anthology

Nightmares at the Asylum

/ Winona Morris / Leave a comment

Nightmares at the Asylum by Andy Holberry and D.L. Garvin is a gruesome collaboration from two captivating storytellers.

As the title might lead you to believe, this collection takes place at an asylum. We have two men, one new to the place, and one who has worked there a while. The new arrival is getting a tour from the old hand and getting to learn a little about the best, or worst, of the asylums patients.

Richard Walden: The Painter

Richard is a struggling artist. He can’t quite keep up with the best of the best, largely do to an art critic with a lot of pull. In a drunken rage he accidentally creates his most astounding work of art yet, and spends the rest of his story trying to chase down that perfection again, no matter what the cost.

Austin Wilcox: The Sniper

Serving one tour too many, Austin Wilcox suffers a loss that causes his sanity not just to slip, but to collapse on itself. Safe and sound, but thinking he’s still surrounded by the enemy, we get to see what kind of damage a highly trained sniper can do in a civilian area.

Mary Smith: The Teacher

Being forced into a nature trip with a misogynistic coworker and students that she didn’t really want to give up her precious free time for, Mary finds herself being the only “responsible adult” left standing after a freak accident. Unfortunately for her the kids don’t want her around as much as she doesn’t want to be there. Their attempt to create some adult free time has dire consequences all around.

Marcus: The Scoutmaster

Marcus, a seasons scoutmaster has chosen a handful of scouts to join him and Scoutmaster Scott on a yearly camping trip. This one isn’t going to be a walk in the park though, it is all about basic survival. When the scouts want to whine and complain more than camp and hike, something in Marcus frays then snaps completely.

Randal Clarke: The Clown

Randal dons his grease paint one last time. He had been a clown for 30 years, but the job was getting harder every day. Laughter didn’t come easily, but disrespect did. He has a few new tricks up his sleeve though, and goes out one last time knowing that if he can’t make them laugh, he can at least make them scream.

Margaret: The Nurse

Margaret never wanted anything other than to be a nurse. She did everything possible in her life to make sure her dream came true. It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it, and she was good at what she did. Then God spoke to her, and told her how she could be even better….

Alistair Monroe: The Mortician

Alistair is having a little trouble at home. His wife and children just don’t give him the respect he deserves. When his job leads him to meet a family much more to his expectations, he decides to take a much deserved vacation. Surely he’d get it right this time around.

Amy: The Housewife

Amy and Ezera were destined to be together from the beginning. Highschool sweethearts, they had the perfect marriage for 30 years. Sure, there were bumps along the road, but they always made it work. They had the kind of marriage that made other’s jealous. Until one tragedy led to one transgression that led to the ultimate housewife crashout.

Thomas: The Student

Thomas is a good kid. A smart kid. A bullied kid. And like all the quite smart kids that get bullied, he eventually decides enough is too much, and fights back, the best way he knows how. The aftermath exceeded even his own

Marco Anderson: The Chef

Marco is the ultimate foodie. He dedicated his entire life to world travel, chasing the PERFECT taste. There is nothing, vegetable, animal or otherwise, that he won’t try at least once. When he gets a once in a lifetime chance to dine with an isolated tribe he discovers the taste he has been looking for all these years, and will do ANYTHING to get his hands on it again.

Marvin: The Hypnotist

Marvin has an impressive ability, and a great distaste for everyone who isn’t him. Then a news report turns him on to unique opportunity perfect for his particular…skillset.

And that brings us full circle, back to two men touring a facility. And one of them is not who he claims to be. But which one is it? And who is he really?

A Dark and Dreary Review

/ Winona Morris / 1 Comment

There’s just something about basements (and attics) that makes them feel inherently haunted. Maybe it’s the darkness, the damp and dusty corners, or the sense of being tucked beneath the world, closer to whatever might crawl up from below. Whatever the reason, they’re perfect settings for horror.

Dark and Dreary: A Basement Horror Anthology, edited by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar, taps into that collective dread with 20 basement-centered tales. Each story is written by a different author with their own distinct voice, giving readers a wide range of reasons to fear what lurks beneath the floorboards.

My absolute favorite entry is “It Whispers From the Void” by Kathleen Palm. An exhausted wife and mother discovers a black spot on her basement floor that only she can see. It grows larger every day, and strange creatures, again visible only to her, crawl out and cling to her, draining what little energy she has left. The horror here is quietly devastating. Its depiction of burnout and depression is painfully real, making the supernatural elements hit even harder.

A few other standouts for me:

  • “Your First Night in Hell’s Kitchen” by Besu Tadesse
    A young up-and-coming cook learns the disturbing truth behind the restaurant’s secret ingredient.
  • “Every Piece Up and Up” by Caleb Jones
    A man watches his entire home, except the basement, vanish into the sky, leaving him alone with the dread of whatever will return for the rest.
  • “Dust” by Elizabeth S. Devecchi
    A casual fling becomes dangerously interested in what a young woman keeps hidden in her basement, unearthing all of her family’s darkest secrets.
  • “Make a Wish” by Kat Gutterman
    A family discovers a wishing well in their basement that grants their desires, at a price no one is prepared to pay.

It took me a little while to finish the anthology, but that’s on me, not the stories. I genuinely enjoyed every one of them. Five full stars from me.

Dark and Dreary: A Basement Horror Anthology is availabe on Amazon on kindle, including Kindle Unlimited, and in Paperback. And remember, you don’t have to have a kindle to read kindle books. The Kindle App is FREE and available for most devices.

And if reading this leaves you wondering whether your basement might be haunted, don’t miss How To Tell If Your Basement Is Haunted and Other Matters by Nora B. Peevy. It walks you through the steps of determining whether you’re experiencing something supernatural… or just battling your fear of dark and dreary places.