S.M. Sykes

“Monsters Under the Bed” by S.M. Sykes

Submitted to Contest #274

I sit down with my daughter to quell her fears. She ran out of her room tonight screaming about monsters under her bed. She’s had this fear ever since we moved into the new house, six months ago. Ava is 7 and has never had a fear of anything. Her mother and I have chalked it up to the move: new house, new school. Maybe one of her school friends has this fear and has told Ava about it. Either way, I settle her down and tell her about a fear I had as a child. “When I was little, my mother and I moved around quite a bit. I became scared of the ...

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“Black Out” by S.M. Sykes

Submitted to Contest #273

The street was dark. The power went out about thirty minutes ago, cutting my bar shift short. This was good because we were dead, but it also meant that my brother wasn’t off of work yet. I would have to walk the ten blocks home by myself. Normally, that wouldn’t bother me, but in a blackout, it was eerie. There was nothing but shadows everywhere. I pass a few others walking home from the bars, or home from the late shift. Altogether it was light traffic for a Friday night. As I walk, the shadows move, making trashcans and fire hydrants look...

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“Mischief Night” by S.M. Sykes

 Leslie returned home from work. She was tired as she lifted herself out of her 2008 Honda Civic and winced as she slammed the door a little too hard. The car was falling apart, just like her life, but she was doing her best to keep them both together. Leslie used to enjoy the brisk fall winds blowing through the trees on her property when she and David lived here together. Since David passed, though, she has had to work 12-hour shifts to keep things together. She didn’t care about the fall or the winds. It all just added work that she ...

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“The Zombie's Ghost” by S.M. Sykes

Submitted to Contest #272

My name was Allen, I was a high-powered New York lawyer. I wore $5,000 Armani suits and drove a high-end Lexus sedan during the week and a Range Rover on the weekends. I had three houses—two in New York and one in Santa Monica and I was good-looking too. Not to be arrogant, I took pride in my looks. I spent almost as much time in the gym as in the courtroom. My body was a temple. I never let anything with preservatives or sugar enter it. I had a date every weekend. Models, actresses and even a few princesses. I would...

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“Flames of Sepheron” by S.M. Sykes

Submitted to Contest #232

Tempora, Ali, and Jodia were named the newest Torch-bearers of Seledon. The honor of carrying the Flame of Sepheron to the other cities of Seledon was one of the greatest honors. Each year the newest Torch-bearers were sent across the continent to refresh the Holy Flames in each city. If these flames were not renewed with new dragon-flame before the end of the cycle the Darkness would be allowed to take over. The Darkness was just what its name suggested. It was an all-enveloping darkness that destroyed everything that it touched. The only ...

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“Christmas in a Hometown” by S.M. Sykes

Anna-Beth was tired. Living in Chicago had been exciting at first, the lights and the glitter were all enthralling. After 5 years she had moved to the most prestigious museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, but life had seemed to stagnate. To get promoted she had to work 80-plus hours a week and then finish when she got home. She had no social life, she hadn’t been to a bar in three years.  Anna-Beth’s boss Lucas Gray had fallen ill at the end of the summer and his assistant Nora had put more of her du...

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“House of Mirrors and Wonder” by S.M. Sykes

Submitted to Contest #225

Steven loved going to the Delaware State Fair every year. His parents had brought him here since he was a kid, back when all he wanted to do was ride the rides and get cotton candy. Nowadays he is way more mature than that. I mean he was 13 years old and had to act like it. Instead of running straight to the rides and cotton candy, Steven led his parents to the horse stalls and walked through checking out all of the animals.  His parents looked at each other and laughed, they knew this was new but in the end, he would end up with cotto...

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