Tales-of-Ebony

    When investigators questioned me on the hideous death of my sister, I resorted to mere fantastic deception. Should I dare to venture upon truth, surely they will imprison me in the asylum for my irreparable madness. Oh, that happy ignorance! It is a gift I give to all living things! The burden of Truth lies only on the dead, only on I! For when I conclude this narrative and cleanse my soul, I shall put a pistol in my mouth and flee from the horror that is to come.    My sister was born as my mother died. I, being older than she, can still recall the homely face of our lonely parent, covered to the ends with strange red scars and marking

    It was so wonderfully dark outside. The sun had gone to bed, and the shadows of the forest knew it was time to flourish. Betwixt every tree and leaf, and upon the snow of the ground and the flakes yet to reach there, you would find darkness resting. Now, I couldn’t tell you what other sorts things darkness does; but I know it is particularly good at two things; resting, and, of course scaring. Chances are, when you think it’s conducting one of these tasks, it’s actually indulging in the other. So when you see a very large shroud of dusk and are afraid to near it, remember, it is presently there to rest and not be bothere

    I go to community college now, but only on Mondays and Wednesdays. These days consist of four classes, each two hours long, and each followed by an hour long interval of waiting for my next class to begin. This was the only schedule I could get that would work well with my dad's work schedule, since he drives me, and I have yet to acquire a driver's permit. On my first day, I spent most of these long gaps wandering aimlessly about the campus, wondering about my prospects, and questioning my satisfaction with the choices I made.    I was told by my teachers that I had to read passages and answer questions from a textbook during the Labor

Scene 1(A filthy, neglected living room in an old, tiny, dark house. There are papers tossed around everywhere, suggesting the words on them have been the bane of the owner’s existence for quite some time.) (Thomas Edgar enters in hysteria and panic. He searches around the room, looking for a particular piece of paper.) Thomas Goddammit, where the hell did I put it? Water bills? Well, showers are overrated. The electric bill? I don’t need a toaster anyway. Where the hell is the mortgage bill though? ...What’s this? A letter? It’s from a week ago. From John? (opens letter) “Dear Tom, it’s been awhile, has

    “Well…” considered Roger, “I’m not really sure about it. I mean, I’ve never really done yoga before, and it all just seems a little weird to me.”    “Dear, you’re going to love it.” reposed his wife, “Trust me, I’ve been doing it every day since the kids left, and I can’t begin to tell you how much better I feel.”    Roger continued to think over the matter in silence, when his wife continued. “Plus, it might help with your... arthritis.”    He sighed, as if the utterance of his affliction put a great deal of shame on him. Ever since his

    The brilliance of the moon fell down to the earth in vast intervals, when the sparse clouds would permit their descent. Yet, from the gloom of the town there assembled a mass of fog to oppress the churchyard. The barren trees which encompassed all, and the humble church which towered the desolate cemetery became scarcely perceptible through the heavy mist. I wandered there alone, my eyes upon the names and dates of every stone I passed, determining which of the entombed had endured the faintest decomposition.    My right hand grasped a shovel, my left a grocery bag and a hacksaw. I would do what many proclaim to be an act of treason aga

    As I call back from the blackest recesses of my memory all that has occurred, I feel but an acute twinge of despair and agony pulsating in my brain. Mad might I be to declare the sight found in my bathtub as a thing of flesh and tangibility. You must, however, hearken to my tale in its horrendous entirety before you confirm my madness.    I was a youth when I signed the lease to my first apartment. Every fiber of my virtuous frame illumed an aura of childlike wonder for the world. There was a perceptible brilliance in my eye, an imperishable fire, which my friends and family regularly noticed, and which also gave them hope for my future

    A man sat on a stool in the midst of a dark laboratory, pondering for an exceptionally long time. He began his musings at dawn, and continued them beyond dusk, into the twilight. His head rested on his fist, and a singular vain pulsated on his temple. His eyes, like a pendulum, moved from left to right, left to right, left to right. His dilemma was infuriating.    But then, moments before midnight, he finally devised of a plan that was perfect, and immediately commenced its execution. With the abundant chemicals of different colors and compositions upon his shelves, he fabricated a concoction within a mere five minutes, and proceeded to

    The commencement of that wretched ordeal has rendered me a fool in the eyes of my peers. Had I not succumbed to my greed and carelessness, I would not sit here today, plundered of my family and riches, penning down this awful and disgraceful tale. Allow me to relate my miseries.    One afternoon, I sat on a small bench in a small park in the midst of a very large and busy city. I was tranquil and satisfied, though wearied, for I had spent the entirety of my morning forcibly extracting from my brain words of love and passion, of which I would soon share with the woman I admired above all else in this world. But I couldn’t, for my o

    It was during one delightful Autumn evening, just after the sun had set deep into the horizon, and every corner of the sky became enveloped by the twilight, that I sat next to my young wife of nearly a year, and once again became delighted by her company. We held each other that night and gazed at the fire in blissful quietude. I stroked her hair now and then, and kissed her head, and whispered words into her ear regarding the immense admiration I shared for her. It was perfection and tranquility if I had ever experienced it. But then she said the thing that chilled my blood and made my skin turn ghoulishly pale! “Mark…”