House of Fear, M is for Monster and PULP! (Summer/Fall 2011) - Short Story Collections Progress Review Part 4

Here's a continuation of the reviews I'm doing of the books I won earlier this year via the #coffinhop and Kamvision review blog. I'm reviewing 3-4 stories of each book per blog post.

I've included website details of the writers where I could find them. I will also be posting the reviews on Goodreads (If you're one of the writers involved and I didn't link you, please let me know and I will).

With PULP! Now finished I will be adding Cthulhu Unbound to the next part. The book was kindly supplied by Kevin Lauderdale. The author of James and the Gentry (a story that appeared in PULP!)I can't wait to read it.

Part One, Part Two and Part Three

House of Fear:


Villanova by Paul Meloy

This story opened like many horror movies do all bright and happy but with something sinister lurking underneath. Ken takes his two girls on holiday. Steven a member of staff at the resort is charming, but in a clumsy way. There's something odd about him, but Ken isn't sure exactly what. As with any good horror story it steadily gets darker and has a decent pay off at the end.

Widow's Weeds by Christopher Priest

Christopher Priest is one of those writers I've heard a lot about, but haven't had a chance to read much of. I liked his casual and engaging style, and wouldn't mind reading more of his stuff in the future. Dennis is a lonely magician and finds what seems to be a perfect match through an internet dating site. She turns out to be all that he wanted and more, but as you've most probably guessed there's more to her than meets the eye. The story was maybe a bit too predictable, but somehow that was part of the charm.

The Doll's House by Jonathan Green

Having just finished reading the story it is the freshest in the my mind. The story builds up the tension quite nicely, maybe a little too dragged out, but a bit a shorter and it might have not worked as well. You could really feel the frustration of the main character as she goes through the day to day life of being a stay at home mum. It even made me feel anxious about my own washing and ironing.

M is for Monster


N by Simon Kurt Unsworth

If you love your noodles like I do you might want to skip this story, the ew factor is that great. I thought the dialogue in the piece was captivating, it really got me into the story and I read through it in one sitting. I know it's just a short story, but with modern day distractions it's so hard to stay focused on a single task. One of the highlights of the collection so far.

O by Jonathan Pinnock

With the title of the story and the choice of a cursed ring as the subject Jonathan was off to a flying start and kept it going to the end, there were a few hiccups, but overall well executed. The moral of the story being to take more notice of your surroundings, the people around you and not to shrug it off as irrelevant.

P by Ian Woodhead

Being a FB friend of Ian's I know he has a knack for this horror stuff and I wasn't disappointed. Julie's husband's new friend Mark gives her the creeps, the sort of guy you would expect behind a heavy breathing call, but somehow she is convinced to go out with them, ending up having a better time than she thought she would, but soon things turn for the worse. The end reminded me of Pater Jackson's Bad Taste.

PULP! Summer/Fall 2011


The Lone Rider by David P Fisher

Having not read many Western stories I'm not sure how this stacks up, but it was an enjoyable tale. Could have done with a bit more tension maybe, other than that the story was well structured and you get the sense that Brant Steele the Lone Rider in question wasn't someone you would want to mess with.

Stirrings in Hell by Davin Kimble

A lot of thought was put into this story, it felt like a story that could have easily been expanded into a novel, the characters were complex and the intricacies if their relationships worked well. Normally stories about hell bore me, or just have too much blood and guts, but this one had a human factor to it. It made something as vague as hell an interesting place.

Weep Not, Fair Freya by Robert Penson (another that seems to have no info online)

A ship has malfunctioned and travelled past the very end of the universe. It's just black all around them, but they are not alone. They all see the apparition, but none of them will admit it. It's interesting how the story unfolds and how they all crack one by one. I think a great choice for the last story in the book.

Forty Third Friday Flash: Lollipop

Thanks to @robi27 for editing and @indulgence_cafe for items, location and emotion suggestions(lollipop, giraffe, hacksaw, house and disbelief)

Ginny loved visiting her grandfather. He always had presents for her. Today he gave her a lollipop and a great big balloon with a giraffe on it.

“Thank you, Pappy!”

“Pleasure, my darling,” he said before he started coughing violently.

Ginny frowned. “Are you okay?”

“All good, my dear.”

