Horror and Wholesome
The clock struck one AM. Don got up to get his usual mid-shift cup of coffee, Margery was trying to explain to a belligerent drunk that no, he couldn't have his toddler arrested for removing his diaper and smearing its contents across the TV, but she was happy to send a squad car over, and... Continue Reading →
Dad got me started young. It was just Saturday nights at first, when he'd wait for Mom to be caught up in her shows, but over time, it became more frequent, until he was at my bedroom door at least two or three nights a week. I'd hear his footsteps coming down the hall and... Continue Reading →
You loved me once. It’s the only thing I still believe. It sustains me, even now, in the darkness. Even now, after you’ve gone. It was the first passage on the first page in the diary we found while exploring one of the basement rooms of St. Flora’s. My boyfriend, Damien, had been the one... Continue Reading →
I tried really hard to get my kid out of my neighborhood. When he was born, I made all the promises I'm sure my old man made to me when I was young. You're not gonna live like this. You're gonna be better than me. You're gonna be somebody. But what does an eighteen year... Continue Reading →
I was still new to the evidence locker when the dollhouses were brought in. I had been warned that I'd see some strange, disturbing things coming in and out of the cage, but I never could have imagined anything like that. I'd only been an employee for the sheriff's office for a month when the... Continue Reading →
I didn't think much of it when I showed up to the Lorries’ and found seven year old Rona June cuddling a stuffed unicorn. It seemed like she had a new toy for every day of the week; her parents’ answer to any complaint the kid might have. Loneliness, boredom, sadness, it all could be... Continue Reading →
Trapped strays and pets that had outgrown their cute baby phase were not an entirely uncommon find upon our doorstep when we opened in the morning. I guess a vet’s office was a better place for them to end up than out on the street, but we didn’t have the room or resources to house... Continue Reading →
You try to trust your kids. You try to believe in them and let them make their own choices and hope that you’ve instilled in them enough morals and common sense to get by without you hovering over their shoulder. And then you get a call while you’re out on your first date in almost... Continue Reading →
Where my family comes from, arranged marriages are still very much the norm. It's really not what most people think when they hear "arranged marriage"; it's more like going on a blind date set up by people (usually your parents) who know you, love you, and have your best interests at heart with a very... Continue Reading →
Every year on December 12th, a new one would arrive. Always in the same bright Christmas wrapping, always unmarked, always left on our front porch. They started coming a year after my sister, Libby, disappeared. She was last seen walking home from the elementary school in her favorite bright purple jacket with the faux fur... Continue Reading →
Stories By S.H. Cooper 