What Gets Left Behind

by Mark West

In 1981, Gaffney was terrorised by The Rainy Day Abductor. Local girls went missing and two boys made a terrifying discovery.

Now one of them has come home, to try and lay the past to rest.


"Very strong writing and with a nice evocation of time and place. West conjures the sense of a particular era with skill and the horrors he finds there are universal."
- Gary McMahon, author of “Silent Voices” and “Dead Bad Things”

"Mark West has a knack for making the bonds that bind friends and family tangible and very real. In "What Gets Left Behind" those bonds reach forward from the past to ensnare Mike and draw him back to a place he never wanted to visit again..."
- Ian Whates, author of The Noise Within

Genres: Horror

28 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Mark West was born in Northamptonshire in 1969. Writing stories since the age of eight, he discovered the small press in 1999 and since then, he’s published more than 90 stories in various publications around the world.

The Book Folks published his debut mainstream thriller DON’T GO BACK in February 2022. It was followed by WATCHING OVER YOU, THE HUNTER'S QUARRY, STILL WATERS RUN, A KILLER AMONGST US and WE WERE SEEN. His latest, TO SEE TOO MUCH, was published in November 2024. He is currently working on his next thriller novel.

His other works include:

Collections: “Strange Tales” (2003) and “Things We Leave Behind” (2017)

Horror Novels: “In The Rain With The Dead” (2005) and “Conjure” (2009)

Horror Chapbooks/Novelettes: “The Mill” (2011), “What Gets Left Behind” (2012), “The Goblin Glass” (2019) and “Mr Stix” (2019)

Horror Novellas: The Lost Film” (2015), “The Factory” (2016) and “The Exercise” (2021).

Dark Thriller Novellas: “Drive” (2014) and “Polly” (2017)

“Anatomy Of Death” (2013) was a Hersham Horror Books anthology edited by West.


Mark lives in Rothwell, with his wife Alison and their son, Matthew, where he is currently working on a new novel. He can be contacted via his website at www.markwest.org.uk

Reviews

[James Everington · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Gets Left Behind by Mark West is a newly released chapbook from Spectral Press. This is the third West story I've read and possibly the best, although on an even-numbered day I might give that accolade to The Mill - a novella which has some similarities to What Gets Left Behind.

The story is partially set in the 80s and partially in the present; the central character Mike Bergen has returned to the town where he spent his childhood, during which time a serial killer stalked local girls. West's evocation of the 80s is note perfect - not just in the period details like Star Wars t-shirts and Noel Edmonds (and excitingly for this reader East Midlands Today!) but in the recreation of a time when no one had mobile phones and kids played outside at "the Rec" because there was nothing else to do. West is a more realistic writer than someone like Ramsey Campbell (whose realism is shot through with subjectivity) and there is a simplicity and clarity to his prose that's probably hard won. It certainly fits this story.

Like The Mill, What Gets Left Behind's core is as much emotional as horrific; although the horror, when it comes, is gripping and effective. I particularly liked the switches between the two time-frames, a device which reminded me of Stephen King's IT. The sense of history repeating itself, of the past not being over but haunting Mike's present is excellently done.

These chapbooks from Spectral Press always sell out and based on this kind of quality, I can see why.

[Gef · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may not have grown up in England in the 80s, but I very well could have from reading this latest chapbook from Spectral Press. Growing up in rural Nova Scotia during that decade, the last decade really before the information age found its footing, killers and predators were like urban legends: they existed on the six o'clock news and to hear there was one locally was like discovering there was a Sasquatch in the backyard. There is a sense of that in Mark West's What Gets Left Behind, as two young boys revel in the idea of a serial killer lurking in their hometown, yet still venture outside in parks and back lots for their own adventures.

The atmosphere of early 80s, small town Britain is captured about as crisply as one could ask for. Despite a few mentions of local trivia, this Canadian was able to get swept right up in the tale.

While the story begins in present day, its heart lies in 1981, when a serial killer called the Rainy Day Abductor stalked the town of Gaffney. Mike and his best friend, Geoff, are undaunted by this threat, since the killer seems to focus on young women, and only when it rains. Following a downpour, the boys are sent outside to play--a near foreign concept in present day--and run afoul of their schoolyard bully. In a dash for their lives, they hole up in an abandoned building only to discover they are not alone.

The first act of the story took a little bit in getting off the ground, but it did create an immersive backdrop and really took off once the story delved back to the fateful day in Mike's childhood. Perhaps nostalgia was the flypaper to my buzzing imagination, but whatever the case I was hooked by this story, as my memories of gallivanting through the woods with friends flooded back. The boyish mix of naivety and intrepidness came through with remarkable clarity, to the point that it rivals any Stephen King yarn like The Body.

If you can get your hands on this one, I wholly recommend it. As for me, I'll be keeping my eyes open for more Mark West stories.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two friends on the run from local bullies make a terrible discovery in a warehouse they have chosen for sanctuary. Only one of them will emerge from the experience and returns years later to remember the friend who fell foul of the horrifying events of that day. Yet it is not just memories that will rise up from the depths of the past …

In What Gets Left Behind Mark West uses the evocative tenets of nostalgia and grief to weave a ‘coming of age’ tale that throbs with regret. The writing has a smooth sheen and the reader glides through the narrative with ease. However one is never quite certain where this journey will lead, let alone end. What starts out as a joyful ride of erudite and evocative description gradually takes on a brooding and sinister tone as the story moves into its last act.

West crams many elements into the twenty-eight pages or so making up this limited edition chapbook from Spectral Press, yet this serves to enhance rather than overwhelm. The copy I received was a reviewer’s copy and contained a few pre-edited typos/grammatical errors but this did not detract from what is, beyond doubt, a subtle - yet powerful - tale of lost innocence and retribution.

[Ross Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime pacing that ratchets up the tension and creepiness to unbearable levels. May be the best spectral chapbook yet, and with the quality of previous instalments that is really saying something. A tough act to follow.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Mark West’s novelette, The Mill, last year and I was impressed by the author’s skill when it came to effectively conveying a sense of loss in his writing. What Gets Left Behind treads similar ground to The Mill, but rather than focusing on family this story is all about the bonds of friendship.

West is part of a small group of authors that I’ve come across who are particularly gifted when it comes to capturing the sights and sounds of childhood. Part of the narrative is set in the early 1980′s and West’s writing certainly raises a knowing smile when he describes the boredom of a rainy afternoon when you were stuck indoors during the summer holidays.

The other half of the tale plays out in the present day. The stories main protagonist, Mike Bergen, has spent many years trying to reconcile a horrific event from his childhood. He has purposefully stayed away from the town where he grew up. Circumstances draw him home and he is forced to confront what he has been running from for so long.

This story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and I rather like the idea that the reader can draw his or her own conclusions from the events that occur. Mike may be experiencing a supernatural event, or may be finally facing up to a life wracked with guilt, either premise brings it’s own unique sense of horror.

Spectral Press was recently short-listed at the British Fantasy Society Awards. By continuing to produce short fiction of this quality I reckon it will only be a matter of time before they win. Check out Spectral’s website for details of this and other publications.

[R.B. Harkess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent short from Spectral Towers. They seem to be going from strength to strength. Loved Mark West's style in this short story, wonderfully atmospheric, with deeply vivid descriptions. If there was one slightly b um note, it was that the end was rather predictable, but then isn't that true of most ghost stories. Within the trope its more about the journey than the destination, and I really don't have a problem with that.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleased to have this published by Spectral Press, moreso with the good reviews it received.

[Jason Brawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read by Mark West. The story is moving and can relate to the characters. I also loved the theme of overcoming a loss and his prose is beautifully written.

An A+

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compact & lucid read which literally takes the reader along every run, jump, and tragedy. Thanks Spectral Press, for giving us this chilling miniature in a chapbook-form.

[Gary Fry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this chapbook – an effective example of what we might call ‘nostalgic horror’ (hey, we 40-somethings dominate the field now). The presentation of the book is typically Spectral, meaning a bit tasty. Lovely dark melancholy blue, which suits the tale’s ethos precisely. I found Mark’s protagonist Mike a likeable fellow, and like many such folk, caught up in circumstances he doesn’t deserve. The intersection of chance with decidedly darker other social worlds. Such was many northerners’ lives at the time (the 1980s). The tale builds to a creepy conclusion, with its strongest part – as perhaps it should be – when Mike returns to the scene of the “Childhood Episode”. Nice, crisp writing here, and well paced suspense. The ending, too, is strong, with a lot of suggestive material contributing towards a well-timed last few lines.

I had a few problems with the structure and the prose, however. First, I found the structure – its ABA form: the present, the past, the present – a tad clunky. Might it have worked better to relate the back-story in smaller chunks, each bit interspersed amid Mike’s adult explorations? I think that would have eliminated the sharp division I experienced when the plot suddenly shifted backwards a few decades. But maybe that’s just personal.

My biggest problem was with some of the writing, however. It’s always a problem when the first line of a tale annoys you, and I’m afraid this one did: “The cemetery appeared to be empty of visitors . . .” felt unnecessarily fussy to me. Why not just put, “The cemetery was deserted . . .” or “There were no visitors in the cemetery that day . . .”?

There are also a number of tiny technical issues that should have been sorted out. For instance, whenever Mike uses his phone, it’s written “ ‘phone”, with the inverted comma forward-turned. If an inverted comma is going to be used, it should be back-turned, of course (“ ’phone”), or preferably deleted altogether. What’s wrong with just “phone”?

