Darkling Whim Untethered tales, beautifully scarred

Stories & Poems

271 pieces, newest first.

2026

  • Clarence

    7 min read

    Clarence isn’t known to possess a whole lot of patience.

  • The Regular

    7 min read

    Regulars don't order. Regulars are expected.

  • Black Malibu

    7 min read

    It sat there in that row of cars like a hole in the light.

  • The Tenant

    8 min read

    Don't be childish, little bright thing. I can make this so much worse.

  • Self

    14 min read

    The handwriting was not hers.

  • Late Night Snack

    10 min read

    There's always a jar you shake too hard with people like you.

  • Doesn’t Matter

    9 min read

    The good kind of quick, if there's a good kind.

  • Come

    5 min read

    The grain of the wood traced the scar exactly.

  • Still

    4 min read

    Let the phone tell the truth when your mouth can't.

  • Fish Tale

    4 min read

    You’re asking was it the fish that started the dreams. Sure. The fish.

  • Spirit

    5 min read

    The dog is frozen against the fence post.

  • Drift

    6 min read

    The city had forgotten what it was supposed to look like.

  • True Dead

    3 min read

    The ping came in the third hour of daywatch.

  • Figured You’d Understand

    6 min read

    The habitat breathes at night. You stop hearing it after the first week. You absorb it. Become it.

  • Filed Under

    4 min read

    The lair smelled like solder and bad decisions.

  • Still Light

    5 min read

    The morning started with Donnie eating toast over the sink the way he always did

  • Elpis

    7 min read

    A thousand years. Still going.

  • The Canvas

    5 min read

    The rock cut through her gloves at the third handhold.

  • Thorn Apple

    3 min read

    Ruthanne stopped apologizing years ago.

  • Station Seven

    5 min read

    The air tastes like ammonia and bleach and something underneath both.

  • The Phone

    6 min read

    I can make it ring.

  • The Lighter

    4 min read

    She watches the blue at the root of the flame.

  • Deconstruction

    8 min read

    The box says forty-two pieces. I've counted three times

  • The Final Meal

    3 min read

    The room is cold. A hospital cold that lives in the walls.

  • The Last Mercy

    6 min read

    Three flowers, a knife, and the burden of knowing what mercy costs.

  • Free-Fall Forward

    4 min read

    She whispered it aloud. Her voice. Lower, gruffer.

  • The Voicemail

    3 min read

    Forever now. Somehow that made it matter less.

  • Red Dot

    4 min read

    Mirror. Signal. Breathe.

2021

  • Haley Alone

    2 min read

    Nothing but a trail of broken bone and rotten flesh.

  • Lies

    3 min read

    "Why are you late?"

2016

  • Before Dinner

    1 min read

    'Tonight will be perfect', she thought, snipping an errant shoot and placing the bonsai tree on the table's centre.

  • The Joker

    1 min read

    Two guys walk into a bar; the third one ducks.

  • The Gators of Mars

    3 min read

    So, who the fiddler's flying fig decided Mars needed alligators?

  • A Quiet Ride

    2 min read

    "I'd love to, babe, but my phone's just about out of juice!

  • The Way Home

    4 min read

    The white line on the highway blurred and steadied.

  • Good Morning

    3 min read

    Let's get the moral of the story up front, shall we?

2015

  • Time to Write

    3 min read

    I can't find the time to write.

  • The Writer

    1 min read

    Doug leans back in his Lazyboy and stretches his arms over his head with laced fingers.

  • A Gruff Patch

    3 min read

    Bruno Gruff scratched his flea-bitten crotch and stared out the window.

  • Fear

    1 min read

    I hear them, wriggling and squirming, first to my left, then my right, and then it filled my whole world with noise.

  • Kitchen Tools

    1 min read

    "But what if I hold it like this?

  • Benny

    1 min read

    Benny walked into my cubicle and his smile vanished.

  • Eye Spy

    4 min read

    Something green.

  • Guilt

    1 min read

    "I know what you did," said the voice and hung up.

  • Haley’s Tree

    1 min read

    A dense bluff of silver maples grew behind our house.

