Nightmare“Sharp Things, Killing Things” by A.C. Wise
“Tiny Little Wounds” by Carlie St. George
“The Ghost Eaters” by Spencer Ellsworth
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are three original stories in the 121st issue of Nightmare, including one flash story. Overall, it was an entertaining collection.
“Sharp Things, Killing Things” by A.C. Wise
In this short horror story, four high school boys live in a dead-end town near a lake that freezes each winter. With nothing much to do except get high and find trouble, the boys visit an abandoned steel factory to find any unbroken windows. Instead, they see a new disturbing billboard that hearkens back seventy years.
It gets them thinking about their lives and what they may have done. Boys can be cruel, even to those they like, and they can be especially callous to those who are different. And so their memory swirls as they half remember what they did on the frozen lake to a boy who was too pretty for them.
This haunting story was hard to put down as it hid its message in many mysterious layers.
“Tiny Little Wounds” by Carlie St. George
There are always scabs, pimples, and other blemishes to pick at in this flash tale of horror. The exorcist can only do so much, so it’s up to each person to get their own ghosts out. But no matter how much they pick and scratch, there are always more scabs to scrape away.
The story snippet laid the foundation for understanding obsessive behavior.
“The Ghost Eaters” by Spencer Ellsworth
Barley died a half-century ago in this short horror tale. Still, he guarded the house for his long-absent master, barking at anyone coming by, even if they couldn’t hear him. Barley still ignores the moving-on dog when the house starts falling apart and people stop visiting. After all, it was his duty to guard this house.
Then the undead dogs threaten to eat him. This area has fallen into decay, and they are here to clean up. Barley’s only ally was a homeless man with an addled brain who could see him. But Barley couldn’t leave his master’s house unguarded, could he?
This charming story turned ghosts and zombies upside down, creating a character-driven story that the reader couldn’t put aside.
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