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Stone
A Short Horror Story
Katie Weeks was tired. Not the too much partying and cramming tired like college or the weeks of irreverently getting to know Ben again tired after he returned from Afghanistan. More the drooling in front of the TV tired and can’t remember the last ten miles of highway tired and has no idea what the black stuff in the pot was before it set off the smoke detector tired. She’d started to enjoy the detached feeling like the slow sleepy sex Ben would wake her for when getting used to being home left him needing something he couldn’t put in to words in the middle of the night.
She couldn’t remember the last time she slept. It was more like she blacked out. Ben had left her nearly three weeks before. He’d said he loved her and wanted to help but he needed someone stable so he was going to stay with his brother. Katie remembered him telling her he would wake to find the door wide open and her gone or she’d be pacing around the house muttering one disgusting thing after another. The last straw had been when he’d woken to find her naked crouched next to him on the bed shrieking and trying to hold her ears on her head.
At first Katie had tried seduction to keep him. Ben went to bed with her but within hours she’d resorted to tears to try and hold him and he’d walked out anyway. By the time his car had left the driveway she’d forgotten why she was crying and hadn’t returned his calls since.
The stone had taken his place.
Katie Weeks was tired. Not the too much partying and cramming tired like college or the weeks of irreverently getting to know Ben again tired after he returned from Afghanistan. More the drooling in front of the TV tired and can’t remember the last ten miles of highway tired and has no idea what the black stuff in the pot was before it set off the smoke detector tired. She’d started to enjoy the detached feeling like the slow sleepy sex Ben would wake her for when getting used to being home left him needing something he couldn’t put in to words in the middle of the night.
She couldn’t remember the last time she slept. It was more like she blacked out. Ben had left her nearly three weeks before. He’d said he loved her and wanted to help but he needed someone stable so he was going to stay with his brother. Katie remembered him telling her he would wake to find the door wide open and her gone or she’d be pacing around the house muttering one disgusting thing after another. The last straw had been when he’d woken to find her naked crouched next to him on the bed shrieking and trying to hold her ears on her head.
At first Katie had tried seduction to keep him. Ben went to bed with her but within hours she’d resorted to tears to try and hold him and he’d walked out anyway. By the time his car had left the driveway she’d forgotten why she was crying and hadn’t returned his calls since.
The stone had taken his place.
Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2012
15 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Munro
19 books239 followersElizabeth Munro lives in the rainforest on Vancouver Island, Canada with her husband and kids. She has published six books, the three volume Chronicles of Anna, a contemporary time travel/reincarnation fantasy, Wingspan and Skyfall, gryphon shifter romances and her science fiction romance Constant.
She’s a recent fan of Aussie spec fiction and loves finding unusual stories set in common places. And watches too much true crime on TV. She used to ride a crotch rocket, silver with blue flames, a sweet ride. Her summer writing den has a view of the mountain in the background of the train scene in the new Godzilla movie. So far no rumours the view has affected her writing. She has several novels in the works, stay tuned.
She’s a recent fan of Aussie spec fiction and loves finding unusual stories set in common places. And watches too much true crime on TV. She used to ride a crotch rocket, silver with blue flames, a sweet ride. Her summer writing den has a view of the mountain in the background of the train scene in the new Godzilla movie. So far no rumours the view has affected her writing. She has several novels in the works, stay tuned.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 1, 2017
The premise is quite interesting, novel even. Shows author ability in creating unique arc.
The issue for me (in this particular piece) was the disjointed conveyance. While I believe some was author intent to relay Katie's mind state, it really made some of the reading difficult to bear when was whole book as such. There were no clarity moments (or past flashes via narrator) to lend any contrast to character so that reader had SOME answers related to the plot device and reasons for things transpiring. It, quite literally, was like stepping into a stream of consciousness narration of one in midst of insanity. And while interesting snapshot, it left this reader waiting and wanting anything of clarity to pop in. Did not happen for me.
Also, while the events transpiring were described and gory, due to the mental illness feel (to this reader) I did not find the tale any more "horror" filled than the news events relay on a daily basis. The ending was really a non ending which I tend to disfavor overall.
As this piece was so disjointed, I had a hard time determining if the numerous errors were editing misses or author intent. I reduced one star overall as there were just too many in such short work for me to fully lay issue with voice of character since it was not first person.
I will say, I found the premise interesting enough and strong enough that I did purchase a full length that sounded interesting to me. I just did not really enjoy this particular short due to items cited. I believe the author certainly shows creative promise.
Christine
The issue for me (in this particular piece) was the disjointed conveyance. While I believe some was author intent to relay Katie's mind state, it really made some of the reading difficult to bear when was whole book as such. There were no clarity moments (or past flashes via narrator) to lend any contrast to character so that reader had SOME answers related to the plot device and reasons for things transpiring. It, quite literally, was like stepping into a stream of consciousness narration of one in midst of insanity. And while interesting snapshot, it left this reader waiting and wanting anything of clarity to pop in. Did not happen for me.
Also, while the events transpiring were described and gory, due to the mental illness feel (to this reader) I did not find the tale any more "horror" filled than the news events relay on a daily basis. The ending was really a non ending which I tend to disfavor overall.
As this piece was so disjointed, I had a hard time determining if the numerous errors were editing misses or author intent. I reduced one star overall as there were just too many in such short work for me to fully lay issue with voice of character since it was not first person.
I will say, I found the premise interesting enough and strong enough that I did purchase a full length that sounded interesting to me. I just did not really enjoy this particular short due to items cited. I believe the author certainly shows creative promise.
Christine
July 30, 2017
Three out of five stars - an interesting read. Watch for my full review coming soon in Books & Quills Magazine.
http://booksandquillsmag.com/author/c...
http://booksandquillsmag.com/author/c...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews