Horrors – A Full Year of Horror #36

Horrors! 365 Scary Stories – A Full Year of Horror

09/09/2017 – 09/15/2017

The horror short-short isn’t easy to master, but more than 100 of the genre’s critically acclaimed authors & hottest up-&-comers have taken a stab at it in Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, an anthology that contains a short tale for every day of the year. Steve Rasnic Tem, Wm F. Nolan, Tom Piccirilli, Yvonne Navarro, Peter Atkins, Brian Hodge, Martin Mundt & 166 others give you short, sharp shocks.

If you missed the first post you can find it here.

Counting down the days to Halloween? I know I am! So why not relax with some good old creepy stories while we’re passing the time?

Revival Meeting at the Breakfast Bar – Gary Jones

Synopsis:
It’s been so long since the poor old woman has had anything to eat. Seeing a church-sponsored breakfast buffet she sits down with some very nice young men. When she leaves she’s not hungry anymore and the nice old men at the table are done with their breakfast. And so is she.

Review:
I really liked the subtlety of this story. It happens so gradually that at first you don’t even realize what’s going on.

The Riddle of the Sphinx – Brian Stableford

Synopsis:
A homeless man has struck it rich, won the lottery! But he doesn’t know exactly what to do with himself now. Or, maybe he’s been planning for some time.

Review:
I really liked this story. It certainly took a turn for the bizarre that I wasn’t expecting. I do have one question though. It makes me wonder if he’s going to stay married to his mother.

Road Story – Benjamin Adams

Synopsis:
A couple are on a road trip and caught in a storm. Mona is worried about a serial killer and an impending storm. As the storm gets more fierce they take an ‘Exit’ ramp to wait it out. The state trooper who pulls up behind them just wants to help.

Review:
Ok. I’m going to ruin this one. Skip ahead to the next one if you don’t want to see. I liked the twist of Harry being the serial killer but I cannot buy him taking down the trooper. The trooper is already suspicious, sees that Mona is dead but yet an unarmed Harry is able to take down an armed cop. Ok, enough grousing, on to the next one.

The Robe – Phyllis Eisenstein

Synopsis:
Alison buys a robe at a secondhand store, the cashier whispers to her that someone was murdered in it. Strangled to death. It doesn’t bother Alison at all and the robe quickly becomes her favorite. But the robe has ways of keeping itself nice and clean.

Review:
More killer clothing. It seems to be a small sub-genre but a popular one. Probably because clothing is your most intimate possession.

Romance for Violin and Knife, Op. 1 – Trey R. Barker

Synopsis:
Carmine wants to be a world famous violinist but he just doesn’t have it in him. But Ana does.

Review:
This is an old theme but one I love. It’s creepy but true. I love stories of instruments made from people. For a good movie check out The Red Violin. They always seem to be stringed instruments, don’t they?

Romany – Janet Berliner

Synopsis:
J.J. gets his fortune read by ‘Romany’. She sees pain and blood and death. But is it for him or for her?

Review:
A good story if a little stereotypical.

Romeo and Juliet – Jessica Amanda Salmonson

Synopsis:
Romeo and Juliet each keep just missing the other until finally, accidentally each tasting virgin blood they become vampires and are finally together forever. Happy ending?

Review:
I loved this story. It was a bit gory but hilarious. I would probably pay to see a short movie done of this story. And, since I’m a persnickety little bookworm, I do have to point out that Romeo and Juliet did spend their wedding night together so I don’t think they’re virgins.

Favorite of the Week:
Romeo and Juliet by Jessica Amanda Salmonson definitely takes the cake. It was hilarious. Romance for Violin and Knife by Trey R. Barker is a close second. I always love stories with a bit of ‘The Twa Sisters’ theme to it.

Join us again next week for more creepy concoctions!