3,738 words (16–20 minutes)
Genre(s): Psychological Fiction, War/Speculative Fiction
Originally published in The San Francisco Examiner, July 13, 1890

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In the final moments of his life, Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer, envisions a miraculous escape from execution at the hands of Union soldiers. Through searing detail and psychological depth, Ambrose Bierce crafts a haunting meditation on time, mortality, and the blurry line between perception and reality. A masterclass in twist endings and unreliable narration, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge remains a cornerstone of American short fiction.