Flash Fiction - Too Much Of A Good Thing

My new flash fiction horror story, "Too Much Of A Good Thing," has been published at Flashes In the Dark.

Too Much Of A Good Thing
by Jimmy Calabrese

I wished it didn’t happen; I really do…it just got out of control. I turned the wheel and drove my Jeep off the freeway and out into the Arizona desert. I gripped the wheel tighter as I bounced in my seat; the uneven earth shook my vehicle and my nerves. I needed to clear my head before I went home to face my wife.

She’d asked me to stop going to the Indian Casino, but she didn’t understand there are ups and downs in poker. Besides, I’m only doing it for the family. Pressure’s mounted since I lost my job, and with the bank threatening to foreclose on our house, I had to make some fast cash. She’d threatened to take the kids and leave if I kept gambling, but I had a sure fire way to triple our money. I cashed out my 401k, entered the casino poker tournament — and lost it all.
I stepped down from the Jeep and looked at the barren desert. A gust of hot wind flapped my baggy shirt as I closed the door. I trembled uncontrollably at the thought of telling my wife.
I looked to the sky to regain my composure and noticed the stars were brighter out here in the desert.

“I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight,” I said softly trying to fight back tears. As if on cue, a streak of light flashed in the sky — a shooting star. I smiled at the coincidence, but instead of instantly fading away, the star slashed the sky like a bolt of lightning. The tail grew longer and brighter on its quick descent. It headed right towards me. My muscles tensed as I stood frozen and helpless. My fear turned into laughter as the softball sized meteor crash landed kicking up sand and dirt. It created a six foot wide crater and then rolled to a stop only three feet away.

I crouched over the rock and placed my hand a few inches away. Surprisingly it gave no heat, so I picked it up. When I touched the meteor my body vibrated with a fierce pulsation that I felt deep within my bones. A seizure raptured my body and my mind raced. Bite-sized memory chunks of each year of my life were relived not for my benefit but for some unknown stranger standing over my shoulder. I felt trapped in a confessional booth, involuntarily confessing my sins to God.

Overwhelmed I dropped the rock. The meteor had spoken to me the way music communicates to the soul. I was told to “make a wish.”

Could my luck have finally changed? I laughed uncontrollably, and the sound of my own laughter scared me. What if this was real? I could restart the day and skip the casino, or I could replay that poker game and win. Crap, I could wish for anything I wanted… I felt dizzy. What if I wished for a truck load of money, so I could pay off my debt and buy my family everything they’ve ever wanted? Then again, fuck em. This was MY wish. I should do whatever’s right for me. I needed to get a grip; I was drunk with power.

I kicked the meteor away from me but the seductive request to “make a wish” still resonated like a tuning fork. Had my luck really changed? I walked back to the meteor and knelt before it. I started to cry. The tears cleared my head and I knew what to wish for. I reached for the meteor and immediately convulsed. My eyes rolled back fighting the somersaults in my skull. I made my wish, and then blacked out.

An explosion woke me, like the sonic boom of an airplane overhead. I was on my back; I shaded my eyes with my arm from the bright light. I thought I had slept till morning. I tried to swallow but my throat scratched like sandpaper. I could barely open my eyes, and my head throbbed like I’d had too much Jack Daniels. I checked the time on my phone but it read 11:00 P.M. Confused, I looked to the sky and discovered the source of the light: the sky rained fire. My wish had been granted; thousands upon thousands of burning meteors headed straight for me. Unlimited wishes.

Calabrese Crime Scene Winners!

Here our the winners of last month's vague art contest. In no particular order:

Rhiannon Faurie

Noah Bailey

Acey Morgue

Danny D.

Andrew Snyder

Rudey Fascist

Matt Coffin

Psychodavid

I stood alone in the hallway staring at the door to my apartment. I started to go for my keys but stopped. I knew the door wasn't locked. I slowly reached for the door knob, but quickly drew my hand back. I heard someone inside coming close to the door. Alex, my accomplice in all of this, was getting people away from the door and talking quite loudly. I assumed it was so I would hear him. He was getting people into position for my surprise. But the surprise was on them. And the surprise was great.

I took a deep breath and grabbed the door knob. I threw the door open and walked inside, cool and casual like nothing was going to happen.

"Surprise!" everyone yelled, all smiles, except for Alex.

