Split Scream Volume Six

SPLIT SCREAM goes to its darkest corners yet with these twin odes to horrible parents!

COME TO DADDY by Ryan T. Jenkins

A damaged man endeavors to put the pieces back together after a lifetime of destruction; to reckon with his wife and son leaving him; to attend to the dreams of his dead mother’s well-manicured hand scuttling around at night; and the haunted movie poster of a B-list actor coming to life before his eyes.

Distilled from the classic Gothic haunted house narrative comes this twisted ode to punk rock and fatherhood.

MOTHER IS COMING HOME by David Corse

When Otis discovers an undulating, flesh-like portal near his barn, he believes he’s finally found a way to escape his hometown and travel the world. All he has to do is sell the oddity to the highest bidder and leave home for good.

His plans crumble when, during a drunken argument, he tosses his sickly, cruel mother through the portal. His elation is brief, though, as Otis realizes he must rescue his mother and protect the strange opening from prying eyes, no matter the cost.

DAVID CORSE (he/him) is the pen name for David Cross, a dark fantasy author and movie podcaster from the Midwest. “ Mother is Coming Home” is his long-form fiction debut. His untitled dystopian horror novella is coming out in 2025. When not writing, David co-hosts Award Wieners, a pun-filled podcast about Academy Award Best Picture winners. He is also a frequent guest on the Movie, Films & Flix podcast, where he chats about slashers, creature features, and ghosts. You can chat with him on Twitter @itsmedavidcross.