The Dummy: A Supernatural Horror Short Story

by William Massa

A lifelike dummy. A strange dinner party. A soul that won’t stay dead.

When struggling actor/waiter Luke Barrett is assigned to serve a bizarre memorial dinner, he doesn’t expect the guest of honor to be a creepy carpool dummy—or for the night to follow him home.

But soon, Luke begins blacking out. Seeing things. Becoming someone else.

As his reality unravels, he realizes the dummy isn’t just a lifeless prop.

It’s watching. Waiting. And it wants in.

From bestselling author William Massa comes a chilling short story of possession and occult terrors. A quick read that can be read or listened to in one unsettling sitting.

Genres: Horror

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[TreeFlower · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Luke wants to be an actor. It’s the thought that gets him through his day and his job as a waiter. He doesn’t like being a waiter but he has to admit it’s an easy gig and it pays the bills while he tries to land himself a role on the road to stardom. He never dreamed his job as a waiter would have him playing another kind of role. A pawn to what seems to be a creepy cult of old women and their Mannequin leader.

This was a short, creepy read that I enjoyed! It started fast and ended fast but it kept me hanging on the entire time. I foresee myself reading the next book and look forward to it!

[Trevor]

Struggling actor Luke Barrett is shocked when while doing his day job, a waiter, a strange part brings a dummy to a dinner. What follows is a total breakdown of his life, as a strange cultist tries to take over his body, using the dummy as a conduit. Good quick read, as Luke struggles to keep his sanity and life.

[Nancy Warr · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very fast paced quick read. Everything happens very quickly not a bad read but could have moved at a little slower pace. A two in a half star rating

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast and a fun read! I really enjoyed the story has a fun ending.

[Tony Dure · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

A good read to take up 30mins or so, the story does grip you into finding out what happened in the end

[Kat Colangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. Was a great pace, twists and turns, interesting plot and definitely gave me goosebumps. I'm definitely going to read more from this author.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis:
A waiter serves an unusual group having a memorial dinner. Among the guests is a creepy dummy that looks like the deceased and may have more life than its human counterpart.

Review:
This was surprisingly good! I’m always a little hesitant with novellas, but this slaps. It was well-written, with effective suspense building, and the dummy was so creepy! “The Dummy” is definitely worth the read!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read in one sitting. interesting.