  • Beating the Heat

    1 min read

    I took the cool can and placed it on my chest, letting the condensation drip between my breasts.

  • The Gymnast

    1 min read

    The gymnast contorted backwards in artful retroflection, her ribbon efficient in its sparely motion, the structured rules of physics seemingly vandalized in impossibility.

  • Six Minutes

    1 min read

    That's how long it takes us to realize the Sun has gone dark.

  • At Night

    1 min read

    I lay awake on the top bunk, listening to my brother's rhythmic-breathing below me, desperately wishing sleep to overtake me.

  • Buckethead

    1 min read

    Hop on the exam table, Mister Smith, and let's take a look at the carnage, shall we?

  • Eddie Zovinovich

    1 min read

    No one could pronounce my last name growing up.

  • Haley Dreams

    2 min read

    My dreams always started the same way.

  • Of Blood and Text Messaging

    2 min read

    Detective Arnie Chalmers dropped his finished cigarette to the asphalt, ground it with his heel, and waited for his partner to catch up.

  • The Interview

    1 min read

    Janine let her hair flop forward on the left, decided against it, and threw her hair up in a clip.

  • Lessons

    3 min read

    So, I've been reading my NaNoWriMo novel today and had a brainwave.

  • Observation

    1 min read

    I watch as she sits on the park bench, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear, and quietly sips her coffee.

  • Too Far from Home

    2 min read

    Melanie closed one eye and focused on the board.

  • First Fledging

    1 min read

    I'll never forget the first time I sat behind the yoke of dad's old hovercar by myself, newly minted holo-license carefully filed in my e-wallet.

  • Spider Man

    1 min read

    "Oh, thank you, Spiderman!

  • At the Mall

    1 min read

    So, yeah, it all started when Mikey dared me to put my tongue on the cold post outside the mall entrance.

  • Tanked!

    1 min read

    Bob cruises with stealth

  • Mouse Caper

    1 min read

    The way I figure it, Tiny, is that if we take that piece of bacon you pinched from the giant's plate and toss drag it over to the fuzzy floor, the dog will sniff it out.

  • Judgement Dogs

    1 min read

    "Pansy, did you see what that meathead did?

  • Bad Bedtime Bacon

    1 min read

    Waking up thirsty, I stumbled to the kitchen and flicked on the light.

  • I Shovel Dirt

    1 min read

    I shovel dirt into the hole and my face breaks into a sweat despite the cool night air.

  • Cut and Run

    5 min read

    Dez hung sloppily off the arm of Scott.

  • Compassion

    1 min read

    Eunice set the picture of their Caribbean vacation on the side table as quietly as she could, trying not to wake him.

  • Waiting

    1 min read

    Janine's leg bounced and jittered as if it had a mind of its own.

  • Frannie Takes the Train

    4 min read

    The rattle and rumble of the train on its tracks persisted in their pursuit of my sleep.

  • Sunset Heat

    1 min read

    I put the rest of the tools in the trunk and wheeled it over to the tie-downs.

  • Blind Dining

    3 min read

    "Eyes up, soldier," she said and I did.

  • Cruising

    1 min read

    Late at night she walks the scene alone

  • The Dark Pool of Lamia

    3 min read

    Lamia wrapped the mottled scarf around her light frame, enjoying the silky sensation as the soft cool hide hugged her contours.

  • An Ending.

    1 min read

    Without a single glimpse back, David quietly closed the door and walked down the sidewalk and out of her life.

  • Respawn

    4 min read

    *Respawn*.

  • Snowfall

    1 min read

    arms wide and eyes closed

  • Blankets

    1 min read

    "But we have to keep warm," Jake pleaded as he dropped a pile of blankets on the couch.

  • A Beginning…

    1 min read

    Amy wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and flushed the toilet quickly before her mother asked questions.

  • The Sentinel

    3 min read

    My name is Gracie and I am the Sentinel.

  • What Am I?

    1 min read

    We're twins, you and I.

  • One Last Letter

    4 min read

    Ricky checked his mailbox everyday at just before noon, rain or shine.

