Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.

With 25 dark tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the pain between them.

Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing. Every month a new challenge is posted online, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page, where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the most popular of our finalists.

Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.

Volume two includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of life after death, the supernatural, murder, and the beauty beneath it all.

Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Night Swimming” by Michael O’Brien
“Hush Little Baby” by Matt Shaw
“The Vessel” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“The Southland” by Pedro Iniguez
“Biter of Dust” by Austin James
“Gently Used” by Jonah Buck
“Ollie Visits Grandma” by Mark Cassell
“The Water Tower Ghost” by Darryl Foster
“Standing Tall” by Kenneth W. Cain
“The Only Thing That Remains” by Jess Landry
“ Joined at The Hip” by Dan Weatherer
“Remy and the Elephant” by Linsey Knerl
“She Fluttered” by Andrew Garvey
“Just A Cup of Coffee” by Theresa Derwin
“Malignant” by Steve Thompson & Kenneth W. Cain
“Welcome to the Future” by Diana Grove
“Makes Three” by Michael Harris Cohen & Mark Allan Gunnells
“A Tea Party for the Dead” by Dani Brown & David Charlesworth
“A Game of Hide and Seek” by Joe X Young
“The Allotment” by Theresa Derwin
“Hourglass” by Chad Lutzke & John Boden
“The End of the War” by Joseph Mulak
“Long Distance Cull” by Tony Logan & Red Lagoe
“To Stop Further Slaughter” by Raymond Gates
“Baited” by Chad A. Clark
“Curtain Call” by Raven Dane

In this volume…
A man is visited by his wife the night before her funeral.
A tale of brotherly love turns sour.
What happens when the ghosts of our past refuse to forget?
A man contemplates the sacrifice he must make to stop a killer.
When popping in to see a grandparent, don't always expect biscuits and tea.
She rose from the dead, but by cheating death she must gamble again with life.
A grieving mother preserves the memory of her son in a very curious manner.
During an interrogation in the sweltering summer heat, a Los Angeles detective struggles as he loses his grasp between reality and madness.
A bizarre black mold problem leads to the most extreme of solutions.
Dawn comes for the dead locked in a forgotten room inside the Neon Dream.
An ancient soul finds himself and his people threatened by an ever-growing hostile race.

Reader Reviews

J.N. Cameron

(5/5)

Jan 16, 2025

Each piece was authentic, enjoyable, and well written!

Aiden Merchant

(3/5)

Review to come alongside volumes 1 and 3 via www.DeadHeadReviews.com ...

Ryan

More fantasized than Vol. 1, but just as disappointing, if not more so. Still, there are a couple of short stories that are worth mentioning. Definitely worth investing in this collection if you are looking for a couple of shockers that will stick in the back of your mind for a while after you finish them. The fillers were well written and engaging enough, but were average in the long run.‘Makes Three’-Michael Harris Cohen & Mark Allen Gunnells. “It didn’t matter if we moved out. It was in us, b...

Miguel Bizarre

Once again more amazing stories by talented souls!!! Now off to Vol. 3!!!

Tom

(4/5)

Nice book of short stories. Some were good some were just ok, no real brain busters. I do like the idea of the book, given a short time and a general topic, submit a story of a given length. A good break from reading novels and mid-length books for sure.I will look for the next volume for sure.

Serenity

Not a fanThe stories were well written, but there should have been a disclaimer saying that a bunch of the stories had to do with children. I can read all day about death, but when it comes to the death of children... No. With that said, Matt Shaw's story was the best, in my opinion. It was sweet, yet very sad. I'm sure lots of mom's who have lost children could relate to this story.

Christy Myers

Very enjoyable stories.I love flash fiction shorts and this was definitely one of the best I've read. Good chills from short reads. Kept me reading late into the night.

Lolapaige

(1/5)

First time reading flash fictionI had never read flash fiction before so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately only one or two of the stories in this book held any interest for me.

David

I was hoping for better stories but I really dug the following shorts. Hush Little Baby by Matt Shaw. The Southland by Pedro Iniguez. Gently Used by Johan Buck. The Water Tower Ghost by Darryl Foster. Just a Cup of Coffee by Theresa Derwin. Makes Three by Michael Harris & Mark Allan Gunnells. The End of the War by Joseph Mulak. To stop Further Slaughter by Raymond Gates and Baited by Chad A. Clark.These writers put quite a punch in just a few pages. They had exccellent twists and were fun storie...

Jacqueline R. Anderson

Great!The stories were a very captive read. I enjoyed them immensely. I wish that I had read volume one. I really enjoyed it.

Tere Fredericks

Amazing Stories - Chills and ThrillsThis is a special selection from Crystal Lake Publishing and Joe Mynhardt. You can read how this book came to be in the introduction. Don't skip it! As these are extremely short stories, my review of each will be short. I hope there aren't any spoilers. Closure on a Bed of Nails - Chris LutzkeWOW! I will never look at a bed of nails the same way again. And nightmares.Fast Car - Tracy FaheyThis author will have you holding your breath. Fast car indeed! Tears of...

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Shallow Waters Vol. 2

Shallow Waters Vol. 2

Shallow Waters Vol. 2

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