Air Conditioner From Hell

by James Alexander

Pawn shops sell the oddest things…

Who knows what lurks beneath the dust and decay, waiting to be discovered for a few bucks? Ted is tired of the sweltering heat and his miserable philandering boss won't lend him an air conditioner. Lucky for him, the local pawn shop can solve all his problems.

Rusty, old and loud, Ted reluctantly pays the clerk for the heap of equipment and soon discovers the macabre purpose of the machine.

Air Conditioner from Hell, a chilling 3,000-word horror tale guaranteed to haunt your dreams. Originally part of the multi author anthology, "Black Ink on a Blank Void".

15 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2024

About the author

James Alexander writes psychological and speculative fiction that explores the hidden edges of human consciousness, the mysteries of identity, and the forces-seen and unseen-that shape our world. Drawn to stories that blend tension, emotion, and the uncanny, he creates character driven narratives where the unknown is as internal as it is cosmic. A lifelong explorer of science fiction, technology, and the strange possibilities that lie just beyond ordinary life, James brings a grounded, human perspective to the extraordinary. When he's not writing, he enjoys diving into information technology, spending time with his kids, tinkering with home projects (with mixed results), and imagining new worlds and unsettling what-ifs. He is a lifelong resident of Maine, USA.

Follow James with these links:

Website: http://www.writerjamesalexander.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-...

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/authorjalexa...

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, unnerving, and absolutely wonderful!! Air Conditioner from Hell by James Alexander is a short story which follows our protagonist's shocking discovery that his second hand air con is not all that it's cracked up to be. Reading this story felt watching an episode of Goosebumps, leaving me with goosebumps!

This short story was wonderfully descriptive at all the best and disturbing parts. You are hooked from the get go and sucked into this story. The use of such descriptive language allowed the reader to feel hatred and annoyance towards a certain character as well as empathy for another.

The concept for this horror short was so unique and I need more creepy pawn shop find stories!

If you're a fan of horror, do not pass up this story!

(Side note- but I definitely would have done the same thing..)

[Joan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, James Alexander

This is a hilarious creepy story. It's a very quick complete story.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ted buys a used air conditioner from a pawn shop for five dollars. It transports him to a weird dimension

[Artist_carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short story, but complete. The horrors of buying an old air conditioner.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly entertaining and quick read. I believe an entire series could be written based on the horrors contained within that pawn shop.