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The Card
When a strange tarot card appears in a friend's deck, Jason assumes it's just a prank done in poor taste. But, when terrible events befall those around him, he must face the possibility that something sinister is afoot.
Death is closing in, along with a suspicious detective who believes that Jason may be the killer he's stalking. With his life turned upside down, Jason finds that there are worse things to be hunted by than the authorities.
This 4,500 word short is a supernatural horror story in the spirit of the pulp era, but with a modern feel.
Death is closing in, along with a suspicious detective who believes that Jason may be the killer he's stalking. With his life turned upside down, Jason finds that there are worse things to be hunted by than the authorities.
This 4,500 word short is a supernatural horror story in the spirit of the pulp era, but with a modern feel.
- GenresHorror
25 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2013
56 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Brandon R. Luffman
5 books19 followersBorn in Statesboro, Georgia in 1976, Brandon Luffman was raised in rural North Carolina from the time he was old enough to walk. In the sixth grade he discovered "The Chronicles Of Narnia". Soon after that, he was on to Stephen King and Arthur C. Clarke. At the same time, he was making his first forays into writing fiction. After creating a series of short fantasy pieces for a class assignment that were received with praise, he was hooked on writing fiction for the entertainment of others. Now Brandon writes supernatural horror as well as fantasy, science fiction, and other genres. His short fiction is available online in various formats. Brandon still lives on the family farm in northwestern North Carolina with his wife and family. Taking inspiration from his homeland, he brings southern sensibilities and a modern flair to these classic genre themes. His first novel, Frostwalker, was released in May of 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 14, 2013
The Card was a fast-paced thriller that took off from the first instant.
This short story jumps right into the mystery as three friends find an unknown card in a tarot deck, each blaming the other for the supposed prank. Justin doesn’t believe in supernatural forces, so when strange things begin to happen and more ominous cards show up at significant times, he isn’t sure what to think. Things soon get worse, and he realizes how terrifying the unknown can be.
What does the series of unexplained cards that have appeared out of nowhere mean? And what is going on with his friends? You’ll want to keep reading to find out.
This was a quick read and a chilling short story with just enough creepiness and mystery. Though it’s categorized as horror, there’s no gore and it plays out as more of a suspense. I don’t typically read gruesome books or horror, but I really enjoyed this well done short story.
This short story jumps right into the mystery as three friends find an unknown card in a tarot deck, each blaming the other for the supposed prank. Justin doesn’t believe in supernatural forces, so when strange things begin to happen and more ominous cards show up at significant times, he isn’t sure what to think. Things soon get worse, and he realizes how terrifying the unknown can be.
What does the series of unexplained cards that have appeared out of nowhere mean? And what is going on with his friends? You’ll want to keep reading to find out.
This was a quick read and a chilling short story with just enough creepiness and mystery. Though it’s categorized as horror, there’s no gore and it plays out as more of a suspense. I don’t typically read gruesome books or horror, but I really enjoyed this well done short story.
January 13, 2013
Once again, Luffman drew me in with rising tension and an absorbing, different plot. I love how he connected the main character's nervous tick and the ending. Fans of Stephen King will enjoy this, but it's also fun if you've ever played with Tarot cards.
February 25, 2013
Some of you might think this story is predictable. Not so for me. Brandon threw in some curve balls that distracted me long enough to forget a few hints.
Jason is the moderator for the three. Even close friends get into it now and then.
Brian’s ticked off. He’s adamant he didn’t do it.
Freddie’s furious. He’s sure Brian slipped the card into his deck.
They get in each others faces, causing Jason to step in and try to diffuse them.
Freddie designs his tarot decks himself, and he’s positive the card was slipped into his deck by Brian. Even though the back has the same design, there’s no way he created the picture of the creepy old man in the hooded cape. The figure is surrounded by fog, and the raised hand holding up three fingers, what’s up with that? No way does this card belong in his deck.
Brian’s tired of hearing about it. He didn’t put the card in the deck and doesn’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s just a card.
Freddie storms out. When Jason suggests to Brian that he apologize, Brian storms out too.
Great. He’ll just let the two cool off for the weekend and see them next week when they’ve had time to cool down.
Monday comes and Freddie doesn’t show up for work. After his shift, Jason heads to his mobile home to see what’s up.
The minute he steps up to the door, his radar starts warning him somethings wrong. He has a sick feeling, but continues inside.
OhGodOhGodOhGod
What he discovers sends him to his knees. Before everything fades to black he sees it lying there. That card.
I love short stories. I get something similar to tunnel vision when I read them. There’s nothing like them. So much is revealed in so little words. I let myself go and just become engrossed in the story, knowing I’ll only be allowed to be there for a short while.
Brandon is great at getting you to connect with his characters quickly. They become familiar and you grow to care about them. At least the good ones.
Then comes the twists. You have to have some good ones and know where to place them. Brandon does this very well, drawing my attention this way and that, my mind trying to visual each scene.
I didn’t get the ending I expected and that was a nice surprise. I’m usually close when I guess the ending and thought this story would go another way. But, nope. I got a different ending and thank Brandon for that.
The Card gets Four Stars from me!
Jason is the moderator for the three. Even close friends get into it now and then.
Brian’s ticked off. He’s adamant he didn’t do it.
Freddie’s furious. He’s sure Brian slipped the card into his deck.
They get in each others faces, causing Jason to step in and try to diffuse them.
Freddie designs his tarot decks himself, and he’s positive the card was slipped into his deck by Brian. Even though the back has the same design, there’s no way he created the picture of the creepy old man in the hooded cape. The figure is surrounded by fog, and the raised hand holding up three fingers, what’s up with that? No way does this card belong in his deck.
Brian’s tired of hearing about it. He didn’t put the card in the deck and doesn’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s just a card.
Freddie storms out. When Jason suggests to Brian that he apologize, Brian storms out too.
Great. He’ll just let the two cool off for the weekend and see them next week when they’ve had time to cool down.
Monday comes and Freddie doesn’t show up for work. After his shift, Jason heads to his mobile home to see what’s up.
The minute he steps up to the door, his radar starts warning him somethings wrong. He has a sick feeling, but continues inside.
OhGodOhGodOhGod
What he discovers sends him to his knees. Before everything fades to black he sees it lying there. That card.
I love short stories. I get something similar to tunnel vision when I read them. There’s nothing like them. So much is revealed in so little words. I let myself go and just become engrossed in the story, knowing I’ll only be allowed to be there for a short while.
Brandon is great at getting you to connect with his characters quickly. They become familiar and you grow to care about them. At least the good ones.
Then comes the twists. You have to have some good ones and know where to place them. Brandon does this very well, drawing my attention this way and that, my mind trying to visual each scene.
I didn’t get the ending I expected and that was a nice surprise. I’m usually close when I guess the ending and thought this story would go another way. But, nope. I got a different ending and thank Brandon for that.
The Card gets Four Stars from me!
January 15, 2013
Quick and enjoyable read. Definitely unnerving. I don't feel like I can say more without it being spoilers, so spoiler-tag it is.
Also, the reason I left off a star was because I guess I'm just picky like that. Still, at some point I'll be grabbing Brandon's other stories to read!
Also, the reason I left off a star was because I guess I'm just picky like that. Still, at some point I'll be grabbing Brandon's other stories to read!
January 15, 2013
Here’s another great short from Brandon R. Luffman. I first read some of his work early last year, and couldn’t wait for more.
The Card delivered with a well-written story, like I had expected. There’s a great, slow reveal as the story moves along as to what exactly is going on. We get to see, along with Jason the main character, the fate that a mysterious tarot card brings with it. Even though there was some obvious foreshadowing that allowed me to take a guess as part of the outcome, it was still enjoyable to read up to and passed to see how it played out.
Luffman has a gift for creating a great, dark story. A story that’s short, sweet, and will stick with you. I’m looking forward to see what he does with his novel, Frostwalker, when it comes out. The short fiction is promising enough.
The Card delivered with a well-written story, like I had expected. There’s a great, slow reveal as the story moves along as to what exactly is going on. We get to see, along with Jason the main character, the fate that a mysterious tarot card brings with it. Even though there was some obvious foreshadowing that allowed me to take a guess as part of the outcome, it was still enjoyable to read up to and passed to see how it played out.
Luffman has a gift for creating a great, dark story. A story that’s short, sweet, and will stick with you. I’m looking forward to see what he does with his novel, Frostwalker, when it comes out. The short fiction is promising enough.
October 23, 2013
“The Card” by Brandon R. Luffman is a short story that reads as a novel. Luffman develops the story in a slow and delicious dance with the reader. Building suspense. As with his longer piece, “Frostwalker,” Luffman’s character development is easy and relatable. You have three friends socializing when a card none of them have ever seen before turns up. It looks like all the rest. How could the same person have not made it? A need to know what comes next builds and Luffman does not disappoint. He gives us a direct story line with some deeply unexpected moves. Wonderfully written and suspenseful story.
July 11, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. It was a can't-put-down kind of read that pulled me in and moved quickly. Like another of his short stories, Out After Dark, this story seemed like it could easly be fleshed out into a full novel. This author does have a novel out, Frostwalker, but I also hope to see more short stories from him soon!
May 26, 2013
Tarot cards have always held me in awe. This short story shows exactly why they should be held in awe. The title short story actually takes something away from this because this is a full story in a smaller format! Excellent read and I look forward to more from this amazing writer.
April 30, 2013
Really enjoyed this short story, it was easy to visualize and flowed nicely- and I liked how the more macabre scenes made use of all the senses. Look forward to reading more from this author.
January 8, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised by this short story. I couldn't put it down and wished it was longer. It left me feeling like I had just watched a really good scary movie.
August 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this mysterious, suspenseful read. The plot was fresh and original. The ending was action packed with glimmers of hope and then BOOM! It hits like an axe to the skull. This story is very well written with well built characters and a great hook.
May 16, 2018
Not bad for a quick read
Story set out to do just exactly what it ended up doing . Being a quick good read and being very entertaining. I especially liked the way he weaved in the individual characters to the story.
Story set out to do just exactly what it ended up doing . Being a quick good read and being very entertaining. I especially liked the way he weaved in the individual characters to the story.
March 24, 2019
Interesting read.
I didn't see that ending coming. Interesting read. Wished the story was longer, so I guess I will check out this author's other works. It is a pass the time mind if read. I enjoyed it.
I didn't see that ending coming. Interesting read. Wished the story was longer, so I guess I will check out this author's other works. It is a pass the time mind if read. I enjoyed it.
June 29, 2020
The Card
I had forgotten about this ebook until the other day when I was going through my ebooks and I saw that I had not read it yet. I clicked on it and I really enjoyed reading this short story. I highly recommend this ebook to anyone who is into this genre.
I had forgotten about this ebook until the other day when I was going through my ebooks and I saw that I had not read it yet. I clicked on it and I really enjoyed reading this short story. I highly recommend this ebook to anyone who is into this genre.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews