Short Fiction

The battle is to the death, but who watches the fallen to steal away the vision of Valhalla?

Really, you'd think H.W. Longfellow would have known better than to write something like that ...

Life is change, they say, but even a small change in life is like being swept downstream, and the banks of the river are never the same ...

When the lines between what is real and what isn't real begin to blur and tangle, the falling man may not know where to reach out his hand ...

This is NOT the way to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, dear readers...

The vampire has his own story, but what about that poor, displaced old troll?

There are times when your life just doesn't seem worth living, but the fact is, your life isn't only about you ...

In the face of injustice, one can only hope that someone, somewhere will take a stand against it ...

The long road to understanding begins with a single step -- sometimes even in the wrong direction.

Crazies are bound to destroy the world as we know it -- the apocalypse could be right around the corner ...

The results of his research where unbelievably hopeful ... but the secret of the success was too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands.

Who is going to listen to a goofy kid's advice? Youth has its limitations, but fortunately, Julie's determination is not one of them ...

Some times a family has to provide "tough love" for their wayward child ... even in the perfect zombie world.

Losing a friend is heart-breaking. Consolation only comes when you can accept the new horizon that friend must surely see ...

On the mountain, you have nothing but what you can carry -- that which is essential. Is the burden heavier going up the trail, or coming down?

He was a diabolical mastermind -- and only one person on earth could keep a close enough eye on him ...

Wait! It may be the season of Spring, but it's not too late for this character to look down and send you some ...

You can see it in their eyes -- that moment when the joy in the sky is no longer there ...

You can see it in their eyes -- that moment when the joy in the sky is no longer there ...

It takes only one wrong step to show you your mortality. And then, when you know your time is limited, it takes only one clear thought to make the world better for someone ...

There's a very good reason for that little "Danger" tag that says, "Do Not Overinflate..."

Only one man will survive and be rewarded great rank -- the rest will become creatures without hope or dreams ...

Michael Price received his BA in Theater from the University of Minnesota in 1980 and has been writing fiction, primarily as a source of self entertainment, ever since. He performed his own one-man one-act play at the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival to considerable critical acclaim, has had a number of his short stories published in 2012, and recently finished his first novel, "Serpentine."

Almost anyone who has ever suffered from insomnia knows that nothing good happens at three in the morning, but even reruns of "Gilligan's Island" are better than a kidnapping by malignant skeletons ...

Small children always crave attention. Most parents know and understand that. But there are others who know that, too ...

Lasagna, tacos, hot dogs, cherry pie -- all great, but Sid has one dietary requirement ...

A brutal, unthinkable murder -- what sort of heartless monster could commit such a crime?

You've met them before: those slimy power-mad lousy low-down good-for-nothing ... and you've worked for them too.

C.J. Arellano is a writer and filmmaker. During the day, he works as a video editor at the Second City comedy theatre in Chicago. Sift through his video and writing stuff at CJArellano.com.

Conclusion. Who is this woman Marie, who seems to know him? Surely it couldn't be -- no, surely not ...