Tourist Trap • 5

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This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was pretty simple. In keeping with this being the first week of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and therefore of summer vacation season, the challenge was to write a 100-word story centered around the concept of “tourist trap” without resorting to any of the ideas that have become shopworn and threadbare horror movie clichés in the past 60 years. With that as preamble, here is this week’s winning entry, by Hayley Stone. 

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“Crush Depth” • by Hayley Stone

As Namora approaches maximum depth, the tourists lean into the viewports to glimpse Old Miami. I’d make more shuttling folks between ports, but this old gal can’t compete with the commercial submarines.

“Did you see that?” Some kid is on his feet, pointing. “Something swam past the window!”

“Please remain seated,” I say.

“I saw it, too,” an adult seconds.

“Just fish—”

Namora shudders, startling screams out of my passengers. The depth gauge trills in warning. I blow ballast, but it’s no use. 

“Told you!” the kid screeches as giant suction cups blacken the viewports.

Guess we were both right.

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Hayley Stone is an award-winning author and poet from California whose short fiction has appeared in Apex Magazine, Fireside Fiction, and more. She is best known for her weird western novel, Make Me No Grave. Find her complete list of works at www.hayleystone.com.

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In a world...

Where the Soviet Union won WWII, England is now a Soviet satellite, some magic actually works (sometimes), and Premier Kruschev is going eyeball-to-eyeball with President Patton—

The last surviving member of His Majesty’s Dragonslayer Corps is called out of retirement, because it seems dragons aren’t extinct after all and one has taken up residence in a prominent Politburo member’s country estate. Read the rest in THE SHE-DRAGON OF BLY, by Jason D. Wittman, just one of the terrific tales in STUPEFYING STORIES 22!

Available now in paperback, on Kindle, or free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

 

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Tourist Trap • 4

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This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was pretty simple. In keeping with this being the first week of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and therefore of summer vacation season, the challenge was to write a 100-word story centered around the concept of “tourist trap” without resorting to any of the ideas that have become shopworn and threadbare horror movie clichés in the past 60 years. With that as preamble, here is this week’s runner-up, by Zack Lux. 

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“Far Side of the Moon” • by Zack Lux 

“So, what do you think of all those conspiracies?” Mia asked the tour guide. The other passengers unclipped themselves and floated to the aluminum silicate windows. They oohed and ahhed as Earth grew smaller, the Moon larger.

“Conspiracies?”

“You know, how the grays on the far side want to infect our brains, force us to always tell the truth. Basically, turn us against each other.”

“Uh,” he stammered. “Well, what do you think?”

 Mia regarded him, then flashed a badge.

“Tell the pilot to turn us around… and that I think he’s smokin’ hot,” she gasped and covered her face.
 

¤     ¤     ¤

 

Zack Lux lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. When he isn’t writing stories, he enjoys exploring the many natural wonder of Northern California. Find him on Twitter @ZackLuxSF

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“Do you miss Firefly? Do you like The Expanse? If so, then The Privateers of Mars is exactly what you need. [...] Structured as three loosely interconnected short stories, it reads like three episodes of a great science fiction show that you wish someone would make.”

—Amazon reader review

 

 

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Tourist Trap • 3

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This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was pretty simple. In keeping with this being the first week of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and therefore of summer vacation season, the challenge was to write a 100-word story centered around the concept of “tourist trap” without resorting to any of the ideas that have become shopworn and threadbare horror movie clichés in the past 60 years. With that as preamble, here are the next two winners, by returning contributors Cécile Cristofari and Eric Fomley. 

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“How Not to Save Your Marriage” • by Cécile Cristofari

The lush, green scenery was gorgeous, but Brenda’s mood was somewhat spoiled by Ron’s grumbling. Too hot. Too damp. What would have been wrong with just staying home?

Brenda forced a cheery smile.

“There’s even food! Over here!”

They raced to the buffet. The fare was strange, but deliciously sweet. Ron’s smile came back.

“Thanks for organising this,” he said, rubbing his two front legs together as he relaxed under the large green leaf.

Brenda’s wings fluttered happily.

She only had time to spot the leaf lowering, from the corner of her faceted eye, before green cilia closed on them. 

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After working in Canada for two years, Cécile Cristofari settled in her native South France, where she teaches English literature and writes stories when her son is asleep. Her stories have appeared in Interzone, Daily Science Fiction and Reckoning, among other places. She can be found on Twitter @c_cristofari, or on her website: staywherepeoplesing.wordpress.com.

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“Roy’s Playland — Half-price on Weekdays!” • by Eric Fomley

It’s a sham. A tire-swing with rotting rope, a rusty merry-go-round, a pool with oily black pond water. 

Roy comes out of the house to greet us, as does a smell like spoiled meat. He’s wearing patchwork jeans and his unbuttoned shirt shows a gaunt frame.

“Howdy, name’s Roy.”

He shakes our hands. Holds onto mine for a little too long, showing his broken, brown teeth.

“If y’all want to come inside, there’s good eat’n.”

We refuse.

He looks us up and down, licking his lips.

“You sure?”

We shake our heads.

He pulls a .45 from his waistband.

¤     ¤     ¤

Eric Fomley’s work has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Galaxy’s Edge, Flame Tree Press, and The Black Library. You can read more of his work on his website at https://ericfomley.com or buy him a coffee in exchange for a story at https://ko-fi.com/ericfomley.

