Nightmare“Synchronous Online” by Shannon Scott
“Where the Heather Grows” by Shaoni C. White
“√i” by Martin Cahill
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are three original stories in the 115th issue of Nightmare, including one flash story. Overall, it was an entertaining collection.
“Synchronous Online” by Shannon Scott
The professor is teaching this semester via video call boxes in this short horror story. Each student gives one or more performances, where there are no rules except each student’s grade is assigned by the other students.
At first, the presentations are informative or personally revealing. However, few can say who’s telling the truth. But each student tries to one-up the previous ones, and by the midterm, the presentations turn graphic, macabre, or even illegal. The only participant who doesn’t have to present is the professor, or does he?
Though the ending had a twist, the story’s overall direction was predictable and the horror muted.
“Where the Heather Grows” by Shaoni C. White
In this horror short, Clara hears running water in her nightmares, and she does everything to avoid its sound. Something in her recent past wants to get at her, something to do with water. But she has pushed the memory away, knowing it would steal her away if it came back.
But try as she might, the sound of running water keeps flowing into her mind. The memory is something about a sister and where the heather grows.
The plot had similarities to Grimm’s tale of the singing bone.
“√i” by Martin Cahill
Noise attracts the darkness which comes during the day to steal your mind in this flash horror story. When the alarm sounds, the schoolkids know to move away from the window as the shade grows. But the new kid doesn’t know the safety drill, making too much noise by the window, then his mind is gone. The savvy kids follow the teacher out to the hall and wait for the darkness to go. But that new kid is stumbling about mindlessly while making enough noise to bring the darkness closer.
Don’t read this story unless you’re prepared to have your soul chilled with just a few words.
You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com