Publication news! My tiny horror story “The Virus” (complete in under 250 words!) is now available in Issue 006 of Quotidian Bagatelle. You can subscribe to get all the stories. Mine will be available to read on June 7.

Here is the full list of stories in this issue:

• 6/1/2026 — Spectral Graffiti by Lorraine Schein
• 6/2/2026 — Chord by Nicholas De Marino
• 6/3/2026 — The Dirt Between Us by Kelsey Flaherty
• 6/4/2026 — Searcher by Joan Sosin
• 6/5/2026 — Spice of Life by K.A. Vargas
• 6/6/2026 — Casual Encounter by H. Marin
• 6/7/2026 — The Virus by Karl El-Koura
• 6/8/2026 — Water’s Revenge by Katie Dee
• 6/9/2026 — Exes and Oaths by Ziggy Schutz
• 6/10/2026 — FC Life Forever by Andrew E. Love, Jr.
• 6/11/2026 — We All Have to Play by Nissa Harlow
• 6/12/2026 — Have a Blessed Day by Paul Hostovsky
• 6/13/2026 — The Unreason of Midnight Rain by Jason Ryberg
• 6/14/2026 — Brewing Rebellion by Gabrielle Bleu
• 6/15/2026 — Tardy by Gail Brown
• 6/16/2026 — The Centenarian by Matt Handle
• 6/17/2026 — Pearled. by Nicholas De Marino
• 6/18/2026 — Sleep by Isabel Night
• 6/19/2026 — ghosts #4 by Stephen Ground
• 6/20/2026 — The New Build by Pamela Love
• 6/21/2026 — Herschel’s Day Drinking Pays Off by Moira Richardson
• 6/22/2026 — Swamp’s Son by Marina
• 6/23/2026 — Inky Spickle by Sylvie Soul
• 6/24/2026 — Casualties by Lisa Timpf
• 6/25/2026 — Noon in the Desert by E.J. LeRoy
• 6/26/2026 — The Fifth Horseman by Sam Lesek
• 6/27/2026 — Restless Reality by Rachel Cordasco
• 6/28/2026 — Labor That Uplifts by Karama Neal
• 6/29/2026 — I Had a Dream About You Last Night by Sy Power
• 6/30/2026 — On the day before my mother’s subscription to OkayCupid expired by Beth Sherman

“The Virus” is one of my few horror stories, and is much more violent than I normally write. In fact, it was so violent that I set it aside for years before deciding to try to get it published.

My very differently toned microfiction story “A Story Entirely Inoffensive” was published in Issue 003 in March. I have one more microfiction forthcoming from Quotidian Bagatelle.

And now a sneak peek at this very dark story…

The Virus

by Karl El-Koura

I’m getting to be pretty good with a knife.

I wasn’t before. Took me five minutes to dispatch poor Mom. She was staying over because her and Dad and were fighting again.

I was in the kitchen, chopping cucumbers. She came out of my guest room, and right away I saw it.

“No,” she said, backing away. “It’s not what you think, honey. I’m just tired.”

Keep reading by subscribing to Quotidian Bagatelle.