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Published in Flash Phantoms – “What They Cannot See”

I’m honored to share that my flash horror story “What They Cannot See” has been published in Flash Phantoms October 2025 collection alongside 40+ other talented horror writers. This piece came to life after visiting Salem and Proctor’s Ledge in September. Standing at the actual execution site, I couldn’t stop thinking: what if there were real witches among them? Not the innocents who died, but someone with actual power, watching in silence while others died for crimes they didn’t commit. What They Cannot See by JD Devine Blood seeped through the rope binding Martha’s wrists. They dragged her past my…

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Short Stories / Flash Fiction

Published in Gemini Magazine – “Letting Go”

I’m honored to share that my short story “Letting Go” has been published in Gemini Magazine and received an Honorable Mention in their 2025 Short Story Contest. This story came after the sudden loss of my father. In those raw months of grief, I found myself writing about Emma—a woman who couldn’t scatter her father’s ashes, frozen in loss, until an unexpected moment of human connection began to thaw something inside her. Though I primarily write fantasy, this piece of literary fiction emerged from a deeply personal place. Writing it didn’t make the grief easier, but it gave it shape.…

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Short Stories / Flash Fiction

 The Crimson Trade 

 The Crimson Lugger sliced through the night fog, its three masts stark against the Hunter’s moon. Jane gripped the helm, knuckles white, the vessel’s carvel design straining as they outran the Revenue officers.  “Human blood cargo secured, Captain,” hissed Towzer, his face hidden beneath a blood-spattered shepherd’s smock. His identity, like all runners, remained shrouded in darkness.  Jane bared her fangs. Still warm, fifty barrels of premium human blood awaited transport to London’s thirsty elite. The Hawkhurst Clan had ruled this coast since Victoria’s transformation, symbolically painting the shores crimson with deliveries.  She wrenched the fore-and-aft rigging, the ship heeling…

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JD Devine's avatar by JD Devine
Short Stories / Flash Fiction

The Home, She Gave Us

In the kitchen of their Craftsman home, Rachel and Michael sat at the breakfast nook where Rose had served them Sunday pancakes for thirty years. Rachel’s fingers followed the willow pattern on her mother-in-law’s china, while Michael’s hands shook slightly as he poured coffee into Rose’s favorite floral mug. “The realtor confirmed that we can list the house next month,” Michael said, trembling fingers through his silver-streaked hair. He left the mug on the table, unable to drink from it or return it to the cabinet. Rachel’s hands curved around her cup, twisting her mother-in-law’s engagement ring on her finger.…

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JD Devine's avatar by JD Devine
Short Stories / Flash Fiction

Two Tables at Thanksgiving

Amidst the harsh cold and distant family, Specialist James Smith connects with his loved ones over a Thanksgiving call, feeling the weight of absence yet cherishing shared memories. Despite the physical distance, love endures as laughter and longing bind him to both his military brothers and family waiting at home, making his unique Thanksgiving a poignant blend of sacrifice and gratitude.

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JD Devine's avatar by JD Devine
Short Stories / Flash Fiction

The Gift of Freedom

By: JD Devine From sunup to sundown, he remained tethered to his desk, fingers pounding away at a keyboard, helping build someone else’s dream. His heart ached for something greater, something beyond the tedious routine that had become his existence. But freedom felt like a distant myth, a story told to children who hadn’t yet learned the harsh realities of adult life. During his rare moments of respite, Henry would stare out the office window, watching birds slice through the air with effortless grace. He envied their freedom, their ability to soar above the city’s suffocating grip. When his boss’s…

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Short Stories / Flash Fiction

Through Yellow Lace

By: JD Devine Through the gap in the yellow lace curtains, I watch Mr. Hayes arrange his miniature soldiers every Tuesday morning. Each tin warrior stands at attention, their bayonets gleaming like silver needles. He positions them on his combat map. The parlor is a museum suspended in time. Sepia photographs in tarnished brass frames march across the walls. A grandfather clock stands sentry in the corner, its pendulum motionless as dust floats in the morning light. Mr. Hayes moves with precision, his arthritic fingers still graceful as he positions each soldier. He wears a morning pin on his collar…

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JD Devine's avatar by JD Devine
Short Stories / Flash Fiction

Grandmother’s Enoteca

By: JD Devine The early morning vaporetto rocked against its dock, creaking against the worn wooden pylons as the briny scent of the lagoon drifted through the air. Caterina emptied her pockets on the old marble counter of the Enoteca, her grandmother’s old wine bar. Keys clicked on the marble—the heavy brass one for the front door, the slim silver key for the wine cellar, the modern steel key for her apartment. Her phone clanked down next to the keys, then the red Vaporetto pass, and finally a few coins sang against the stone. But not the locket. She touched…

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JD Devine's avatar by JD Devine