Murphy and the Mystery of the Black Skull

Bradford D. Smith

Murphy woke with a start, drawing in a deep breath and opening his eyes just in time to see an enormous, pink snake lunge at his face. He ducked under the covers to escape the attack.

“Hogan! What are you doing?”

Hogan was the family dog. A boxer with big white feet, huge buggy eyes, a stubby tail and short beige fur. …

Murphy pressed his face to the window and peered into the inky blackness. Wind and rain pummeled the side of the house. Water ran in torrents down the glass. Under his feet, he felt his home swaying from side to side as it struggled to repel Mother Nature’s tumultuous onslaught. It reminded him of the williwaws they sometimes experienced. The sudden violent squalls sweeping down from the mountainsides were always shocking and often dangerous.

Through the distorted pane, Murphy saw a tiny light bobbing in the channel. It wasn’t very bright, but the longer he stared, the clearer it became.

That’s strange. Who would be out on a night like this?

Coming Soon

Murphy and the Mystery of the Outlaw Gold Mine

Murphy jerked in horror as the creature landed on his neck. He screamed when it flopped onto his face and omitted a high-pitched squeal next to his ear.
He frantically swatted the darkness in his panic, twisting and shaking to get away, but his body was wedged in place. He dropped his phone and covered his face with one hand, flailing at the darkness with the other. To his relief, he was able to throw the beast off of his head. Despite his heavy breathing he could hear his assailant flopping and scuffling nearby. He shivered at the prospect of another attack.
It’s just a bat. Calm down, breathe.
He inhaled deeply, counting to three as he drew air into his lungs, then he slowly exhaled to the count of three and repeated it.