Scott C. Holstad has several English degrees and has authored eight collections of poetry. The most recent book was "Places" (Sterling House, 1995). His work has appeared in hundreds of magazines around the world, including The Minnesota Review, The Wisconsin Review, Poetry Ireland Review, Exquisite Corpse, Long Shot, Chiron Review, Pacific Review, Arkansas Review, and Southern Review. He has had horror/gothic work appear in Wicked Mystic, Cyber-Psychos AOD, The Nocturnal Lyric, Ghastly, Virgin Meat, As If, Isolation, Premonitions, Delerium, and Midnight Zoo. This poem first appeared in Bukowski and Serial Killers. Dark Planet is designed and edited by Lucy A. Snyder. If you spot any errors, or if you have any comments, please contact her at lusnyde@cyberus.ca. All materials copyright 1996-1998 by their respective creators. No stories, articles, poems or images from this webzine may be posted or published without the written consent of their creator(s).

Return to Love by Scott Holstad i returned to the club in complete and utter desolation, unable to think clearly and i saw the usual herd of them over in the corner looking like so many empty beer bottles floating in scum covered rain water and one of them came up to me all leatherbound and rouged in black and said well boy you look like you need something strong now we can do you or we can kill you i can be your boy or i can be your girl. what'll it be? i looked in the corner and saw a man on his knees head bobbing wildly and i watched when they slit his throat at the end and i wondered how to get out of this hell back to the land of the living dead and i closed my eyes and whispered your choice.