RIP: Touch

by Daniel Sherrier

Opening yourself up to a whole new world can leave you vulnerable -- but it's the only way to grow. That's what Rip Cooper has to do when he learns he can perceive ghosts with his five senses as if they were flesh and blood people, and he's just as solid to them -- in fact, the only solid thing to them. This young loner has to overcome his fears and kill dead people to prevent them from corrupting the living. He works alongside an impure angel and his ex-best friend's ex-girlfriend as they teach him how love can conquer fear.

RIP is a series of novelettes that tell one larger coming-of-age and redemption story.

In this premiere episode, "Touch," Rip may be a successful freelance photographer making a name for himself in a new town, but personally, he's in a rut. No friends, no goals, no greater purpose. He's going through the motions...until the "angel" Serissa informs him he's "one of the Seven."

49 pages, ebook

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Daniel Sherrier is a writer based in central Virginia. He is the author of the novel "The Flying Woman." A College of William & Mary graduate, he has worked for community newspapers, written a few plays that have been performed, and earned his black belt in Thai kickboxing. And there was that one time he jumped out of an airplane, which was memorable.

Reviews

[Shona Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rip Cooper is 24, working as a photographer in a new town when he meets Serissa and his life changes. She comes to him in a dream and pushes him through his fear of the ghost he met as a child, past that, nudging his emotions until he’s ‘awakened’. Rip is one of the Seven. The Seven are able to hear, see, feel, touch and even taste ghosts, and now he can no longer hide and pretend that he isn’t seeing the ghosts. And they are starting to notice he can see them.

When the story starts we meet Rip as a little boy, it doesn’t say how old he is but he is able to see the ghost of the Raggedy man in his basement and understandably it scares him. As an adult he is still able to see them, but he rationalizes them away with his adult mind. While the story itself is fairly short (well it is a novelette) I didn’t find it lacking in any way. Rip may need to man up and face his destiny as one of the Seven but he is a likeable character. As with most shorts the story moves fairly quickly so we don’t get bogged down with lots of Rips history. We get a glimpse here and there about his life up until now. I get the impression his relationship with Kalli isn’t all that it seems, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Overall this is a great start to what looks to be a promising series told in episodic novelettes

[Linda Hamonou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ripley is a ghost hunter or at least a ghost hunter to be.
It was a nice read even though a little bit short. It is the first installment of a series so I'm expecting to see a lot more in the next books. What bothers me a little bit was the lack of details about the life outside of the ghost hunt, especially in the case of the post office. I mean people would find it strange to have a guy "fighting" alone in broad daylight, I would have expected a bit more of commotion or something.
Kalli is also believing him all too quickly.
Except for that, it was a nice story quite enjoyable.

[Heather Kirchhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story!I thought the storyline was good, and the pace fit it perfectly. I really enjoyed reading about ghosts and the twenty-four-year-old being one of the Seven. I thought that was interesting, so good job to the author.