Clarke WainikkaDec 17, 20205 minThe Demon in the Closet by Clarke Wainikka The doors were sealed. Glued, nailed and locked so that the devil inside could never escape again. It clawed. It banged on the wood so...
Clarke WainikkaJul 14, 20208 minBeneath the Forget-Me-NotsCarmen Frances Jackett had never smoked, drank or gambled. She had never shot anything up her arm or scratched away the surface of a...
Clarke WainikkaJun 17, 20206 minFar OffThe years fly by. Piling up behind me and reminding me that home is always far off. For many of the years, I didn’t think I would ever...
Clarke WainikkaFeb 26, 20206 minWe Died HereI could still smell the burning of the engine. The beeping of the alarms still filled my ears. Jennifer screaming into the radio for help...
Clarke WainikkaFeb 16, 20205 minThe Perfect BabysitterThe alarm blared. It was a high-pitched, terrible beeping that filled all three floors of the house. Maddie leapt from the couch, her...
Clarke WainikkaNov 28, 201913 minRoom ServiceMaria hated hotels. She especially hated hotels when she was with her husband and the White Grand in San Antonio was no exception. Faded...
Clarke WainikkaOct 7, 20197 minThe Witches on Third StreetThe black dog slept against the iron fence. Her torso raised and lowered with each heaving breath of her heat-induced sleep. Water...
Clarke WainikkaSep 18, 20197 minThe Eyes on the StairsTucked in tight under her sheets, Julie Hornet was not scared of monsters. Not in the closet, in the dresser or even under her bed. She...
Clarke WainikkaAug 13, 201910 minDown Dead Fish RiverThe river pulled like an ocean. It had been many years since Ben had seen the current so strong. Each time his paddle sliced through the...
Clarke WainikkaJul 26, 20197 minBetween the WallsJeremy had been trapped for 17 hours. Each time he moved, he wedged himself farther between the plaster walls. His shoulders ached, his...
Clarke WainikkaJul 24, 20197 minA Beast of Midnight BlueWe met in the rain. Yet, your hair wasn’t wet because you held an umbrella flush to your chest. The drops cut through the burning street...
Clarke WainikkaJul 22, 20197 minThe Red TrailAt the end of a very long line of black poles and strung wires, a matte steel building rose above the red sand. The man, who was wearing...
Clarke WainikkaMar 18, 20196 minSubsistenceWritten by Clarke Wainikka She stood between the trees. Her head and chest lifted, flakes of snow falling onto her torso and covering her...