The Girl in the Attic

by John Ashley

“When I close my eyes to sleep at night, I can feel the devil watching me.”

Paranoid from experience and haunted by grief, a widowed mother devotes her life to protecting the one person she has left in the her young daughter, Emma. But something is trying to worm its way into their lives. Something that lives in the attic—and desperately wants out.

It pretends like it’s her daughter, too. At times, it’s almost convincing. If she ever fails to see through the mask of innocence it wears, there will be hell to pay.

From the author of Deadbolt and The Dark Thing, The Girl in the Attic is a haunting horror novella where nothing is as it seems.

***Includes a preview of John Ashley's upcoming novel When Angels Bleed***

Genres: Horror

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2025

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

[The Morbid Mama ☠︎︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME JOHN 😭😭😭

[Paige Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was equally sad as it was creepy! I loved this novella. Highly recommend for those who love unsettling horror with grief and supernatural elements.

The Girl in the Attic follows a widowed mother caring for her young 4 year old daughter. She’s also taking care of the thing in the attic and everything gets worse when her daughter notices her mother’s interactions with it. The twist was done well and it was a good quick read!

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I definitely had a feeling and the feeling was right. The first few chapters, I have read in the dark and couldn’t fall asleep 😂 it just scared the hell outta me. This was still such a great book and very well written.

[Maritza]

DNF @ 56%. I couldn’t take the first pov anymore.

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl in the Attic by John Ashley
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wow! Creepy, intense, emotional, well written and a must read!! This is a unique and entertaining psychological horror novella involving demonic possession.
A single mom is trying to raise her young daughter Emma and has an attic door in the house that must remain locked at all times. There are bad things in there. The mom is under a lot of stress since her husband passed away and doesn’t seem very stable with taking care of her daughter and managing the creature in the attic.
This story is suspenseful and has lots of twists and surprises. Things aren’t always what they seem.
There is lots of emotions and displays of families love along with deep and dark situations.
My jaw was left wide open with the ending!

*It’s out now and I recommend running for this one!!*

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on demonic possession, involving both severe mental issues and child abuse. It's neither gory nor really extreme, since the story's meant to confuse and distract the reader away from what's actually happening in the background. The choice ot use an unreliable narrator was quite bold, and I applaud Ashley for it: it made the whole thing very difficult to write, I imagine. The build up is excellent, though the first person POV and the flashbacks do take some of the suspense away. The ending is perfect; I thought it'd go a different way, and was pleasantly surprised to see the main character sticking to her guns till the very last page. Kudos!

[Ashley Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this one sucked me in and couldn’t put it down! Ended up randomly reading 30 pages and then finished it this evening. Easily could’ve been a one-sitting read, perfect for spooky season and guaranteed to mess with your emotions and your mind!
I’d read everything you write,📚☠️ 👏 There are definitely child/grief triggers, but he handled them with such care for the reader.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I had a good idea where this was going, the sense of dread was strong. Fantastic wee novella

[Laynee Abbott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short, only took about 20 minutes or so to read. Maybe I watch/read too much horror, but this was insanely predictable. I feel as if this story has been written many times with the same exact “reveal”. Idk, wasn’t very interestingz Not poorly written by any means, just obvious & boring tbh.

[Rhiannon Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐, rounded up

A fast little horror story of a widowed mother living along with her young daughter in a house and a mysterious presence in her attic. A woman trying to get through overwhelming sorrow and grief, doing her absolute best at caring for her very young daughter while constantly trying to appease the malevolent entity living in her attic. Is it a ghost, a demon, or is she simply going mad after enduring so much loss…

This quick, one-sitting tale has some very genuinely creepy images that resonate well after the story’s end. Recommended!

