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Nightlight
A new work of horror short fiction from the Derringer-nominated author of Ballistic andThe God of Speed.
Nine-year-old Kayla suffers from horrible dreams, along with the nagging fear that monsters will come for her in the night. Employees of the Stafford Sleep Clinic think they know better, until an astonished technician discovers that beyond all of the machines, wires, and monitors he trusts so completely, the little girl's fears may not be imaginary after all.
Nine-year-old Kayla suffers from horrible dreams, along with the nagging fear that monsters will come for her in the night. Employees of the Stafford Sleep Clinic think they know better, until an astonished technician discovers that beyond all of the machines, wires, and monitors he trusts so completely, the little girl's fears may not be imaginary after all.
9 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2013
5 people want to read
About the author
Trey Dowell
14 books14 followersTrey Dowell uses writing as a desperate measure to release all of the pressure generated by the ideas bouncing around inside his skull—and also as a semi-legitimate reason to put off mowing the lawn. Hard at work on his first novel, he’s been a Finalist (top five) in Writer’s Digest’s Popular Fiction Awards, as well as an Honorable Mention recipient in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. He also took 1st place in Writersweekly.com’s 24-hour fiction contest.
He resides in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he’s a member of Writers Under The Arch, along with several other Untreed Reads authors.
He resides in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he’s a member of Writers Under The Arch, along with several other Untreed Reads authors.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 2, 2015
Nightlight is a quick story that - at times - taps into the zeitgeist created in shows such as the new Outer Limits or Tales from the Crypt, which built storylines around single revealed deep in the plot. If you’re a fan of those shows (and I remain devoted to such shows and stories), you'll enjoy this read.
Despite its brevity (is it flash fiction? is it a short short story?), Nightlight manages to flesh out the history of the two characters through an interesting dialogue interplay: brief exchanges followed by a single-character interpretative exposition. And it's that well-crafted experience that drives the story.
Of course it’s that exposition that gives away the ending early on. It’s difficult to write horror stories without falling back upon some tropes and Nightlight suffers a bit from that genre-fatigue.
Still, the character interactions are enough to carry the day. Even as the story zipped to its conclusion, I found myself wanting less of the ending and more interaction between the child and the technician.
Despite its brevity (is it flash fiction? is it a short short story?), Nightlight manages to flesh out the history of the two characters through an interesting dialogue interplay: brief exchanges followed by a single-character interpretative exposition. And it's that well-crafted experience that drives the story.
Of course it’s that exposition that gives away the ending early on. It’s difficult to write horror stories without falling back upon some tropes and Nightlight suffers a bit from that genre-fatigue.
Still, the character interactions are enough to carry the day. Even as the story zipped to its conclusion, I found myself wanting less of the ending and more interaction between the child and the technician.
January 9, 2014
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Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
This is a super fast read! It’ well written, and I liked the writing style; the way the author was able to make you feel for the two characters in the story was impressive! Especially in such a short story. There was an undertone of scariness subtly added and the final line was perfect.
I would be very interested in reading more by this author and am hoping that a longer story is in the works. I recommend this for folks who enjoy subtle spookiness , well written idea,s and are looking to get a peek of a really nice writing style!
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
This is a super fast read! It’ well written, and I liked the writing style; the way the author was able to make you feel for the two characters in the story was impressive! Especially in such a short story. There was an undertone of scariness subtly added and the final line was perfect.
I would be very interested in reading more by this author and am hoping that a longer story is in the works. I recommend this for folks who enjoy subtle spookiness , well written idea,s and are looking to get a peek of a really nice writing style!
January 9, 2014
Very fast read. Well written and interestingly creepy.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews