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On A Hill
Stranded for the night in a remote village, a writer takes refuge in a small inn, warming himself by the fire with a bottle of wine, waiting for the morning. When he is joined by another of the inn's guests, he is captivated and shocked by the superstitious tale he hears; of a place which looms large nearby, where things which should not be walk at night, and of a shadow which casts its foul darkness on all below.
Prepare for the terror which awaits you, 'On a Hill'...
Prepare for the terror which awaits you, 'On a Hill'...
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2013
14 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Michael Whitehouse
5 books54 followersMy first memory of storytelling was my father reading to me from 'The Hobbit' when I was a child, showing me the pictures and describing Bilbo's adventures in his own wonderful words. As I grew up he would continue to tell me stories, some were based on local myths and legends, others on classic literature such as Poe, and a few were entirely of his own creation.
More than anything I owe my love for telling stories to my father, and the sense of wonder about the world which he encouraged me to explore. My name is Michael and it means a great deal to me that you have taken some time to read one or two of the stories I have written, born out of that imagination forged all those years ago.
More than anything I owe my love for telling stories to my father, and the sense of wonder about the world which he encouraged me to explore. My name is Michael and it means a great deal to me that you have taken some time to read one or two of the stories I have written, born out of that imagination forged all those years ago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 9, 2015
This was a really good story. I thought it had a m.r. James feel to it.
December 7, 2017
Just wrote a review that GR didn't save and I can't be bothered to do it all again.
Good story, liked it, couple of annoying typos, but I can get over that.
Recommended.
Good story, liked it, couple of annoying typos, but I can get over that.
Recommended.
April 30, 2014
I'm new to Creepypasta, so right now I'm going down the list of highly rated stories. This is one of the top ones; I'm not sure if it's due to its length or how well it's written, but I thought it was enjoyable, though certainly felt a bit underwhelmed by the ending.
Don't get me wrong; it's very good and worth a Kindle purchase. But when I read it I was shocked at how long it was compared to other creepypasta, which is more than anything my fault.
On Creepypasta the story's separated into two pages. There are breaks throughout, and the story takes place in a more modern world (as do most creepypasta), but set in rural UK (I forget, but I think it was Scotland, where a lot of creepypasta seems to take place), so time and legend are skewed.
What really makes this stand out is the writing. It's phenomenally well written; I wouldn't be surprised if the author is a journalist or in another sort of writing profession.
The story doesn't begin with a steady pace, but gets its own footing eventually. The author chose to include too many characters, in my opinion, with the narrator recalling a tale s/he heard from someone else, then continuing with their own. I think the narrator could have been replaced entirely by the person whose story was first told, which, yes, would cut the entirety considerably down, and I think it would be for the better.
It's well worth the read as it is, and I strongly suggest purchasing the Kindle version to support the author. S/he deserves it.
Don't get me wrong; it's very good and worth a Kindle purchase. But when I read it I was shocked at how long it was compared to other creepypasta, which is more than anything my fault.
On Creepypasta the story's separated into two pages. There are breaks throughout, and the story takes place in a more modern world (as do most creepypasta), but set in rural UK (I forget, but I think it was Scotland, where a lot of creepypasta seems to take place), so time and legend are skewed.
What really makes this stand out is the writing. It's phenomenally well written; I wouldn't be surprised if the author is a journalist or in another sort of writing profession.
The story doesn't begin with a steady pace, but gets its own footing eventually. The author chose to include too many characters, in my opinion, with the narrator recalling a tale s/he heard from someone else, then continuing with their own. I think the narrator could have been replaced entirely by the person whose story was first told, which, yes, would cut the entirety considerably down, and I think it would be for the better.
It's well worth the read as it is, and I strongly suggest purchasing the Kindle version to support the author. S/he deserves it.
December 6, 2013
It is an inherent part of human condition that one can't seem to learn from mistakes of others. As in if everyone says don't go up on a hill...and one still does. That is the premise of this surprisingly good (considering it's an unknown author) classic horror pastiche, which actually is infinitely more readable and better paced than most of its kind. If not for mobile phone mentions, this story could have been timeless. So basically a land surveyor goes up on the hill refusing to believe the local superstitions, steps into something he can't escape and then an author he befriends sets out to help him displaying an equal disregard for the believes of the villagers. Throw in a nice spooky setting, some genuinely creepy imagery and a nice backstory and you've got a very entertaining quick read in this novella. Recommended.
July 26, 2014
My son, who shares my love of spooky and mind tingling scary stories, recommended this to me. Not at all my norm in recent years, but his praise had me beyond curious. It's a short story, but told with intensity that gives it a much larger scale. I think the thing I found most fascinating, was the tale of an event. No character build, no presetting the backstory, no long though out, shifting plot, or even a HEA. Just a goose-bump worthy fireside story about a little town and what happened when two men stumbled across an ancient curse and they were too arrogant to take heed of, blatantly brushing of warnings as unfounded superstition. Foolish enough to think that armed with modern knowledge they could concur hundreds of years of history and dawn of time unknown evil. It's cleverly told, and held my attention page after page. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
June 9, 2014
Brilliant short story, in the style of the great horror classics. The last paragraph, and indeed the last sentence, made me shudder.
Great writing. ;)
Great writing. ;)
June 1, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this one. I think this book delivers on the creepy vibes and feels like an old fashioned ghost story. There are lines in this book that are really beautiful. But, and this is 100% personal taste, it actually felt a bit overwritten to me. The overly descriptive writing and a lot of the word choices pulled me out of the story instead of immersing me IN the story. This is a very short book, but it felt longer to me and not in a good way. Overall, I feel like this is a book that will really work for some people...but it just didn't quite for me.
March 25, 2014
Tremendous old-fashioned ghost story in the fashion of the greats. The necessary ingredients are all there, plus a little bit more that makes it stand out and gives it uniqueness.
Those who know my reviews are aware that I believe a ghost story needs to be fairly short, of novella length ideally, and this ticks that box also.
My favourite parts are the scenes in the pub when our 'hero' looks for support and comradeship, and best of all, the last sentence.
Those who know my reviews are aware that I believe a ghost story needs to be fairly short, of novella length ideally, and this ticks that box also.
My favourite parts are the scenes in the pub when our 'hero' looks for support and comradeship, and best of all, the last sentence.
June 9, 2014
Nicely done horror tale with an unidentified writer, stuck in a small Scottish town for the night, hearing a tale from a pale wan fellow, John R---, of the frightening hill and the chapel ruins atop, an evil that won't let him leave now, and the writer's disbelief in John's story.
It would make a good tale and, as a writer, he would simply have to investigate the hill himself.
Loved this one.
It would make a good tale and, as a writer, he would simply have to investigate the hill himself.
Loved this one.
December 15, 2013
What a great way to spend 45 minutes! This is an excellent short story. A writer hears a creepy tale in a pub from a scared man and decides to investigate it himself. I could feel the terror (of John and the writer) as they both try to leave the hill behind. Recommended!
June 12, 2014
Well done horror story.
June 28, 2014
Old school horror done brilliantly. Especially love the last sentence.
January 24, 2017
A terrifying, gripping, well written, and fast paced short story to keep you up all night.
*SPOILER ALERT*
My only qualm would be how the narrator himself had chosen to go to the hills - alone and unarmed - after hearing John's story. There's a limit to skepticism and bravery. I might have investigated the hills as John did but I'd certainly not do so if I were the narrator. Even if it was a maniac(s) and not a monster shouldn't it be enough to deter anyone from marching onto the hills alone and unarmed?
*SPOILER ALERT*
My only qualm would be how the narrator himself had chosen to go to the hills - alone and unarmed - after hearing John's story. There's a limit to skepticism and bravery. I might have investigated the hills as John did but I'd certainly not do so if I were the narrator. Even if it was a maniac(s) and not a monster shouldn't it be enough to deter anyone from marching onto the hills alone and unarmed?
August 23, 2017
Really liked this
As a fan of MR James, I really appreciated the writing style of this author. He develops a nicely creepy atmosphere and equally creepy story. Ending is satisfying, but leaves enough mystery to let you draw your own conclusions about some of the events in the book. A must read for fans of gothic horror/ghost stories. Enjoy!
As a fan of MR James, I really appreciated the writing style of this author. He develops a nicely creepy atmosphere and equally creepy story. Ending is satisfying, but leaves enough mystery to let you draw your own conclusions about some of the events in the book. A must read for fans of gothic horror/ghost stories. Enjoy!
July 10, 2021
⭐️ ⭐️
Critical Score: C+
Personal Score: C-
Reading Experience: 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚/5
🔈 Audiobook 🔈
The writing is solid, but the story is generic and long winded. It’s also not that scary, and isn’t an urban legend like I expected. The narrator is annoying dumb, and the ending is predictable. The best thing here is how well the author evokes a gothic atmosphere; I’ll give him credit for that.
