My Summer
By Harry M. Edwards
“Dinner!” Shouted my mother. A small slot opened in the door, and a small bowl of a lumpy, grayish substance came through. The rats squealed excitedly. As I hadn’t been given a spoon, I grabbed a handy chunk of asbestos to dig through the cold gruel. For the thousandth time this summer, I tried to pry open the door outside, but my father had cemented the door shut months ago. The rats were moving in, so I stopped on one, which died with a squeal. The rest leaped upon it before it was even dead, tearing it apart in their frenzy for flesh, their crazed cannibalism one of the goriest I had seen yet, as this was a common occurrence in my summer home.
As the light through my tiny barred window died, I moved towards my bed, a small, grubby blanket in the darkest corner of the basement. The rats fought nearby, their screams slowly lulling me to sleep. Suddenly, I got up, and walked to the far wall of the ten-foot square chamber to put my tally for the day. Only twenty days of summer left.
The Author of this story would prefer to remain anonymous. They go by the pseudonym of Bastion Blackeyes.
I woke up with blood caking my hands. I pulled off the sheets, and pulled myself out of bed, the wooden frame creaking as I did so. I proceeded to assess the damage. This was not the first time I had woke up with no idea what had happened the previous night. I had tried chaining myself to the bed before. I woke up with broken chains and even more blood. The damage wasn’t too bad today. Only a few broken glasses, and the door was torn off its hinges. I bandaged my arms, which were bleeding profusely. I looked through the window. The entire city was in flames, and not a live person in sight. People littered the ground. The frames of buildings stood, smoldering skeletons of the proud structures they used to be.
Guess I'll have to move. Again.
Later That Night
by Serenity Colon
Home alone, dark and quiet
Later that night
Scary and lonely
Later that night
Drowning in myself
Later that night
Turn the lights out
Later that night
Its sinking in
Later that night
I’m listening in
Later that night
Under the bed
Later that night
Coming closer
Later that night
Nothing.