Out of Order

Thinking it gross to ask for her roll of toilet back, Jill said, “You can keep it,” and went out of the cubicle.

As she was washing her hands, singing the Happy Birthday song, two maintenance personnel burst into the ladies’ washroom.

The lankier man complained, “Dude, it’s just a stuck door. It’s been three days since it was reported. Why didn’t you just unscrew the hinges?”

The other guy, noticing Jill, looked at her and apologized for suddenly coming into the washroom as he took down a sign saying “OUT OF ORDER.”

With a sudden spine-tingling sensation, Jill fainted.

Vicious Cycle

According to most Indian religions, we determine how our next life would be. Live right, and we’ll be born into a higher state of existence known as bodhisattva – the escape from the karmic cycle of reincarnation. However, live poorly, and it also turns the wheel of fate against us. Usually, it’s a price we’ll pay in the next life, but what if on one rare occurrence, a more violent, vicious cycle starts within a lifetime?

Pink Stilettos

Live by the gun, die by the gun. This quotation applies to those who are so immersed into something that their lives revolve around it until their deaths. Criminals, for example, with the advent of guns, makes their living using guns but usually dies from a bullet shot right out of one. But what of little ladies that love shoes?

Diana in the Darkness

Darkness. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Death? Evil? Despair? Answering any of those won’t make a person any less; in fact, those answers constitute the norm. However, does the norm always hold true, or is it like the English language that has rules, and to each one, an exception occurs? Most probably, a girl named Diana would say that there are always exceptions. She’d say that it could be good, a refuge, a veil, or even a shield that could prevent evil from happening. If only should say it, but alas, her story would not allow her to do so.

When You Want It the Most

“When you want it the most / there’s no easy way out”

The song was subdued in the background as Giles was staring at his monitor.

He loved staring at his desktop wallpaper. It was Window’s default wallpaper – New Bliss.jpg. The deep blue hues in the sky made him feel calm and cool while the white parts of the clouds gave him a light feeling. The vibrant green of the field beneath made him remember his childhood, running around in a wide open space.

“How I wish I can be there,” Giles said to himself beneath a huff of a breath.

Looking for Aliens

"Angelina, there are no aliens!" said Juancho.
Irritated, Angelina exclaimed, "Well, keep looking! I saw the orb land right about here."

Out of the Darkness

There are no rats hiding in this cabinet, fool! Don't disturb me!" screamed the goblin at Mark.

Nemesis

Sometimes, we are enamored by our own brilliance. We tend to over-estimate ourselves and tend to underestimate others. This is what the Greeks called hubris. Sadly, hubris also leads to nemesis. While thinking about these concepts, I chanced upon a scenario where one person was betrayed by what he thought was a brilliant plan.

Blood of a Hunter

Being a hunter seems to be a much-coveted role both in the animal and human world. It denotes that the hunter has more power compared to the hunted. However, can we always assume the same thing? What if the hunter is the unwitting prey of what he thinks is a seemingly easy meal? Last night, on my way home, I imagined a scenario where the role reversal -- the hunter becomes the hunted -- proved to reveal something horrific and fatal.

Midnight Society Membership

We all want to belong. We strive to gain acceptance from our parents. We also try to look for a set of friends to click with. We even go through the proverbial hell just to be accepted. However, is it really worth it? Sometimes, this wish can come true -- with deadly consequences.

Counting Steps

After a power outage, one of my friends and fellow writing consultant, Noel, gave me a piece of useful information. He said, "Chad, did you know that when you take the stairs, just count 8 steps before a landing? Then, 9 before you turn, 10 again before the landing, and 11 steps to reach the ground floor." I considered the information carefully, and I realized that it could be useful if I can't see the steps. I just need to count them so I wont fall over, especially because of the phantom step effect -- you know, the falling feeling that people get when they assume that there's an extra step when there's really none. However, after further musings, I realized that it could also be a very scary thing, counting steps.

Wet Willy

Bullying is never good, but people invent millions of ways to bully the weak. There's name calling, hitting, and humiliating others with pranks. There's also pulling wedgies and throwing people either in the dumpster or in toilet bowls. However, one specific method of bullying inspired me to think up this scenario -- the wet willy.

At the Bottom of a Coffee Mug

As a coffeeholic, I've looked for various kinds of mugs to cater to my coffee obsession. I've bought tall mugs, thinking that it can hold more coffee in it. I've also bought mugs that looked much like bowls because they were wider than they were tall. I've also bought some that are wide and tall, which seems to be my pick until I was able to imagine a hair-raising scenario.

In the Mirror

Mirrors are curious objects. According to the Chinese, they can be portals that can be used by supernatural creatures. That is the reason why in decorating a bedroom, a geomancer will always recommend that mirrors are always covered or hidden. However, what can possibly happen if a mirror is placed in a public place that always gets used by people -- on an elevator perhaps? Obviously, creepy things can still happen when mirrors are involved due to the account of a young woman who saw a gruesome creature together with her reflection.