Apr. 2025 (Issue 151)

We have original short fiction from Nuzo Onoh (“The Witchdoctor’s Revenge”) and Neal Auch (“Glory Hole”). Our Horror Lab originals include a flash piece (“A Girl Goes on a Date Alone at Night”) from Cynthia Gómez and a poem (“Old Brooklyn Magic”) from Ian Li. We also have the latest installment of our column on horror, “The H Word,” plus author spotlights with our authors, and a feature interview with Nat Cassidy.

Cover art by human antithesis / Adobe Stock

Apr. 2025 (Issue 151)

Editorial

Editorial: April 2025

by Wendy N. Wagner

But in folklore the fool has also played the role of the teacher. They make mistakes so we don’t have to. This month’s issue is full of fools and those who take advantage of them.

Fiction

The Witch-Doctor’s Revenge

by Nuzo Onoh

Author spotlight

My grandmother used to say that all fingers are unequal, yet equal. There are long fingers, short fingers, fat fingers, thin fingers, straight fingers and crooked fingers. She said that each finger has a function, and all the fingers work in harmony.

Author Spotlight

Author Spotlight: Nuzo Onoh

by Kevin Figueroa Quiñones

Growing up listening to folktales about reanimated corpses made this aspect of horror a pretty normal one for me, and in this story, their presence made sense with the location being the former cursed burial ground.

Fiction

A Girl Goes on a Date Alone at Night

by Cynthia Gómez

he found the first man on Tinder, or maybe on Hinge, and the restaurant where they met was glowing with antique lamps and green brocade wallpaper and velvet couches, everything soft and inviting, not a single hint of what was to unfold in an hour or two.

Nonfiction

The H Word: The Ouroboros of Unawakening

by Kyle Tam

Everyone dreams, whether we remember it or not. Scientists tell us that dreams are the warnings of our subconscious—a means of exploring that which we cannot bring ourselves to say aloud. Religion tells us that dreams can be revelations or assurance.

Fiction

Glory Hole

by Neal Auch

Author spotlight

“Happy birthday, my love. You deserve this.” Bruce lifted the blindfold and waited, counting the heartbeats, as my eyes acclimated to the harsh lighting. Above us, bare fluorescent bulbs flickered and sputtered in their aluminum housing.

Author Spotlight

Author Spotlight: Neal Auch

by Alex Puncekar

“Glory Hole” is a horrific, although incredibly intimate, look into the ways in which we punish ourselves in ways we think we deserve. What was your inspiration for this story? What was the writing process like, and was it any different from the ways you’ve written other stories? I wrote “Glory Hole” shortly after suffering […]

Poetry

Old Brooklyn Magic

by Ian Li

I wanted to paint an eerie portrait of the Brooklyn Bridge area as I first experienced it, capturing both a feeling of wonder and unease, for any place with enough character and history can feel like it has an undercurrent of old magic that may ensnare you.

Nonfiction

Interview: Nat Cassidy

by Alex Puncekar

Nat Cassidy writes horror for the page, stage, and screen. His acclaimed novels, including Mary: An Awakening of Terror, Nestlings, and Rest Stop, have been featured in best-of lists from Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, NPR, and more. He’s just released his new novel The Wolf Comes Home.