Proof

by M.R. Graham

The day Connor cornered me in the library, I thought he was cracked. The day he covered my walls with crosses and filled my apartment with garlic, I thought he was psychotic. The day he killed someone on the floor in my living room, I had no choice but to believe. This is my last confession, the story of the years we spent hunting Them and the mistakes we made. This is my memorial to the people we lost. This is my realization of the importance of Proof.


They have been lurking in the shadows for untold years, waiting for the chance to burst free. Only the ragged few, held together by the charismatic Connor, have seen the signs and dare to stand up against Them, the undead. In this battle, no one leaves unscathed.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

12 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 22, 2013

About the author

USA Today bestselling author M.R. Graham is a native Texan who traces strong cultural roots back to Scotland, Poland, and England. A mild-mannered PhD student during the day, Graham transforms at night into a raging Holmesian loremaster and rabid novelist.
Though passionate about all scholarship and academia, Graham's training and true love lies with anthropology, particularly the archaeological branch.
Also, steampunk and vampires.

Reviews

[Noree Cosper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little read that takes you through the life of two vampire hunters. It's written as a journal entry, but i think that is some of it's charm. It works since this is a short story and not a novel. I really enjoyed some of the side characters even thoguh their time was very short lived. I'd reccommend this for a short bedtime read, that is if you're not afraid of the dark.

[R. Archie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a good vampire short story. There's a lot going on, but the way it was written everything flowed nicely, and I liked the way it cleanly concluded. An interesting story that you could easily read within an half hour.

[Uncapped Pen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give the short story Proof: A Short Tale of the Undead by M.R. Graham four out of five stars for the overall story and her ability to write. To be honest, my expectations were not high when I got an invitation to read the short story for free. It is probably a bias against free Kindle books.
The story itself is a reflection of a veteran vampire hunter written as a letter. It spans the time the narrator first learns of the existence of the undead to the present. The writer speaks of the partner, Connor, and all the other people that joined them on the hunt.
M.R. Graham is a good writer. She has a great handle on this creative medium. That may not seem like high praise, but I’ve seen a lot of well known writers that do not. Graham also knows how to create the structure of a well told story.
The pitfall to this short story is that Graham tries to fit too much of an expanse of time in not enough pages. The best short stories take place in a short period of time, so that the story can be fully developed. Proof really is a summary of many stories that happened during the time period.
I love the story, and I hope to see it fully realized as a developed novel.

[Damon Wakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a fun way to fill an hour or so, this may well be it. An entertaining story, ably told, Proof follows a pair of unlikely vampire hunters as they...well...do what vampire hunters do.

Despite the frequent heart-staking and decapitations, and the overall abundance of nerd-on-nosferatu violence, this is a fairly light-hearted and very easy read that I would thoroughly recommend. It's not fine literature, but then, I think that's a large part of the appeal.

The book is not without its drawbacks. Some characters seem to be introduced as little more than filler--their direct contribution to the plot is minimal--but in the grand scheme of things they pull their weight, and their escapades are certainly entertaining enough to follow.

Overall, a worthy addition to the e-library of any Fantasy fan.

[Noelle Blakely · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! I am not usually a big fan of shorts, but what a great little read! This story was so well written that my own mind filled in all the details about the multitude of characters and their stories that were barely more than mentioned. With just a hint of what happened to them, I could picture the entire scene. It was like reading a full length novel in an encapsulated form. Certainly Graham could have written all the details for us, but it was really not necessary after she painted the complete picture in broad strokes. I had no doubts as to what had happened to these people and I was surprisingly satisfied with the quick read. (I usually love to hear all about everyone in epic proportions) Don't get me wrong, This book could be expanded into a fabulous novel, but it doesn't need to be.

Can't say it enough... Loved it!

[Robert Zimmermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by this short story. I wasn’t totally in love with it, but near the end it pulled itself together for me and I appreciated it even more.

I liked that the story is told as a brief retelling by the narrator about his life hunting “Them” with Connor. While there was a lack detail throughout, due to a brevity explained more near the end, it was just enough to keep me reading along to find out what would happen next.

If you’re looking for a quick read with a little vampire hunting in it, this could be a good story for you. It moves right along and packs the recalling of many years on the road into a few thousand words. I’m interested to see what this author can do with a novel. It’s a good glimpse into Graham’s writing, I’m sure.

[Sharon Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Proof' is a short story about the existence of vampires, with the narrator a reluctant participant in a friend's lifelong obsession.

I read through this within about twenty minutes and it was a nicely creepy little horror yarn with a satisfying and unexpected ending. The character of Connor was the most well defined as the story was basically about him and his need to find and kill vampires. I won't say anymore for fear of giving the ending away but I will say I sympathised easily with the narrator.

This is properly good short story telling and is extremely well written. I look forward to more from this writer. Awesome horror story!

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh take on the undead. Humankind is damned. All around, THEY are lurking. The final Adam and Eve so to speak are Connor and his girl who have a bittersweet kind of friendship. Zombies ... I dunno. A short story to read between two or three cups of coffee, greatly recommended, food for thought, a tug at the heart.

[John Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-thought-through psychological tale,and skillfully executed. Ms Graham carefully ratchets up the tension, drawing the reader step-by-step into the narrator's obsessive and lethal world. I don't usually give five stars for a short story, but this one is worth it. Hats off to M.R. Graham!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very different read for the Undead. I was pulled in from the start and wanted to keep reading. Its been a while since I have wanted to read anything about the Undead.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fast paced short story.
It was a pleasure to read from beginning to end.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first enjoyable short read from author M.R. Graham.

[Judy Nappa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great short horror story from an author who has become one of my favourites. Great live and undead characters - this would be great expanded into a full novel....hint hint.

[Russell Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great short story. I read it on my lunch break and enjoyed every minute of it.