Isaac R Howard

Articulate

A Horror story by Isaac R Howard

Behind the Revolving Door, Anthology of Choice Volume 2

Winning is addictive. Desire is dangerous.

Articulate is an underground competition where intellect is spectacle and reputation is currency. Mechanical puzzles and impromptu rhetoric determine status among those who control the systems shaping modern life.

When the reigning San Francisco champion accepts an invitation outside the normal channels, the rules shift. The puzzles become darker. The stakes become physical. The audience is no longer merely judging.

As the rounds progress, shock and applause intertwine. Victory becomes survival. And desire—the desire to be wanted, to be admired, to win—reveals itself as something far more binding than ambition.

Articulate is a horror story about competition, spectacle, and the cost of wanting to be desired.

What kind of story is this?

  • Psychological and speculative horror
  • Social hierarchy turned ritual
  • Escalation through structure rather than gore
  • Horror emerging from systems of judgment

This story examines what happens when intellect becomes entertainment—and when winning stops being metaphorical.

Availability

Originally published in An Anthology of Choices, Volume II (2025).

Available through the anthology.
An Anthology of Choices, Volume II

About the author

Isaac R. Howard writes horror, fantasy, mystery, and science fiction that explore institutional systems and the consequences of desire.