The Hanging Tree

by James Roy Daley

In the old west punishment comes swiftly. Especially when the crime is murder. Mort Clancy - a pathetic drunk - had one to many drinks at the local watering hole and he did something stupid: he shot the sheriff. Now there's a new law in town, and Mort's on his way to the hanging tree. But the hanging tree has a terrible reputation, and what dies on the tree doesn't always stay dead.

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Short Stories

17 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2013

About the author

JAMES ROY DALEY is a writer, editor, and musician. He studied film at the Toronto Film School, music at Humber College, and English at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Terror Town, Into Hell, 13 Drops of Blood, Zombie Kong, and The Dead Parade. In 2009 he founded Books of the Dead Press, where he enjoyed immediate success working with many of the biggest names in horror. He edited anthologies such as Zombie Kong - Anthology, Best New Vampire Tales, Classic Vampire Tales, and the Best New Zombie Tales series.

Reviews

[Zombie_Phreak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay so let me get this straight, the people of this town know for a FACT that anyone they hang from this one particular tree comes back as a zombie after they're dead. But these characters want to do it anyway?

Why!?! Oh I see, they are worried it will give the children in town nightmares if they hang him in the town square like they usually do. I'm pretty sure a horde of flesh eating zombies tearing the flesh from the bodies of their loved ones right in front of their eyes will give them worse nightmares than just seeing one guy getting hanged.

This story and these characters are just stupid!

[Randy Harmelink · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick short story about the dead rising in the old west. The story is about the journey to the ending of the story, because the ending is ever so predictable.

[Matt McRoberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little short story. I liked it a lot.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short