Dark Bites

Come back for new short stories, free to read right here. I am aiming for two Dark Bites a month now, so join the Shadows for a heads-up when the next one drops.

What Was Earth?

June 2026 • A Dark Bite by R. Rivera

On Arca Nine, children learn about a lost planet none of them have ever seen. Trees, oceans, soil, flowers. Earth was once alive. Now it is only a lesson, a warning, and a ghost.

Last Delivery

May 14, 2026 • A Dark Bite by R. Rivera

Evan takes one last pizza order past the river, where the road is empty, the tip is big, and someone from his past is waiting.

Cracked Cheeks

May 2026 • A Dark Bite by R. Rivera

Matt receives a package he never ordered. Inside is a cracked porcelain doll that should have stayed buried in childhood nightmares. Then he destroys it, and it comes back whole.

Mop Water

April 2026 • A Dark Bite by R. Rivera

On graveyard shift, Lance follows one rule to keep the noise in his head quiet: mop, rinse, repeat. Then Room 214 opens.

The Smile Behind the Lecture

Bonus April 2026 • A Dark Bite by R. Rivera

A disgraced former professor becomes consumed by the past when the woman at the center of his downfall rises to public success.