Deadbolt

by John Ashley

Lock the doors and windows, check them exactly seven times, or else it might get in...

Every night when the clock strikes ten, there’s a knock at Mrs. Grayson’s cabin door and a voice that sounds just like her husband Greg, pleading for her to open it.

With her dementia getting worse, Mrs. Grayson can’t be sure what’s real or not anymore. But she is sure of one thing: Greg Grayson has been dead for years.

From the author of The Dark Thing comes a chilling new tale that will have you double-checking your locks before bed.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Novella, Ebooks, Fiction, Adult, Supernatural

25 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2024

About the author

John Ashley is a freelance writer and indie author who lives in Springfield, Missouri. What started as a love for ghost stories and Goosebumps books turned into a lifelong passion for all things horror, and writing horror books is the bloody, beating heart of that passion. When he’s not writing, John enjoys watching sports, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with his wife and their three pets.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing concept and written beautifully. Mrs. Grayson struggled with reality vs what her diminishing mind may have been portraying. Reminded me in of I Am Legend a bit with the vampires yelling out "Neville!" Some good creepiness there, but not a ton of it used excessively. The author really worked hard to keep the focus on our lead, leaving the reader as unsure of the situation as she was. And that's where it needed to be and stay. Great use of the horror elements and the ending, while open-ended, worked out perfectly. I'm new to John Ashley, but he sure as hell has my attention now.

[Vicki Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventh Time
is the Charm...

DEADBOLT
by John Ashley

No spoilers. 4 stars. Seven was a good number for Judy Grayson. It was lucky and holy...

It was the number of times she checked the locks on her windows and doors each night before going to bed...

Then, and only then, she could relax...

The trouble was, with her diminishing memory, she could never be certain that she'd checked the locks seven times...

Or at all...

She supplemented her locking regime with prayer. She prayed three times after locking up because three was holy, too...

On this night...

Widow Grayson sat and watched the clock over the fireplace move toward ten o'clock. She couldn't let herself fall asleep yet...

Because her short-term memory wasn't so good. It sent chills down her spine at the thought that maybe she'd forgotten to lock a door or window...

But...

She was sure that she had locked them and that she'd locked them seven times each just a few minutes ago...

Or had she locked them...
the night before?

What would happen if she had forgotten and the ten o'clock visitor was at the door?...

Each night, the Visitor begged to be let in. Whoever it was, they were as reliable as clockwork...

And...

She was unable to rest until ten o'clock passed, and the Visitor returned to wherever it was he'd come from...

Tonight...

She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd left something unlocked...

Then she remembered...

The deadbolt! And at that moment, there was a knock at the door...

This was a short story that was filled with tension, and I'm not so sure it should be read at bedtime. Whether your mind is intact or you're sometimes forgetful, who among us hasn't at some point wondered if they had checked their locks before going to bed or, was it last night the locks were last checked?

BTW, loved the cover!

[Meghann_84 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really creepy 🫣🫣😱
~ E📖

[Gabrielle Branch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic and very well done CREEPY short story!!

[Risshan Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable quick read. Definitely leaves you not really sure if this is some kind of mimic entity or something just more on the psychological side. Creepy!

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smartly done, creepy and well paced short story, grounded on our familiar fear of strange knockings at the door. The main character is an old woman with dementia, the narrative is drowning in confusion and self-doubt (however, the stress on ritual and iteration pointed also to OCD), and the bizarre experiences she undergoes are described in full exploitation of the relevant fear factor. Chilling ending, and though sad, extremely satisfying!

[Makayla Doering · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
It's hard for such a short story to be scary, and while this wasn't terrifying it was definitely creepy!

[dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

is the “horror” in the room with us?

[andi [under construction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

[Steph's_Creepy _Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made me feel really sad, then the ending blew my mind. I just needed a bit more. I'd have loved for this to have been an in depth horror ft dementia.

[MikeLikesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short story but very well written. It had me wondering what was really going on and who or what was at the door every night at 10 pm.

I had questions too. Why didn’t the daughter intervene as the woman became less lucid and only checked on her every two weeks?

But my biggest question is what happened to the cat at the end?

The ending actually was perfect. This short story had just the right amount of insanity and creepiness.

[jane.stejsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read anything John Ashley writes. John is extremely talented horror writer and I can’t wait to read more of his work.

Deadbolt is short horror novella but it still managed to scare the shit out of me within it’s 25 pages.

Don’t forget to lock your doors & windows tonight and check they’re locked seven times…

Don’t say I didn’t warn you…..

[manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

No thank you … that was short but packed a punch. Just enough to get under my skin.

[Leigh.empresselly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story!! It was fun and creepy! Perfect 🤩

[Chuck Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very “fun” creepy short story. Loved the dementia angle and the overall structure/flow of the story. A good, quick read!

[Paige Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was done extremely well for being a short story. Let me clarify by saying that short stories aren't bad by any means. This particular story didn't lack any major components that makes a story great. I felt very satisfied and didn't feel like I was left wanting more answers. I loved how realistic this was and I really felt the old woman's emotions as I read on. This was beyond terrifying and creepy as hell. The mind can be such a dark place...

This is less than 30 pages. Perfect to read before bedtime if you are brave enough...

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
A short story detailing the last encounters an elderly widow with dementia had with an unknown entity disguised as her deceased husband.

Review:
A fast paced short story that gives the reader a closer inward monologue of developing dementia. Devastating inner thoughts of the main character are muddled gradually to demonstrate how the disease progresses. It helps give brief understanding & increased compassion to the victims of this disease which robs so many of precious time with their loved ones. The entity is creepy, very skinwalker like with minimal description leaving a lot of its features to the imagination.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading horror shorts throws me back to watching horror anthology shows when i was younger. where some were good, some were just okay and then some were bad. sometimes you'd get extra lucky and you'd watch one that would stick with you years later.

i think that can obviously apply to these little bite sized horror stories. you've got your dirt mixed in with your gold. thankfully this one was hit the mark.

well written, very creepy and surprisingly depressing.

i know i say this a lot, but i'd kill for a longer version of this.

[Stevie Hostetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying Short Story

Be sure to check 7 times. That is the number engrained into Mrs. Grayson's mind. This book was devastating and fun. Each page brought a new clarity. I could feel the fear Mrs. Grayson had. I could see the tension in her steps. I could hear the anxiety in her mind.

If you want a short read that is brilliant and beautiful read this book. It definitely blurs the lines between reality and fiction.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eerie story that will have you double checking your locks tonight!

Mrs Grayson is constantly checking her locks and hearing her husband at the door even though he has been dead for years.
this short story really captures memory loss that comes with dementia and how much you question yourself and lose track of time.

Another Five stars for me! can’t wait for the next book!

[Ravynne Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

A great horror short read! If you're looking for a scary read for the holiday, I'd definitely recommend this one.

[Rhonda Ofstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick read

Short story as 25 pages. Creepy story! Story about woman who has dementia as there’s clock strikes at 10 then there’s knock

[Kelly Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect creepy horror short novella just in time for Halloween

It’s 10pm, Knock knock……will you open the door?

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more!!!

This was recommended to me and my goodness!!! I need more!!! It was so good! And I read it on Halloween 🎃 and perfect timing! This was an easy 5 star!

[Gabby17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely mid.

[momaddictedtobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super creepy and only 25 pages 😱

[Baiba Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man! 😨

[yan · Rating 4 out of 5]

not much to say. it was really creepy due to the realistic aspect of it but the ending wasn’t anything memorable
3.5

[Alana Schafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mistake reading this at midnight. Checking that all my doors and windows are locked, ASAP.

Also, I hope the cat was okay.

[Kelly Siders · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick little spooky read!