Unholy Trinity: Desperation by Evan Baughfman
Our church worships at the altar of the Unholy Trinity. Its gospels are delivered as a trio of dark drabbles, linked so that Three become One. All hail the power of the Three.
A Familiar Feeling
I stand at the open grave. Why’s my name on yet another headstone?
Nearby, a man holds a shovel. He might have answers for me. I approach.
His back’s turned. I try to speak. Clods of worm-filled earth fall from my jaws. A twisted yowl escapes my lips.
The man turns. His eyes go wide. He swings the shovel, its blade parting the flesh on my face.
I become rabid. Blinded by rage. A familiar feeling.
I climb his pants leg with my claws. Leap for his throat with my teeth.
My ninth life truly begins after taking his first.
More Than He Can Chew
Dope sick, Donnie will do anything for a fix. In the past, he’s mugged. Knived. Killed.
Tonight, he’s the “geek” for a traveling sideshow. Has to bite the head off of something. A chicken? A rat?
Whatever. So long as it pays.
A snake’s thrust into Donnie’s hands. He’s shoved on-stage to loud applause. The reptile writhes in his grasp.
Donnie brings the creature up to his open mouth. Doesn’t hear the animal’s warning over the crowd’s cheers.
The rattlesnake clamps onto Donnie’s tongue with angry fangs. It strikes again, at his throat.
Donnie dies, convulsing, poison in his veins.
When Did I Go?
The blizzard came from nowhere. Our beautiful hike twisted into a nightmare of relentless snowfall.
We’d brought no warm clothing. Sara died, shivering, a few hours into the storm.
When did I lose myself? When did I go?
After the red stag-like thing arrived, walking on two hind legs.
After the creature licked its chops, asking me to also feed on my sister’s flesh.
When did I lose myself? When did I go?
When’d I go? When’d I go?
WhendIgoWhendIgoWhendIgo?
WendigoWendigoWendigo?
When I ate Sara to survive.
I’m now one of them.
A monster hunting for other lost souls.
Wendigo!
Evan Baughfman
Evan Baughfman is a middle school teacher and author. Much of his writing success has been as a playwright. He’s had many different plays produced across the globe. His scripts are published through YouthPLAYS, Heuer Publishing, and Drama Notebook.
Evan also writes horror fiction and screenplays. His collection of short stories, The Emaciated Man and Other Terrifying Tales from Poe Middle School, will soon be published by Thurston Howl Publications.
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Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the folk horror novels, The Five Turns of the Wheel, Reborn, and The Woodcutter, and the novellas, Bottled and Paused (all via Brigids Gate Press). Her dark poetry has been published in her collections Lilith Rising (co-authored with Shane Douglas Keene), Foundlings (co-authored with Cindy O’Quinn) and Metallurgy, as well as the HWA Poetry Showcase Volumes VI, VII, VIII, and IX and Black Spot Books Under Her Skin. She can be found supporting indie authors at HorrorTree.com via the weekly Indie Bookshelf Releases. She can be found at https://stephanieellis.org and on Blue Sky as stephellis.bsky.social.