He sat across the room from me just staring, a blank expression on his face. His hand twitched and I nodded. I reached for my back where the two Colt .45's rested, wedged into my pants. With one steady swoop I pulled the guns to the front of me. The room fell deathly silent and I opened fire. Alex stood and did the same. Each gun blast signaled another death of the yuppie squids I called "friends". I paused for a second to reload and continued into the room. The party was really starting to get interesting. People were running and trying to hide behind tables and chairs. Trying to save their pathetic lives. I turned to watch for the door and blasted away each person that ran for it. I continued walking into the room backwards until Alex and I were back to back. Sometime during the event he had also turned. We started spinning slowly, shooting in a full 360 until I could see no survivors.

Betty Bloodshed


They will all receive a set of first edition BODYBAG Trading Cards from Troy Holbrook and the full collection of Calabrese Stickers.

Calabrese Comic - Sneak Peek

We are starting to ramp up the Calabrese comic that we are working on with Modern Mythology Press. I thought I'd share some pencils that Dave Baker has sent us, so you can get a taste of things to come.

Calabrese Spider Skull Art

Here's more Calabrese artwork that we have not exploited yet. We commissioned this from the deadly and talented Tjie Tsang ( http://cadaver.perception.net/ ) .

A sketch of things to come.


Tjie sent us some color choices, reminds me of Andy Warhol.


And the winner is...

Flash Fiction Horror - "Kentucky Moon"

Here's my first attempt at a Flash Fiction Horror story (under 666 words) called "Kentucky Moon", it was just published on Microhorror.com. Let me know what you think…

Kentucky Moon
By Jimmy Calabrese

We pulled into the lot of the old gas station, the only car parked out front glowed with a ghostly hue from the moonlight. I reached into my jacket and pulled out my gun.

The robbery took a week to plan and only a second to fall apart. Hank was supposed to enter the gas station to clear out the customers while I waited, but as soon as he entered I heard the blast of his shotgun. I ran inside and found the clerk erupting blood like a volcano from a hole in his chest.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell happened?" I turned to find Hank focused on a woman in the back of the store, she had black hair, tan skin, and fabulous curves. I understood why he was bewitched.

"Bitch, get over here to where I can see you," Hank said as he locked the front door.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"She looks like a stripper, don’t you think she looks like a stripper?"

The woman stared at her feet as she reluctantly walked down the aisle towards Hank.

"Are you a stripper?" Hank hit her with the butt of the shotgun when she got close enough. "Look at me when I’m talking to you."

She wiped the blood from her mouth. "Sure, whatever you want me to be".

He pointed the muzzle of the shotgun between her eyes. "Then start stripping."

"No."

Boom–he fired the shotgun over her head exploding the track lighting in the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through the nearby plate glass window, highlighting the woman like a spotlight. Persuaded, she rocked her hips up and down as her abdomen moved in a circular motion. She reminded me of a belly dancer as her arms slithered outward like waves.

Hank relaxed his stance and lowered his shotgun as he bobbed his head to the invisible music. She unbuttoned her blouse exposing a black lace bra that cupped her fantastic breasts.

"Take it off, now." He took a step back, giving her room. She put a hand between her breasts to work the clasp on her bra and paused, she seemed to be struggling. Her dancing stopped as a line of blood streaked down her stomach. She had pushed her fingernail into her chest. Hank pumped the shotgun, "what are you trying to pull?"

She dug her index finger deeper into her chest. Blood squirted Hank’s face as she pulled her ribcage. Crack–the room fell silent except for the buzz of the coolers in the back of the store. She stared directly into Hank’s eyes as she tore the broken rib from her chest and tossed it at his feet.

I couldn’t take it anymore, I bolted for the door. I pulled at Hank’s sleeve as I passed but he didn’t follow, he just stood motionless in a puddle of his own urine. My sweaty hands fumbled with the lock, I couldn’t get it open so I kicked out the lower glass panel of the door. Once outside I looked back and screamed for Hank to follow, he ignored me, his shotgun lay on the floor, too heavy for his trembling hands.

Deep within the woman’s exposed muscles and broken ribs a ball of black tar pushed its way out. A blood slicked mass unfolded and expanded revealing a snout and a pair of yellow eyes. A wolf emerged, shedding the rest of her human skin, and howled. Its shark-like mouth opened to reveal deadly jagged teeth. Then in a blur of foaming saliva, Hank was decapitated in one ferocious bite.

I fired my gun at the wolf and I regretted that decision as soon as I pulled the trigger. The wolf, unharmed, glared at me sending shivers of despair throughout my body. The smell of wet fur, blood, and urine overpowered my senses. I could have run, I could have played dead, instead I did nothing. I just waited.