Write a story involving Madness and Monsters, and a skull.

Lock the windows and bolt the doors. Hole up in your house—it’s the safest place you know. They call you crazy, but you’re not. You know you’re not. And only you can stop the monsters from getting in…

History is laced with frightful creatures. Maybe the stories drive us to madness, or perhaps hallucinations craft the narrative. Can we trust our own thoughts? Delusions, delirium, and doppelgangers. Dancing plagues and shared psychosis. The Jekyll and Hyde’s live among us, no longer outcasts but holding positions of power. People chase Big Foot and the boogeyman under their bed. They believe their lover is an imposter while happily raising a changeling. Werewolves, wendigo, and will-o’-the-wisps. Why do dragons appear in nearly every culture? From harmless not-deer and dangerous cryptids to the eldritch of the stars, the siren call lures us deeper, until we no longer recognize the face in the mirror. Until there’s nothing left but you, the monsters, and the madness.

This issue invites you to explore Madness and Monsters, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome.

Submissions close October 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers.