Nightmare #161, February 2026

“The Ghost in Apartment 5K” by Everdeen Mason

“Rest Stop” by Pedro Iniguez

“Twelve Facts About the Dermestid Beetle” by Marisca Pichette

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

The title entity in “The Ghost in Apartment 5K” by Everdeen Mason is responsible for a pair of deaths during the renovation of the building in which she exists. She develops a relationship with a new tenant, ending in tragedy.

This tale of a haunting is most notable for the sensual, erotic nature of the ghost’s connection with the tenant. In other ways, it is a familiar example of a ghost story with a violent climax.

“Rest Stop” by Pedro Iniguez is a very brief tale in which a woman riding in a car being driven by an abusive partner discovers a mysterious abyss in a restroom. She must decide whether to return to her abuser or enter the unknown world of the abyss.

The author provides an afterword describing the story’s theme and symbolism. The work would be better appreciated without this explicit explanation of its meaning.

The narrator of “Twelve Facts About the Dermestid Beetle” by Marisca Pichette is obsessed with insects that devour the flesh of dead animals, from collecting them as a child to becoming an entomologist as an adult. After encountering a human corpse infested with them, the narrator develops a new relationship with the insects.

As the title makes clear, this story is structured as a list. This currently popular narrative technique adds little to a work most notable for its visceral descriptions.

Victoria Silverwolf went to see a covered bridge yesterday.