Lucky: a horror short

by Amanda Ruzsa

Erin Gardner only wanted a peaceful morning and a few photos to escape the gray grind of her call center life. But when she finds a four-leaf clover deep in the woods, everything changes—luck floods in like a dream. Drawn back to the forest where it all began, Erin finds herself hunted by something far more ancient and monstrous than she could’ve imagined.

Her wish came true.

Now, it wants her back.

“Lucky” is a chilling descent into twisted magic, folklore, and the terrible price of luck too good to be true.



“Amanda has a way with punching you in the throat with words.” - Alyssa, Goodreads Review

14 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2025

About the author

Amanda lives in Minnesota with her husband, three children, a dog and two cats. When she isn’t buried in a spooky book, she enjoys baking and spending time with her family— usually watching creepy movies or playing outrageous board games. In her free time, she enjoys collecting Halloween decor, writing macabre poetry, reorganizing her books and coming up with ways to surprise and amuse her friends and family. It has been a lifelong joke among her friends and family that Amanda is a member of the ‘grammar police.’ Writing and reading have always played a huge part in her life, stemming from growing up idolizing the talents of her Mother: a novelist, artist and journalist. Amanda began creating stories and crafting poems at a young age and never stopped. Now, reading and writing is still a huge part of her everyday life, and she feels blessed to be able to share her love of spooky stories with so many.

Reviews

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky by Amanda Ruzsa
🍀🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🍀
This is a fun and super short horror novella.
A young woman, Erin, finds a four-leaf clover in the woods on the first day of spring. After finding this clover, good things start to happen to her on her way to work and even continue while at work.
However, Erin might have pushed her luck when she finds a note left on her desk talking about going back to the woods to find a treasure. Once arriving back in the woods, things don’t go according to her plan and tactically begin to take a different turn for Erin.

As always, Amanda knows how to write an awesome story, and this doesn’t disappoint!!

Thank you to Amanda Ruzsa for a copy of this great read!
*It’s out now and is a fun and quick read!!*
🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

[Allia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda certainly knows how to pack a huge punch in few words. This particular story just had me wanting so much more. So I guess she lost a star for being too good that I cant get enough haha

[Brandon Reviews Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, haunting, and satisfying

Lucky, by Amanda Ruzsa, brings back so many memories of being a child and constantly digging through the weeds to find myself a lucky 4-leaf-clover. What would I have done with it? What could I have achieved?

But this story also asks the question: what is the cost of finding one? Of being lucky for a day?

When Erin finds the lucky clover her day became spectacular. She won a prize at her coffee shop, got the best parking spot at work, and even got a promotion. But when a mysterious letter appears on her desk congratulating her on her luck, she soon finds out that she might not be as lucky as she first thought.

The nostalgia is real with this quick-pace thrilling story. But be warned, even though it's only about 14 pages long, this has one of the most gruesome scenes I think I have ever read.

I think I say this every time, but Amanda Ruzsa has once again proven that she is the queen at short horror, instantly hitting the reader where it hurts, and does so with such mastery that you would think you just finished a novel.

Easy 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Amanda Elizabeth Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is a short story but Amanda does an amazing job with it. Did you ever look for a four leaf clover in hopes of making a wish? What if you had found one? What wish would you have made? Erin finds one and it seems like her luck has changed until she find the note and goes back to the woods. Amanda is a master at filling a few pages with some of the best descriptions and gore and violence.

[Crys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super quick read that packs a punch! All the creepy St. Patrick’s Day feels. I really enjoyed this one 🍀

[Megan Russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about being careful what you wish for. Finding a four leaf clover never sounded so terrifying until Amanda Ruzsa wrote about it. When all the luck in the world turns bad there is nothing to do but be consumed by it. Or treasure it.

[Jess Beedle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got free on ku today for st Patrick’s day!! Lovely short read! Really great plot!

[Dawn Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, short Saint Patrick’s Day read. I always loved looking for four leaf clovers and never found one. Reading this….I’m glad that I never did. Gives new meaning to be careful what you wish for.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda has a way with punching you in the throat with words.

[Kiki Marie Bookish Wh0r3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story gives a quick little take on the luck of four leaf clovers. Its cute.

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun one. Amanda always described things really well. Man, never make wishes and don’t trust when things are going well for you.

[Jim Donohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda Ruzsa is a Master (Mistress?? Genius?? Yeah, Genius) at packing a whole lot into a few pages. She has wowed us in the past with her short horror fiction (We Should Leave, Blinded By The Lies, I Hope You Have Nightmares About Me, and others), as well as her two Poetry volumes, Blood of My Pen 1 and 2. Now she's done it again with Lucky: A Horror Short.
In this short story, released on St. Patrick's Day, appropriately, we meet Erin, who has had a rough go of it lately. But all of that is about to change when she finds a rare four-leaf clover in the woods. All of a sudden, her luck begins to change. Free coffee for a year, a promotion at work, things are beginning to go Erin's way, for sure.
But good fortune sometimes comes at a price.
And the hooded stranger in the green jacket has come to collect what is due.
Ms. Ruzsa has come through again with another winning story, proving once and for all, good things come in small packages. Brava!!