Nightmare“Every Atom Belonging to Me as Good Belongs to You” by Endria Isa Richardson
“Skitterdead” by Mel Kassel
“The Arm Ouroboros” by Adam-Troy Castro
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are three original stories in the 119th issue of Nightmare, including one flash story. Overall, it was an entertaining collection.
“Every Atom Belonging to Me as Good Belongs to You” by Endria Isa Richardson
Dana lives on the road with her stepson in this post-apocalypse SF short story. They are a linked pair as Dey, her stepson, is dependent on her in a way never seen before the Collapse. They have just come down from the Sierra mountains to find food.
Life out of the solitude of the mountains is dismal, though Dana hears of a sanctuary for linked pairs. But after encountering another linked pair, they return to the mountains hoping to find a better reality for themselves.
The author kept the story on the correct side of the mystery-confusion barrier, creating an account that required the reader to fathom the post-apocalyptic world themselves.
“Skitterdead” by Mel Kassel
In this flash horror fantasy, she dies angry. So angry that she attaches her ghost to a centipede. It is a period of adjustment for her as the many-legged insect is undergoing a period of stress itself.
The story’s prose was short and reflective of the skittering the protagonist felt.
“The Arm Ouroboros” by Adam-Troy Castro
His left hand is now like rubbery plastic in this horror short. He has no idea how this could have happened. But hitting it with a hammer proves that its consistency has changed, and it is no longer his flesh and blood.
After proving his right hand remains normal, he makes the mistake of letting his right index finger touch his alien left palm. The palm begins consuming his finger and then his hand, leaving him with the image of the legendary Ouroboros snake that eats its tail.
This snippet of a story was a curious offering.
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