Joshua Vermillion Joshua Vermillion

It Must Have Been a Dream

You were little the first time it happened. You barely even remember it now, the time you woke up in a room of colors. You seem to recall watching yourself playing on the carpet of the living room, watching your mom brushing her teeth, watching your dog rummaging through the trash in your bedroom.

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Joshua Vermillion Joshua Vermillion

Balancing the Scales

“Please, please, I beg of you.” Damian’s throat stings as his screams rub his vocal cords raw. “Save my daughter.”

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Joshua Vermillion Joshua Vermillion

Child Hide and Lie Still

“You knew I was coming for you, little one, when the kettle jumped into the fire. Hides flapped on their hooks, and the hound crept off, groaning, to the deepest part of the woods on that eternal night.”

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Joshua Vermillion Joshua Vermillion

Chance Encounters

The body lay crumpled on the ground, a sheet shielding the worst of the carnage. Blood streaked down the concrete wall behind her before meeting the pool that had formed in the cracks of the sidewalk. Police tape sectioned off the portion of the path, much to the dismay of pedestrians hustling from office to lunch, their lunch breaks shortened even further by the slight detour.

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Joshua Vermillion Joshua Vermillion

The House

The Palmers have been living in the House for just over a month now. It’s a short time, but there has been ample opportunity to observe them, study their movements and habits. They’re perfect.

Four total. A husband, a wife, a seven-year-old daughter, and an infant son. Breaking them will be simple. Once the father falls, the rest will go easily.

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Joshua Vermillion Joshua Vermillion

The Limit Does Not Exist

Riley jolted up in bed. Numbers, remnants of a dream he could no longer remember, flashed through his vision before fading away. Light poured in through the windows. How long had he slept? Diane would be frustrated if she had to watch the kids all morning while he slept. She had planned to call into her office to check on anything she missed during the move.

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