  • Resolve

    1 min read

    "Happy New Year!

2014

  • Barbecue

    3 min read

    Okay, Nicholas.

  • Whoops

    1 min read

    Special ornament

  • Gramp’s Grace

    1 min read

    I'm not a religious man, but sitting at head of the table where my grandfather would have normally sit, I looked around to my rarely-assembled family, all eagerly awaiting the feast.

  • Backroom Elves

    1 min read

    "Blinky, put that wrench down and get over here.

  • The Bonded

    4 min read

    Not every Fayre could be trusted.

  • Lemony Rain

    3 min read

    I constructed my lair from the choicest rock candy, not dollar store seconds.

  • Full Circle

    5 min read

    "A strange thing happened on the way to the bus stop," I said, taking a plate from the rack and wiping it.

  • Riding the 80

    2 min read

    The bus hit a bump and my head snapped back, cracking against the glass window.

  • Pull Over

    1 min read

    "What seems to be the problem, Officer?

  • Haley in the Tank

    4 min read

    I sat on the steel cot and stared at the three other people in with me: the chick and two dudes.

  • Haley on the Road

    3 min read

    We had to pull over on the side of the road when the jeep started to overheat.

  • Haley on a Plane

    4 min read

    I grabbed the first aid kit off the cabin wall and a jug of water.

  • Reunion

    1 min read

    Haley saw Ben across the parking lot and ran as fast as she could, tears streaking down her face.

  • Is This the End, Haley?

    4 min read

    Jimmy drove too fast for my liking, but under the circumstances, I didn't argue even if we didn't use headlights.

  • Haley Into Darkness

    3 min read

    We huddled in the dark closet for what seemed like forever, our hearts pounding in our chests.

  • Unwanted

    1 min read

    Heaven didn't want the maiming boy

  • Scare Tactics

    1 min read

    "Why don't you try poking out your eyes?

  • Cellar

    1 min read

    My hands shook in the cold rain as I fumbled with the shovel handle as another flash of lightning illuminated the back deck's leaf litter blanket.

  • A Close Call

    1 min read

    It was a dark and stormy night, my wife and daughter were driving to a Fire Hall outside Chester for a family gathering.

  • Trick or Treat

    1 min read

    Moldy sugar and weevily flour, Some rancid butter at the Witching Hour.

  • Iced Up

    1 min read

    Jamie slammed his hand against the dash of the car and the heater fan rattled to life.

  • Aguta's Trek

    1 min read

    Nanuk the Bear stood on his hind legs and sniffed the icy air.

  • First Change

    1 min read

    Raised by the pack, we didn't know about the Change util it happened to my friend Brown Ear.

  • Strength

    1 min read

    "You can do this," he said with an intensity that made me smile.

  • Last Glimpse

    1 min read

    I found the perfect spot, for us to share a final gaze

  • Playing with Fire

    1 min read

    My thumb flicked the striker of the lighter and the spark gave birth to yet another flame.

  • The Perfect Trick

    6 min read

    All eyes were either on Scott's hands or Dez's outfit.

  • Villain

    1 min read

    **V**anquishing the mighty hero **I**nciting mayhem and chaos **L**egions of ...

  • Fortification

    1 min read

    David's hand trembled as he poured the Ballantines over the ice.

  • Haley Burning

    3 min read

    I knew I was playing with fire, but since when had that stopped me?

  • Nightfall in the Glade

    5 min read

    Legato and Mezzo flew as if their wings were aflame, knocking baskets of gathered berries to the forest floor far below.

  • Too Hot

    1 min read

    Billie winced as she tiptoed across the sun-baked deck with two cold wobbly-pops in hand.

  • Clouds

    1 min read

    Jack and Jill lay on the hill

  • Alpha Dreams

    2 min read

    Dawn's dim light glows in the porch windows.

  • The Hike

    2 min read

    My life will never be the same.

  • Dog Days

    2 min read

    My life will never be the same.

  • Alone on Tazin Lake

    5 min read

    The Cessna's wings clipped the tops off several jack pine as it thundered through the brush on its way down.

