Incisions: Cut 1

by Shaun Hutson

“… She glanced out over the churning waves, thinking how dark and forbidding the sea looked tonight. She could hear it lashing against the pier and, more than once, she fancied she felt the structure beneath her move slightly. She reached down slowly and unzipped the holdall. Inside there were towels and pieces of rag. Inside those was a baby. No older than six weeks, the child was crying softly and it continued to do so even when Polly picked it up and held it before her. She swallowed hard and held the child higher, advancing again towards the wooden rail that surrounded the walkways of the pier. The only thing that separated her from the sea. She held the child over the rail for a second, its cries lost beneath the raging sound of the waves.
Polly dropped the baby…..”
There is something here for everyone. Monsters in train tunnels. Savage attack dogs loose in a luxury building. Wishes made that can cripple and kill. Children kidnapped to appease a monstrous entity from the sea. A psychotic Virtual Assistant that turns a house into a chamber of horrors. The terrifying aftermath of a robbery. A horrifying ‘game’ designed to welcome new residents to a village. A reminder that you should never, ever pick up hitchhikers.
These are just some of the stories you’ll find in this collection. All kinds of tales to send shivers down your spine.
Stories to shock you. Stories to grip you. Stories with a twist in the tail.
Stories to be read with the lights on and the curtains drawn.
Go on…we dare you…

Genres: Horror

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2023

About the author

British horror novelist, including horror and urban thriller novels.

His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.

Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.

Reviews

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never was a hugh fan of the short story. I much prefer to immerse myself in the novel. Time to time, though, things change. This, by one of my all-time favorite authors, was a good time to change. We have a whole slew of stories here. From really good to "I could see it coming a mile away" so so stories.

The high points for me were "Battlefield." "Night Games." Now that was one that I enjoyed immensely. "Man's Best Friend" was a little by the numbers but done nicely. "The Thing In The Tunnel" was also well done. Don't want to say to much and give these stories away. All I can say is if you like your stories on the gruesome side than you can do no better.