“Okay,” she replied undoing the lollipop's wrapper and popping the multi-coloured candy into her mouth. It was a welcome distraction, she didn't want to think about how sick her grandfather was.

“Will you do me a favour, Ginny?”

“Anything for you, Pappy.”

“That's my girl,” he said handing her a hacksaw.

Ginny reluctantly took it, and held it at arm's length. Turning it over and looking at the serrated blade. “This is dangerous.”

“In the wrong hands yes, but you're a big girl.”

“What do you want me to do with it?” she asked, her spirits boosted by his confidence in her.

“See that cabinet over there? I want you to cut the lock off of it.”

Ginny took a step back, “But that would upset mummy.”

“Please sweetheart, just this once.” Her grandfather leaned forward in his bed, his big brown eyes filled with life. Sometimes he wasn't much better than the boys in her school. Always up to something naughty.

“I don't know.” Her mom could get awfully angry.

“After your mom throws me in that retirement home I will have no freedom at all.” He coughed again more violently this time.

Ginny sighed, “Okay.”

She went over to the cabinet and carefully began to work on the long necked lock, her grandfather putting his radio on full blast so it would disguise the noise. Ginny worked a little faster, her Pappy's music gave her a headache and she was worried her mom would come back from cleaning the kitchen at any moment.

Just when she thought her arm was going to catch fire from muscle burn she cut through the lock.

“Fantastic, my girl,” he said turning the radio down a bit. “Now bring the one with the three ships on it please.”

“Okay, Pappy.”

She carefully took it over, the bottle was heavy. With shaking hands he took it and placed it on his bedside cupboard.

“Can I try some, Pappy?” she asked as he opened the bottle.

They both froze as her mom barged into the room. “Will you put that infernal noise down?! Hey… wait! What is going on here? I can't leave you two alone for a minute!”

Ginny felt sad as she saw the light go out of her grandfather's eyes.

“I'm not a baby!”

“Sometimes I wonder! It's bad for you and you know it.” Her mother took hold of the bottle, but he wouldn't let go.

Ginny took a few paces back and reached in the cupboard for the other bottle she had seen, this one had a black label. Moving as quietly as she could, she placed the bottle in the bottom draw of the chest of draws next to the cabinet.

Her grandfather seeing what Ginny had done let go of the bottle. “Okay you win, you know best.”

“That's better.”

“Now give me a hug.”

Ginny smiled as her mom leaped at the chance, normally her grandfather hated hugs. “You know I'm only looking out for you right?”

“I know, I know,” he said winking at Ginny.

Ginny winked back.

Her mum turned to her, “Don't look so pleased with yourself, you're not off the hook yet.”

“Yes, mummy,” she said taking the lollipop out of her mouth.

Forty Second Friday Flash: 42

>Please read first<

** With this being my 42nd Friday Flash I thought I would play with the number 42. and being a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan and the fact I'm reading a biography about Douglas Adams it was an obvious course of action that only struck me last night. Please read the notes below. Hopefully the story works. I've rounded it to 420 words.

*** "In 1966, mathematician Paul Cooper theorized that the fastest, most efficient way to travel across continents would be to bore a straight hollow tube directly through the Earth, connecting a set of antipodes, evacuate it (remove the air), and then just fall through.[5] The first half of the journey consists of free-fall acceleration, while the second half consists of an exactly equal deceleration. The time for such a journey works out to be 42 minutes. Remarkably, even if the tube does not pass through the exact center of the Earth, the time for a journey powered entirely by gravity always works out to be 42 minutes, as long as the tube remains friction-free, as while gravity's force would be lessened, so would the distance traveled at an equal rate.[6][7] (The same idea was proposed, without calculation, by Lewis Carroll in 1893 in Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.[8])"

**** this story in no way reflects my political leanings or lack thereof.

***** If you have your 42nd story coming up I challenge you to use the 42 theme too


- 32 minutes from impact -

Gerald stared at the screen. His eyes were streaming. Why did he insist on going to the game? Maggie was on the other side the tube. People were running riot all around him. It would be a miracle if he reached the tube in time.

A man landed with a sickening splat a few feet away from him. Gerald jumped back, shook his head and ran on. Since the announcement that a giant meteor was headed for Earth 10 minutes ago the world had gone mad. The authorities said it was for their own good. They would have kept them totally in the dark, but some rogue insiders were going to leak the news and they beat them to it.

He had gotten on the phone instantly. Maggie was crying. He had done his best to calm her down.

The queue to the 42 wasn't as bad he thought it would be, but was it short enough? It was remarkable civilized most were.

Maggie was on the other end.

“Almost there my love,” he said.

“Me too,” she said. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“We won't be able to touch, but at least we will be a little closer.”

“You think of everything my dearest.”

“I try,” he said, forlornly looking up at the moon. It was no wonder the world leaders had convened an urgent meeting there. I bet they weren't laughing at Newt Gingrich's plan for a permanent moon base now. Although with the Earth gone or whacked out of orbit it might send the Moon off on a collision course with something else.

- 22 minutes to go -

“I'm in position,” she said.

“Me too, on my count, 3...2...1... go.”

Gerald pressed the big red button in his little lifepod. Even though he had chosen the course because of his love for Maggie, a part of him was hoping being near the Earth's core when the meteor struck would protect them from the worst of it. Most of all he hoped it wouldn't lead to an even more painful death.

The connection through their cellphones was awfully fuzzy. He listened as Maggie recited one of her favourite poems off by heart. He didn't mind, he loved her voice and he knew it would help keep her calm.

- 15 seconds to go -

“I... I love you,” she said, her voice cracking.

“I love you too, my dear.”

Forty First Friday Flash: Twinkles

*All feedback is welcome. #stabbylove

Marisa sat in her back garden sipping on a cocktail, it was only 11am, but it was her weekend off and she would do what she damn well pleased. It was so relaxing to sit back and do nothing. The peace and quiet was soon shattered when a large statue of a man appeared a dozen or more feet above her lawn and dropped down with a ground shaking thud.

“My lawn!” she cried out. She had spent the previous weekend getting the garden into shape.

Twinkles who had been sleeping by her feet woke up with a start and barked at the statue.

Looking up she saw no helicopter or any other reason for the statue's sudden appearance.

Shaken and her heart pounding, she picked up her hairbrush and moved in closer. There was heat radiating from the statue, it felt as hot or even more so than one of her sunbed tanning sessions.

There was no inscription on the statue, and it didn't look like any historical figure she could remember.

“Shh Twinkles!”

Marisa leaned over and touched the statue. “Ouch!” She put her finger in her mouth, easing the pain a bit. It tasted like burnt metal.

Taking out her phone she took a photo and uploaded it to her feed. “Statue just landed in my yard?!? Lucky to be alive!”

Marisa went inside, she would give the local police station a call, but she was sidetracked when she saw there was a breaking news report on the TV. She turned up the volume.

“We are getting reports of statues falling down all over the country, no wait,” the reporter placed her hand to her ear. “It's worldwide. It's happening everywhere.”

Marisa couldn't help but feel some of the fear in the reporter's voice. Reaching for her phone she checked other people's feeds, it was full of photos and people trying to find out what was going on. Some seeming to go crazy, thinking it was the end of world. Marisa was frightened, but she wasn't going to let it get the better of her. Not yet.

Twinkles came running in, Marisa picked up the dog and stroked the shivering little body. The dog gave her some comfort, like she had many time before, through breakups, family passing and friends leaving. She had always been there to provide her some warmth and companionship.

The TV caught her attention again. “This is serious people, we have reports and video footage of the statues coming alive, hold on, yes, okay, yes they are not friendly. I repeat they are not friendly.”

Marisa froze, and turned her head slowly to look through her glass sliding door. The statue was gone. Marisa placed Twinkles on the floor.

“Run girl, run.”

Twinkles just sat down and moaned.

Marisa took up her bottle of vodka and took a good swig. A moment later the statue came crashing through her house, instinct kicked in and she dived away just in time.

Getting shakily to her feet she threw the bottle she still had in her hand at the statue, it smashed on its face, but seemed to have very little effect.

“What the hell do you want?”

The statue did not reply. It moved closer towards her.

Twinkles barked at the door, Marisa rushed over scooped her up, grabbed her keys and ran out the front door. She hopped in and placed Twinkles on the passenger seat and tried to start the car. It wouldn't work. She could hear screams and shouts coming from her neighbours. The statue burst out the front of her house.