  • Strange Love

    1 min read

    There once was a lady, hailing from the circus

  • Knife Master

    1 min read

    I probably shouldn't have been drinking last night.

  • Clown Car

    1 min read

    Cuddles, you go first.

  • Bigtop Bulge

    1 min read

    So, you see, I'm really quite worried about your health.

  • Milk

    1 min read

    Eunice sniffed the milk carton left on the counter and wrinkled her nose, swallowing hard against her rising gorge.

  • Riding the Train

    3 min read

    Riding the hover train this time of night always made me sleepy.

  • What’s a Dwaithelord?

    1 min read

    Dwaithelord --- an honorific for the tribal leader of a coven of dwarven wraith soul stealers.

  • Jake

    2 min read

    Jake hobbled in to the kitchen and half-sat on his haunches.

  • Piscans Interruptus

    3 min read

    Captain Nestor breathed a sigh of relief as his yacht left the hanger bay of the Vindictus.

  • Torture

    1 min read

    Reflected in the steel above, I watch the red line widen as he traces the scalpel from my navel to between my breasts.

  • Smoke

    3 min read

    Peter wanted a smoke.

  • The Toy

    1 min read

    a haiku poem

  • Caught

    1 min read

    I waited impatiently for my computer to shut down.

  • Sierra Enigma

    7 min read

    It's never been easy working in the same place where Mom died.

  • The Last Days of the Marcy Bell

    3 min read

    Officially, the Marcy Bell was a salvage rig, licensed for Canadian and international waters but not American.

  • Justin Takes Control

    7 min read

    Agent Justin Cayse left the bordello from the rear, having escaped his captor.

  • Dead Inside

    1 min read

    Eunice sat on the edge of her daughter's bed and stared out the window, the rustling of leaves muted by glass.

  • Random

    1 min read

    "Goddam it," Rita O'Neill said as she let the curtains slide back into place.

  • Scrambled

    8 min read

    "I hate to bother you, but I have something important to ask," said the new waitress, setting down my plate of scrambled eggs.

  • Xanarax

    1 min read

    There once was an alien named Xanarax

  • Human Oddity

    1 min read

    I smelled the human long before I laid my seventeen eyes on him.

  • Poor Kid

    1 min read

    The Sheriff hauled Jimmy to the gallows to become acquainted with the hangman's knot.

  • Late at Night

    1 min read

    I opened my eyes and could not see.

  • Jolene

    1 min read

    Me and Little Tim race our horses hard trying to catch up to the train.

  • Festus

    1 min read

    You see, Sheriff.

  • Cowboy Games

    3 min read

    The Cedarwood Home for the Elderly stood at the end of a dead-end street in a rotting borough of a dying town.

  • Cactus

    1 min read

    Prickly pointy spikes

  • A Horse

    1 min read

    I should like to be a horse

  • Perfect Party

    1 min read

    Doug is dressed in his party best

  • Ballroom Dreams

    1 min read

    I entered the ballroom and searched for her in a sea of gowns and tuxedo.

  • Panic

    6 min read

    "Hold the elevator, please," said Trudy.

  • Fletcher Returns

    2 min read

    Carol Bannister placed the breakfast tray in front of her Aunt Jessica and stood staring out the window at the autumn leaves swirling about the grounds.

  • The Hand

    1 min read

    My hand's all numbers so what the heck?

  • Moon and Badge

    1 min read

    "What seems to be the problem, Officer?

  • Lucky Me

    1 min read

    I woke up dreaming of gold, which was weird, because I normally crave coffee.

  • Burnout

    2 min read

    Eric thought his day would never end.

  • Woden's Daughter

    2 min read

    The Allfather's daughter, shame of Asgard, fled the Great Hall and made her way through the wood to the cliff-side.

  • ‘3014’

    3 min read

    *We're not made for this damp shit and neither is our tech*, thought Gil.

  • The Picnic

    2 min read

    *If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.

  • Lies

    3 min read

    Hugh pressed the 'check mail' button again and the little closed envelop popped up, taunting him with its secrets.

  • Unreal World

    3 min read

    School wasn't working for me.