My thanks to John Ashley for providing the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mom, this story hit me HARD. After losing her husband, a young widow has devoted her entire life, no, her essence of being, straight to her daughter Emma. Plagued by anxiety and paranoia, the mom does her best to fend off the demon in her attic, lest it come for that which she holds most dear. A gripping psychological horror, you will NOT be able to stop once you start. John mastered the depths of a mother's love while capturing the depravity of deep-rooted psychosis. Everyone needs to read this novella ASAP!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read with a pretty interesting premise. The story had a nice balance of mystery and suspense, and while it wasn’t the most unpredictable book I’ve read, it kept me turning the pages to see how it all played out. Some parts felt a little slow and a few of the characters could have been fleshed out more, but overall it had enough eerie atmosphere and intrigue to make it worth picking up. Not perfect, but definitely not bad either—an okay, enjoyable read if you’re in the mood for something dark and unsettling.

[LJ🥀👻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am NOT okay. 😭😭
I was so confused during the whole book.. not about what was happening in it, but about how I was feeling about it. There were times where it was creepy, other times it was heartbreaking. The very last page though, that’s what got me. John Ashley has an amazingly brilliant mind, and I would recommend every single one of his books over and over again!

[Breanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah. I was not expecting such a gut punch of emotions. The Girl in the Attic is an intense rollercoaster that starts with unease and slowly builds into full-blown terror and grief. The vivid descriptions of the mother’s fear and what she goes through had my heart racing. And once all the pieces finally came together… my heart broke. This story sticks with you long after you finish it.

[Kelly Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well John Ashley has done it again…..I have had the pleasure of reading all of his books and not a one I didn’t love

This novella is the perfect horror that packs quite the punch

We follow a mother who has survived great loss and seemingly has held it together……there’s just one thing, something is in the attic

[Dan Mckeithan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional horror that can be read in one sitting. John brings jumps us into the psychological horror of a widowed mother who is taking care of her child and having to deal with a creature in the attic. Her grief may be feeding this creature/demon/ghost or is it all in her head? It is a gut shot for emotional trauma that keeps you on the edge.

[Ashley Lupo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t a horror story in the traditional sense. It’s the all to real horror of neglect and abuse. The tale of a child locked away in an attic, hidden and forgotten, is devastating in its simplicity and cruelty.

It’s a sad, sobering read that doesn’t rely on monsters or gore, just the tragedy of human failure. That’s what made it hit so hard.

[Tiana Wooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guessed the ending pretty early on but still enjoyed the ride. I do have one question though: if she thought it was a demon/Lucifer why was she feeding it? And when did that start? I would’ve liked to have a flashback of her putting Hannah up there. Was it before or after her husband died? Was it because she was “bad” like the note claimed or was it because she became deformed?

[Leigh.empresselly · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Ashley’s horror is an absolute automatic read!!
Intriguing! Mind blowing! Hair Raising!
This is how a short story is done! Once the realization of that twist hit; I was speechless..jaw on the floor!! Well done!
I love the dark elements and creepy vibes!

[Ella Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a bad feeling about this one.

I’m not giving anything away. It was short novella that leaves you wondering if you know what will happen. I love John’s writing as usual but it didn’t give me the angst I’m used to. It’s still a good story if you’re looking for it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't say too much in the review because of spoilers, but this was a great read. I was a bit dubious when I first started it, but the story went in a really dark direction that I loved.
A brilliant short read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I was already breaking when it was confirmed what was going on, but that end…That end broke me.

I do wish more information on a couple of the characters were given, but I was able to get what was going on.

[Michaela Louden · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was brilliantly book. I’m not a horror reader, but I also felt like I knew where the book was going?

I’ve also read the end and I feel like I’m missing something, like there was some big plot twist that everyone read, but me?

[Amanda Elizabeth Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this story hit me hard in my mama heart! This was a quick read but it was so good!

[Tonya Reads A Lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why? Why do I continue to come back again and again and continue to let you do this to me, John?!
It pulls you and keeps you entranced, even when you know it's going to wreck you

[jane.stejsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t shed a tear over a book in a long time. This one got me. I loved the story plot. I could kind of see where it was going, but the ending still surprised me. Well done!

[Maggie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg. Why? 😭😭

[Jaiden Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick one-sitting read that doesn’t hold back the punches. Tough one to get through once the plot starts rolling - will definitely be checking out more of John’s work.

[Tina Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great creepy read