“Oh crap! Come on, start! I just serviced you last week!”

Her car finally started, without looking she rammed it into reverse and sped backwards. There was a massive impact, she had smashed into one of the statues. Twinkles squealed and hid in the back. She looked in the rear mirror as it regained its balance.

The statue from her garden came striding forward and kicked the car, caving in the back door and making the car spin around a few times. Her head smacked against the side window rather forcefully, cracking it in the process. She did her best not to look at the blood that was splattered everywhere. Marisa groaned, and opened the car door to flop down onto the road.

Twinkles jumped out of the car, barked and licked her face. Marisa tried to crawl away, but there was just too much pain. Twinkles pulled at her shirt.

“Get away you silly dog, save yourself.”

Twinkles ignored her and pulled harder.

"Now Twinkles! Go!"

Twinkles seemed to look at her directly in the eyes and then gave one last lick before running away. Blood pouring out of the side of her mouth Marisa smiled, at least Twinkles would be safe.

Fortieth Friday Flash: Nessie (Revised Version)

*****
With comments on the story from @LouiseBroadBent and @Grahamza I thought it would be best to alter my Friday Flash a bit. Luckily I haden't posted my story into the collector so thought I would do a new blog post and keep the old one.

Mostly the ending has changed. If you feel so inclined please let me know if it's an improvement over the previous version.
*****


Caleb brushed his teeth vigorously, he wanted to get rid of his stupid spicy sausage breath. He loved his mum's cooking, but it played havoc on his personal hygiene.

The doorbell rang.

“I'll get it!” he shouted and ran down the stairs. He pulled his clothes straight and flattened his hair before snatching the door open. He smiled, it was Emily, she was all eyes and raven black hair.

Without saying a word Emily reached out and wiped away the toothpaste from his chin.

Blushing, he looked down.

His toothbrush was snatched from his hand. Caleb span around, it was his mum.

“Have him back by 6pm.”

“Mom! I'm 9 years old! Can't I stay out longer?”

“No, it's going to get dark early, and I'm sure your nanny needs to study for her exams.”

“Yes, I do,” said Emily “Enjoy your book club.”

Emily took his hand and they strolled down the hill towards the loch. He enjoyed spending time with her, all his friends thought girls were icky, but Emily was different, she was a woman.

“Are we going to that coffee shop again? I don't like it there, the music is always so annoying.”

“Not this time, Mr. Darcy has agreed to let us ride with him on his boat for a couple of hours.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yes, as long as we don't get in his way.”

“You're the best.”

“Just don't tell your mum, okay?”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Good.”

They were about halfway down to the loch.

“Emily?”

“Yes?”

“One day when I'm older and rich with money coming out of my ears, will you, um, will you marry me?”

She laughed. He would say anything to make her laugh. “You're a sweet kid, you should enjoy your youth, you don't want to shackle yourself too early on.”

“Nah, being young sucks, always people telling you what to do.”

She ruffled his hair. “Believe me kid, things don't change.”

“It will be different for me.”

“Maybe so, but come along, Mr. Darcy will be waiting.”

Sure enough the old man shouted at them as soon as he spotted them. “Come on, come on! Nessie will eat all the fish if we don't hurry!”

Several minutes later they were out on the water, Caleb and Emily looking out onto the water while Mr. Darcy set up his fishing rods.

“Remember to keep away from the water,” said Mr. Darcy. “Nessie has been very active lately.”

“You don't really believe do you?” asked Emily.

“You would be foolish not to, I have spotted the beast many times, never a clear good look, but its there alright.”

“I hope we see it!” said Caleb.

After a few minutes Emily sat back and opened up one of her books. They weren't supposed to be out on the water, his mum hated the water, and Mr. Darcy complained about any noise he made, but he didn't really care, he loved it.

Bored, he took a piece of paper from Emily's bag and made a paper airplane, once satisfied with all the folds and flaps he threw it into the air. It twirled around and then hovered dangerously near the edge.

“Emily! My plane!”

Startled, she leaped up, her book went flying.

“No!” shouted Emily jumping after the book, and over the edge.

“Emily!”

Caleb moved her to grab her, but his fingers just brushed her jacket. She went into the water with a splash. She emerged out of the water a few moments later, gasping for air.