  • Planning

    4 min read

    Everything was going according to plan.

  • Snow Day

    3 min read

    Ellen loved her brother, of that there was no doubt.

  • A Promise Kept

    3 min read

    "Damn," Marnie said as she pulled over onto the icy soft-shoulder and got out, leaving the car running but the door ajar.

2013

  • Jonas

    4 min read

    Jonas leaped over the barricade and wormed his way through an opening in the quarantine fence without being noticed, his stolen prize held tightly in his jaws.

  • Haley’s Homecoming

    4 min read

    I hitched my knapsack up over one shoulder and got off the bus.

  • Thanksgiving

    1 min read

    "Good man, where might I find your nearest mooring dock?

  • Pickles

    1 min read

    Sour pickles that make me pucker

  • Black Friday

    1 min read

    I tried, I tried, with all my might

  • Patching Annie

    3 min read

    Walking by my daughter's room with an armload of laundry, I pause to listen at the door.

  • Manhunt

    1 min read

    Leaves crunched noisily under foot despite their practiced woodsman experience.

  • The Apprentice

    2 min read

    She wakes up groggy, and I watch from behind her eyes as she senses my invasion.

  • Hallow’s Morn

    3 min read

    Jackie pulled the collar of her housecoat tight around her neck and opened the door to let her cat inside after his morning romp.

  • The Standoff

    1 min read

    Missy's moon shadow cast long, tail twitching in anticipation; the taste of freshly killed squirrel electrified her whiskers.

  • Thoughtful Magic

    4 min read

    The life of a super-villainess was burdensome to Amy and when her fembot henchman, Stacey, suggested a vacation in her winter-lair on the Caribbean, she jumped at the opportunity and hopped on her jet.

  • Flying Home

    1 min read

    I watched the sun set and the moon rise

  • The Clown

    1 min read

    What lies beneath the painted mask?

  • Eddie Zero

    40 min read

    I didn't kill him.

  • A Love, Darkly

    16 min read

    Alice gave me a furtive glance as she handed me a glass of lemonade.

  • The Craftsman

    3 min read

    "You see, Detective, I have a little problem with knives.

  • Davey’s Boat

    4 min read

    There was only one bus in town and I missed the last run, its taillights taunting me with the faint spray from the wet wheels.

  • Intention

    4 min read

    Larry sat in the jail cell and tried to make himself invisible.

  • Newsworthy

    5 min read

    David Pemberton leaned into the mirror and fussed over the crow's feet starting to creep into his face.

  • Broken

    7 min read

    It was a slow night, even for a Tuesday.

  • A Hole in the Plan

    4 min read

    The blade of the shovel rang loudly as it hit rock again.

  • The Gift

    4 min read

    It took a lot of effort to get the fingerprints just right.

  • Grace Under Fire

    4 min read

    Grace raced to the emergency pull station on the other side of the room.

  • Falling Star

    4 min read

    Martha woke from her terrible dream with the chills.

  • Confession

    5 min read

    Murderer! Murderer! I thought I would ne'er hear that word.

  • Shardik

    3 min read

    Shardik woke to the high-pitched laughter of the woman and growled quietly to himself.

  • Free-Fall

    5 min read

    Josie screamed in her helmet.

  • Emerald Fire

    2 min read

    I had just parked my car and pressed the lock button when I noticed her.

  • The Doorway

    11 min read

    I climbed the back staircase of my grandparent's old house.

  • A Bargain

    4 min read

    Saturday mornings were never complete without the obligatory yard sale run.

  • Martin Makes His Stand

    4 min read

    Martin slipped his battered old pickup into neutral and turned the engine off.

  • Masks

    3 min read

    Every day of the week he wears masks, trading one mask for another.

  • Descent

    12 min read

    **JOHN'S RUN** John was in the zone.

  • Dana’s Story

    15 min read

    "I have something to tell you", said Dana quietly, barely audible.

  • Danny’s Redemption

    21 min read

    A sharp breeze stirred up the gutter dirt as Danny crossed the otherwise motionless street.

  • Stormy Night

    27 min read

    It was a dark and stormy night.