forth. Luckily, some old lady wearing a too-big sunhat handed me a trash bin. She waited until I was mostly done puking to say gently, “Mary?”“Uh, yeah,” I grunted, the taste of liquor and vomit making my eyes water. A tear spilled down my cheek as I squinted at her. “Who’re you?”“M...

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“Chicago Witch Trials, Part I: Straight Outta Hell” by Jj Gomez

Recommended reading:...Um. So this is the start of a multipart "season finale" of sorts so...everything:)Outrunning cops is easy when you’re a monster. Unfortunately, stopping to save that girl from bleeding to death made me lose Irma. I’d also underestimated just how fucking bad Chicago smelled. It made it impossible for me to regain Evil Bitch’s scent. So with little choice, I busted into a local thrift store, stole some clothes (a baggy hoodie, loose jeans, and running shoes) and laid low for a couple of days. All the calendars were sayin...

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“In the Present” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #103

Recommended reading: "The Pig"Four days before Beth’s seventh birthday, Selene walked sheepishly into her father’s home office, head bowed. He had been holding the door open for her. Once she was midway into the room, he closed it and then walked around her, back to his desk. He leaned back against it and folded his arms over his chest. “Why did you do it?” he asked.Selene tugged anxiously at the hem of her wrinkled summer dress. “Because…because I wanted to see what you got Beth,” she said in a very quiet voice, her eyes welling with tears....

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“Commander Fletcher” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #102

“Pete, run the counter while I’m-Pete!”Pete’s father’s voice managed to cut through the music. Pete pulled his headphones out of his ears. He was sitting in the backroom. He looked around the corner and called into the shop proper, “Yeah, Dad?”“Watch the counter while I go get us lunch,” his father, August said, already starting towards the front door. He was tall man, with iron-colored hair. Muscular, but he wasn’t going to be on any swimsuit colanders thanks to that beer belly of his. Even so, most of the Salem’s single moms (and some of t...

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“Master Builder” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #101

Death does not a monster make. Pita tried to hold onto Raelyn’s words as she muttered grumpily to Iggy, “The creep followed us.” Because of all of the people scrambling around the airport and the intercom regularly announcing flights, she initially thought he hadn’t heard. He was using a few chairs as a makeshift bed and his camping pack as a pillow. Pita sat atop his belly, a patch of mist made invisible by the building’s florescent lights. She was about to poke her brother between the eyes when he muttered sleepily, “He hurting anybody...

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“The Yakuza Want to Battle” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #100

Recommended reading: “The Witch’s Apprentice”“I was unaware that Raelyn was…teaching again,” Sister Aoi said, speaking in English for the new arrival’s sake. She placed a bowl of broth on the table in front of him. It was little more than soup, cabbage, and carrots. She then took the seat apposite him, laying her hands upon her lap. She asked, trying her best to hide her desperation, “Are you sure that she cannot make it?”“Something came up in Illinois,” answered the young man after slurping down a mouthful of soup. "But don’t worry, ma’am. ...

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“The Pig” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #100

Breathe, man, just breathe, Joe scolded himself. He could feel himself starting to sweat. Guests at the surrounding tables were staring at him. Or was he just being paranoid. He discreetly checked his armpits. His dress shirt was slightly damp but nothing to really worry about. Good, because he was already worrying. He’d planned this night for months now, booking a reservation to this restaurant well in advance. When he wasn’t Pig-hunting, he was practicing his proposal. Practicing it in his head during his morning runs, at Lou’s office, or ...

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“Harvey's Sword” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #99

Mick sprinted through the woods with an open book in one hand and a wooden sword in the other. “Ha, I have you now!” he exclaimed, skidding to a halt and pointing the sword at a very confused squirrel. “You killed my father and burned down the castle! You thought you’d get away with it but I tracked you down! Now spit out a confession, heathen, or face the wrath of Sir Harvey!”The squirrel dropped its nut and scampered up a tree.“No, you’re not supposed to give up!” Mick called after it. “That’s the part where you call me a ‘sentimental fool...

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“Ronnie the River Man” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #98

Beatrice stared through the tree’s overhanging branches, smoggy sunlight peeking through its red and yellow leaves. The air was filled with the sound of running water, along with the cracking of wood from the nearby fire. Even so, she pulled her wool blanket close and rubbed her hands together. Despite it being noon, the frigid air filled her tired bones and flushed her cheeks. She tried to fight it back, but a series of harsh coughs burst from her lips. Afterwards, she massaged her throat.Stupid skin, she thought irritably. She had lost too...

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“Hell Nights” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #97

Recommended reading: “Grimoire Aisle 4” Scarlet light poured across the dancing bodies, mine included. The odor of sweat and alcohol was both suffocating and intoxicating, filling me up, driving me to dance harder. Through the fog I felt a stranger’s breath tickle the back of my neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw large hands hovering above my hips, just waiting for my go-ahead to grab me, pull me in close. Real close. The music poured through every cell of my brain, driving me over the edge. I was too far gone to care. I reached back, ...

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