“We must get her out of the water quick!” shouted Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy reached down for Emily's hand. Caleb spotted something big moving in the water. Then Emily screamed and got pulled back into the water just as Mr. Darcy got a hold of her hand. Mr. Darcy almost followed her in.

Caleb reached down to help. “Hold on Emily!”

She seemed to be in too much pain to answer. They yanked back and forth a few times, but the beast would not let go. The beast's movements were getting more and more savage until they were all pulled off the boat. Caleb let go in the confusion. Luckily he had learned to swim the year before. He made his way to the surface and caught a hold of the side of the boat.

Mr. Darcy was just going back in, he seemed to have a knife in his hand and he was going after the beast and Emily. Caleb pulled himself into the boat and went to the controls. Luckily it started again at one turn. Breathing heavily he waited until he spotted movement in the water.

He eased the boat in closer, the controls not much different to video games he had played. After what seemed like ages Emily and then moments later Mr. Darcy burst up to the surface.

Caleb helped them on board. Emily's legs were bleeding badly and Mr. Darcy's had a nasty cut to his head.

“I'm so happy you're safe!” he said rushing over and giving Emily a hug.

“Me too,” she said between sobs.

“Get us to the shore Caleb! Fast!”

Caleb did as he was told. Phoning the emergency services from his cellphone as he guided the boat. Even though he was so scared, his mind was clear and he was going to do what he had to do to make sure both of them were okay.

Fortieth Friday Flash: Nessie

Image Source

Caleb brushed his teeth vigorously, he wanted to get rid of his stupid spicy sausage breath. He loved his mum's cooking, but it played havoc on his personal hygiene.

The doorbell rang.

“I'll get it!” he shouted and ran down the stairs. He pulled his clothes straight and flattened his hair before snatching the door open. He smiled, it was Emily, she was all eyes and raven black hair.

Without saying a word Emily reached out and wiped away the toothpaste from his chin.

Blushing, he looked down.

His toothbrush was snatched from his hand. Caleb span around, it was his mum.

“Have him back by 6pm.”

“Mom! I'm 9 years old! Can't I stay out longer?”

“No, it's going to get dark early, and I'm sure your nanny needs to study for her exams.”

“Yes, I do,” said Emily

Emily took his hand and they strolled down the hill towards the lake. He enjoyed spending time with her, all his friends thought girls were icky, but Emily was different, she was a woman.

“Emily?”

“Yes?”

“One day when I'm older and rich with money coming out of my ears, will you, um, will you marry me?”

She laughed. He would say anything to make her laugh. “You're a sweet kid, you should enjoy your youth, you don't want to shackle yourself too early on.”

“Nah, being young sucks, always people telling you what to do.”

She ruffled his hair. “Believe me kid, things don't change.”

“It will be different for me.”

“Maybe so, but come along, Mr. Darcy will be waiting.”

Sure enough the old man shouted at them as soon as he spotted them. “Come on, come on! Nessie will eat all the fish if we don't hurry!”

Several minutes later they were out on the water, Caleb and Emily looking out onto the water while Mr. Darcy set up his fishing rods.

After a few minutes Emily sat back and opened up one of her books. They weren't supposed to be out on the water, his mum hated the water, and Mr. Darcy complained about any noise he made, but he didn't really care, he loved it.

Bored, he took a piece of paper from Emily's bag and made a paper airplane, once satisfied with all the folds and flaps he threw it into the air. It twirled around and then hovered dangerously near the edge.

“Emily! My plane!”

Startled, she leaped up, her book went flying.

“No!” shouted Emily jumping after the book, and over the edge.

“Emily!”

Caleb moved her to grab her, but his fingers just brushed her jacket. She went into the water with a splash. She emerged out of the water a few moments later, gasping for air.

“We must get her out of the water quick!” shouted Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy reached down for Emily's hand. Caleb spotted something big moving in the water. Then Emily screamed, and disappeared into the water. Her large eyes quivering in horror, eyes Caleb would never forget.

“I must save her!”

“I'm sorry lad,” said Mr. Darcy holding him back. “No one can help her now.”

Caleb fell to the floor of the boat, and clutched the side, his arms trembling in shock. His paper plane floated past.