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Tourist Trap • 2

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This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was pretty simple. In keeping with this being the first week of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and therefore of summer vacation season, the challenge was to write a 100-word story centered around the concept of “tourist trap” without resorting to any of the ideas that have become shopworn and threadbare horror movie clichés in the past 60 years. With that as preamble, here are the next two winners, by returning contributors Alicia Hilton and Roxana Arama. 

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“Day Trips to Purgatory: Buy the Total Experience Package!” • by Alicia Hilton

The ticket agent had an axe stuck in her bloody shoulder, but her smile was radiant.

David said, “One total experience.” He pulled out his wallet.

“Pay when you leave.” She handed him a wristband.

David walked towards the River of Fire. The bubbling lava smelled like roofing tar.

He boarded the ferryboat and sat on a bench beside an elderly woman who was sobbing.

David said, “You okay?”

She wiped her tears. “My husband went to Hell. I’m lonely.”

David said, “Day trip? I heard it’s a tourist trap.”

The woman grabbed David and threw him into the lava.

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Alicia Hilton is an author, law professor, arbitrator, actor, and former FBI Special Agent. She believes in angels and demons, magic and monsters. Alicia’s recent work has appeared in Akashic Books, Best Indie Speculative Fiction Volume 3, Daily Science Fiction, DreamForge, Litro, Sci Phi Journal, Space and Time, Vastarien, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volumes 4, 5 & 6, and elsewhere. She is a member of HWA and SFWA. Her website is https://aliciahilton.com. Follow her on Twitter @aliciahilton01.  

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“History is Alive and Well” • by Roxana Arama

Roberto hit metal while digging the firepit for their romantic getaway in the Alps. The small object looked like a weapon, nails sticking out in odd directions.

“A caltrop.” Francesca showed him on her phone. “Lucky we didn’t step on it. The ancient Romans used them to slow the advance of enemy troops.”

“Watch out!” Roberto pulled her from the path of a hurtling boulder that tore through their tent.

Francesca recovered and checked her phone. “Hannibal clashed here with the locals… We’re setting off their old traps!”

Roberto ducked as something swished through the air. “Was that an—”

¤     ¤     ¤

Roxana Arama is a Romanian-American writer and a member of Codex Writers’ Group. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, her work has been acknowledged in several literary contests and magazines, and she maintains the website Rewriting History: How writers turn history into story, and story into history at www.roxanaarama.com. She lives in Seattle with her family. Follow her on Twitter at @RoxanaArama.

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stupefy (ˈstü-pə-ˌfī) to stun, astonish, or astound

Edited by award-winning author Bruce Bethke, STUPEFYING STORIES is a bold attempt to grow a new general-interest science fiction and fantasy magazine from the ground up. For the past ten years we've been a part-time purely-for-the-love-of-it affair publishing on a wildly erratic schedule, but our goal is to grow to become a regular monthly magazine that pays pro rates—

And here's the radical part: we want to do this not by chasing after foundation grants, asking people to contribute to our crowdfunding campaign, or begging passers-by for spare change, but by selling books and magazines that people LIKE TO READ!

Available on Kindle, in paperback, and free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Why not take a minute now to check us out? 

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Tourist Trap • 1

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This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was pretty simple. In keeping with this being the first week of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and therefore of summer vacation season, the challenge was to write a 100-word story centered around the concept of “tourist trap” without resorting to any of the ideas that have become shopworn and threadbare horror movie clichés in the past 60 years. With that as preamble, here are the first two winners, by returning contributors Jonathan Worlde and Carol Scheina. 

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“Have Earthlings, Will Travel” • by Jonathan Worlde

Cole parked his sleek Galaxy cruiser in his tribal unit’s crater on the far side of Planet Argonne. Vivisectors retrieved the hundred human captives from subzero storage, but the geneticists would take samples before the bodies could be turned over for nutritional consumption and fertilizer disposal.

Cole’s brother Miles asked, “How did you do it? Earthlings are getting harder and harder to catch. They’ve seen too much programming about extraterrestrials and are way too cautious nowadays.”

Cole laughed. “It’s easy. I just put up a sign by any freeway exit, Tourist Trap, and they come in by the droves.”

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Paul Grussendorf is an attorney representing refugees, a former Immigration Judge, and a consultant to the UN Refugee Agency. His legal memoir is My Trials: Inside America’s Deportation Factories. He writes genre fiction under the byline of “Jonathan Worlde.”

Jonathan Worlde’s neo-noir mystery novel, Latex Monkey with Banana, was winner of the Hollywood Discovery Award with a prize of $1,000. Recent short fiction appears in The Raven Review, the 2020 anthology Ghost Stories of Shepherdstown, and in Cirque Journal. He is also a traditional country blues performer under the stage name Paul the Resonator, whose CD is Soul of a Man.

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“The Family Business” • by Carol Scheina

Karla didn’t think she’d ever return to the familiar scents of stale popcorn and tangy sweat, where the rides were coated with the gluey residue of well-aged soda spills.

“It’s no tourist trap; it’s our home,” Mom had always said to Karla’s skeptical face.

After the funeral, Karla wandered through the park, so empty without Mom. Tarnish and dust muted Karla’s teary reflection in the funhouse’s curved mirror. Then another face appeared.

“Mom?”

“I’m always here, Karla-kitty.”

Karla kissed the mirror, ignoring the gritty taste. She knew then she’d move deserts to keep this place running. It was their home.

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Carol Scheina is a deaf speculative fiction author whose short stories have appeared in Escape Pod, Daily Science Fiction, The Arcanist, and other publications. You can find more of her work at carolscheina.wordpress.com.

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