Critical Score: C+
Personal Score: C-
Reading Experience: 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚/5
🔈 Audiobook 🔈
The writing is solid, but the story is generic and long winded. It’s also not that scary, and isn’t an urban legend like I expected. The narrator is annoying dumb, and the ending is predictable. The best thing here is how well the author evokes a gothic atmosphere; I’ll give him credit for that.
May 17, 2017
A Good Short Story
A good, short read. If you're acquainted with Lovecraft, or horror in general, this probably won't scare you, but I definitely recommend regardless!
A good, short read. If you're acquainted with Lovecraft, or horror in general, this probably won't scare you, but I definitely recommend regardless!
April 1, 2018
Short read but very good. It definitely had an ending that made me say, "WHAAAAAT?" I recommend this book to my friends who I know enjoy this type of read.
February 7, 2019
Goosebumps!
Short and well written. Loved this story.
Short and well written. Loved this story.
July 22, 2021
Good!
Short and sweet! A good horror story, atmospheric, the suspense build itself till the finale, in the vein of classic horror stories.
Short and sweet! A good horror story, atmospheric, the suspense build itself till the finale, in the vein of classic horror stories.
June 5, 2023
Reminiscent of Lovecraft's style of prose. Lovely, eloquent, and terrifying.
October 13, 2016
Classically styled "Haunted Place" story, and great for a quick Halloween read. If you liked Stephen King's short story "Jerusalem's Lot", you'll find this very similar.
December 12, 2022
One of the very first books that genuinely gave me chills. I have followed Micheal Whitehouse since reading this particular book and feel like he doesn't get enough credit for his fantastic stories. His writing style is very clear and does a great job of immersing you in the experience of the MC.
There are mixed reviews out there for this story, some based on grammar and editing issues, and some just didn't like it for whatever reason. Well, reading between the lines, you can not please everyone, and thankfully Micheal continues to write & produce brilliant horror content to this day. I genuinely cannot see what is not to love about ON A HILL and I have recommended this to many of my friends who also love it.
If you just want to escape into a brilliant and classically written ghost story for an hour or two, then I highly recommend this.
There are mixed reviews out there for this story, some based on grammar and editing issues, and some just didn't like it for whatever reason. Well, reading between the lines, you can not please everyone, and thankfully Micheal continues to write & produce brilliant horror content to this day. I genuinely cannot see what is not to love about ON A HILL and I have recommended this to many of my friends who also love it.
If you just want to escape into a brilliant and classically written ghost story for an hour or two, then I highly recommend this.
November 2, 2015
"A maze of repeated phrases in arcane and forgotten languages spread out across the crumpled and fragile paper, but one in English stood out. It simply said 'No One Leave's."
On A Hill is a gripping short story and the description of the events is very excellent. I would definitely want to read more from this author.
And the ending absolutely made this reading experience better.
On A Hill is a gripping short story and the description of the events is very excellent. I would definitely want to read more from this author.
And the ending absolutely made this reading experience better.
January 28, 2016
This was a good short story. I like that we do still have a mystery surrounding the hill even at the very end, and the ending was beautifully done. I entertained various possible endings, and I did entertain this ending at one point.
Definitely worth a read if you want something quick to keep your attention.
Definitely worth a read if you want something quick to keep your attention.
January 27, 2015
On a Hill is a short tale about a forbidden evil hill which is feared by the locals and for good reason. The feel of the story is a bit Lovecraftian but while it is very descriptive, it does so without being excessively wordy. I liked the story and while I wouldn't go so far as to say it was terrifying, it did a good job of holding my interest and was well written. I would recommend. 4/5
January 24, 2015
Fast-paced, creepy
Nothing too unpredictable, but well written, and interesting. I've read so many books where the protagonist scoffs at the stories they hear, that it's almost cliche. But then, how else would a rational person act?
Nothing too unpredictable, but well written, and interesting. I've read so many books where the protagonist scoffs at the stories they hear, that it's almost cliche. But then, how else would a rational person act?
June 29, 2015
Read this last night in a fit of insomnia. Unfortunately, this story did not help me fall asleep afterward. Keeps you on the edge of your seat and I caught myself saying, "oh, no," out loud more than once!
January 4, 2016
I started my year with horror. I really liked this short story, and it did occasionally give me jitters. Rural Scotland offers great setting for this kind horror, tales told by drunken strangers during stormy weather.
February 10, 2014
I held more expectations for this book than what it delivered.
March 15, 2014
Very nicely done. Quick, creepy read. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys old school horror stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews