In The Service Of The Queen
After the war, came the task of rebuilding. The rubble had to be cleared. The ruins had to be rebuilt. And the dead had to be laid to rest…
Here, you’ll find an expanding collection of some of the best British horror short fiction. Have a story you’d like us to consider for publication? Head over to our Contact page for info on how to submit your work…
After the war, came the task of rebuilding. The rubble had to be cleared. The ruins had to be rebuilt. And the dead had to be laid to rest…
Gordon’s New Year resolution to exercise more is one that many of us explore, following the possible excesses of Christmas. But in Jim Mountfield’s tense tale, it leads the protagonist down an altogether much stranger path…
In a city choked with poisonous smog, a young boy flees his murderous father. He finds another, nightmarish city whose inhabitants might save him – but at what price?
‘Marius’ appears to a bullied schoolboy in his dreams. When the bullying becomes rather extreme, Marius appears to the schoolboy and takes him to claim his revenge. However, it soon becomes clear that this imaginary revenge is all too real.
The cold embrace of winter forms a commanding backdrop, in Jonathan’s haunting and atmospheric tale of a love which cannot and will not be denied…
Paul’s M.R. James-esque story, The Reeds, is set around the town where he grew up. In it, a grieving widower seeks solitude in a small village, where the ancient past is never far from the surface. And at every turn, the mighty reedbed that lines the river estuary haunts him – huge, unknown and mysterious…
John Arkwright has seen ghosts for years: in the bingo hall, in the supermarket; everywhere. The day the ghosts stop, John realises something has drastically changed…
Daniel’s relationship with his roommates has deteriorated, along with his dangerous relationship with drugs and alcohol. There is a high price to pay, however, when Daniel’s anger spills over one last time…
The protagonist of Max’s story receives an unexpected Christmas invitation from his ex-wife, after ten years of separation, which he tentatively accepts. The resulting reunion is a bittersweet affair, and not without its own mystery and magic…
With Christmas approaching and a brief respite in lockdown, one student chooses to remain alone in her halls of residence over the festive period. But has she made a terrible mistake?