Another problem was the use of n-dashes that should be m-dashes. There were lots of them. They make me want to kill. (I jest, of course, but it’s an easy task replacing them.) There were also many double spaces between lines, where the rest were just single. It’s not difficult to remain consistent. Just F-search and replace, guys.

But that’s all minor stuff. My biggest issue was with some of the language. The prose in the first part of the tale often fails to come to life. It’s littered with staid, stock phrases such as “spring in his step”, “cloud his thoughts”, “darken his day”, “get his bearings”, “limbs [felt] like lead”, “get a move on”, and “talking the hind legs off a donkey”. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with such phrases – they’re tried and tested, endorsed by millions – but they occupy space that could be used to bring the action alive. A good writer should be seeking to reinvent such language; that’s what we call style. And I’d like to see Mark try bit harder in this part of his fiction.

After all, he can do it. When Mike returns to his childhood stomping ground, the prose livens up a lot, with some lovely descriptive writing. There was never a killer phrase that made me reach for the highlighter pen, but that’s OK. It’s good enough. (Having said all that, there’s an effective line about a building being unaware of history the same way a spoon is unaware of soup. If that’s original, it shows a good feel for metaphor. More, please.)

In this section, Mark often fuses his protagonist’s psychology with perception of the landscape. For example, there’s a nice line comparing his present experience with a past episode with his grandfather. This kind of thing brings to life both the territory and the character in an economic way. Mark should do this kind of thing more often.

The dialogue is good, too – terse, unfussy, the way people really speak. And despite a few clunky lines (“It hadn’t been eight hours since he’d seen his family . . .” which actually means that it had; and at one point Mike’s hears his heartbeat in his ears and feels his pulse in his wrist and his neck – man, that guy was positively buzzing with blood . . . maybe a bit of overkill there?), I had few other problems with the prose. But I also think it’s the thing that makes Mark’s fiction sometimes feel a little lifeless. If he can work on that, I reckon his stories – already good and emotionally experienced – will improve immeasurably.

All in all, a solid piece of fiction, with a haunting denouement. A little more attention required in the telling, and Robert’s your auntie’s bit on the side.

[Neats · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Gets Left Behind is the story of Mike who finds himself back in his home town where he suffered a traumatic event when he was younger.

After visiting his then best friends grave he finds himself searching out the scene of the incident, an old disused warehouse.

Back in the eighties when Mike was a small boy out playing with his best friend Geoff, they run into a group of bullies and seek solace in a warehouse. At a time when the media is full of reports about the Rainy Day Abductor the pair make a terrifying discovery and the results still haunt Mike.

When he arrives at the location he decides that now is the time to finally lay the demons of his past to rest so he ventures in and it's not long before the atmosphere shifts becoming tense and oppressive.

This is a tale about growing up, regrets and loss. The descriptions are so vivid that I felt that I was in the warehouse with Mike, tentatively opening doors, not knowing what would greet me on the other side but luckily I wasn't and after reading the last word I could put my kindle down, breathe a sigh of relief and draw my own conclusion as to exactly what happened to Mike.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘What Gets Left Behind’ tells the story of Mike, a man troubled by his past, who is handed the opportunity to return to his childhood town of Gaffney. Mike is haunted by the death of his then best-friend Geoff, and by some of the things he saw in a creepy, abandoned warehouse. Terrible crimes were committed in that building, the aftershocks of which are still being felt by Mike in the present day.
West’s characters are always fleshed-out, likeable human beings, people we can identify with and feel for. West writes with great skill and heart; you get the sense he feels strongly for his protagonists and that shines through, making the horrors at the end seem that more shocking and disturbing. He has a keen eye for setting and detail, evoking another era effortlessly and with great conviction.
Without giving too much away, Mike does confront the terrors of his past. And we, the reader, are left wondering just how broken and damaged Mike is, and if he escaped the horrors of the warehouse after all…

[T.I.M. James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent chapbook from Spectral Press that is well written and gripping. Anything that you sit down to read and think I'll just read a page or two and end up finishing in one sitting has to have a lot going for it. In fact I should be glad that it is not longer...

This is the story of a man coming to terms with loss, a horrific tragedy he was party two when he was twelve years old, and some thirty years later has now gone home to lay those ghosts to rest...

West invokes the feel of the early eighties, when the boys are twelve excellently, and I guess that appeals to be because with just a few words he brought everything back perfectly. It was the time I grew up in myself and he nailed it.

For me though, perhaps somewhat ironically, it was the end when the spectral elements of the story come into play that the tale lost something. Not that it was not well written, but rather that the story did not seem to need it (of course then it would have been outside of the Spectral Press area)

All in all though, another excellent read.

[Hugo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, for what it is, but really doesn't add anything to the bazillion ghost stories we've all read already.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful book, I didn't want it to end. Looking forward to the next book by Mark West.