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The Secrets Game: A Fight Like Final Girls Short Story
Welcome to Fight Like Final Girls, a multi-author collection of standalone Thriller and Horror short stories and novellas. In this series, you'll find badass characters fighting until they're the last one standing, doing anything necessary, in order to live until tomorrow. Could you do what they had to? Read and find out!
“I’ll be right back.” It was either the best, or worst, start to a horror movie marathon.
A weekend at the lake house to escape the pressure of impending graduation and adulting. Heather hoped it would be the time she and her friends needed.
Except the next thing any of them knew, one of their friends was dead in the kitchen. The only clue? A small note revealing a secret they’d kept from the group.
One by one, bodies pile up like horror movie tropes and Heather has a sinking feeling that her secret might be the worst of all. Will revealing her secret save her, or only make everything a hundred times worse?
Make sure you check out all of the Fight Like a Final Girl Collection!
“I’ll be right back.” It was either the best, or worst, start to a horror movie marathon.
A weekend at the lake house to escape the pressure of impending graduation and adulting. Heather hoped it would be the time she and her friends needed.
Except the next thing any of them knew, one of their friends was dead in the kitchen. The only clue? A small note revealing a secret they’d kept from the group.
One by one, bodies pile up like horror movie tropes and Heather has a sinking feeling that her secret might be the worst of all. Will revealing her secret save her, or only make everything a hundred times worse?
Make sure you check out all of the Fight Like a Final Girl Collection!
46 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2025
45 people want to read
About the author
Erica Damon
22 books56 followersErica Damon is a writer, equestrian, and artist living in Western Massachusetts. Her compulsively creative nature has led to a collection of ‘what ifs?’ and that sense of wonder weaves its way into her fiction. She writes thriller and horror under her name, and equestrian romance under the pen name, Isla Ryder.
In any genre, her goal is to sweep the reader into her world, keeping it grounded enough in reality that the reader doesn’t question a moment of the action.
This is what she loves helping other authors with, as she has discovered that she enjoys reading books in the early stages even more than published ones and helping writers to spin their stories into something riveting as a developmental editor. If she’s not writing, she’s likely out riding horses while ideas swirl in the background.
In any genre, her goal is to sweep the reader into her world, keeping it grounded enough in reality that the reader doesn’t question a moment of the action.
This is what she loves helping other authors with, as she has discovered that she enjoys reading books in the early stages even more than published ones and helping writers to spin their stories into something riveting as a developmental editor. If she’s not writing, she’s likely out riding horses while ideas swirl in the background.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 3, 2025
This is a deserted cabin that you don’t know wanna go to! Especially not with this group. This story was all gas, no brakes as Heather and her friends kept my anxiety at an all time high! When this group arrives for their weekend away, the secrets that were amongst them were deadly and dangerous. Overall a solid read that I would recommend & prefect for this season.
September 18, 2025
Fight Like Final Girls is a collection of seven separate short stories written by different authors. When I heard about this project, I jumped at the chance to be an ARC reader. I was born and raised on horror films where final girls reigned supreme.
The Secrets Game takes place in your stereotypically remote log cabin with no phone signal. However, the characters are all self aware enough to realise how their circumstances resemble countless slasher films. Nods to numerous famous horror movies are included and the story starts resembling a "meta" type of Scream script. I don't want to give away the ending but in keeping with the theme, there is a nice sting in the tail. Would recommend to any horror buff.
The Secrets Game takes place in your stereotypically remote log cabin with no phone signal. However, the characters are all self aware enough to realise how their circumstances resemble countless slasher films. Nods to numerous famous horror movies are included and the story starts resembling a "meta" type of Scream script. I don't want to give away the ending but in keeping with the theme, there is a nice sting in the tail. Would recommend to any horror buff.
September 28, 2025
***ARC Review
I LOVE IT!!! It was a short story and you can finish it in just few minutes. But gosh! I cannot imagine how the author was able to put in so many details where you can already imagine how exactly the story was happening in real life from start to finish.
This is my favorite in this collection. So if you’re gonna read all of the 7, I’d recommend for you to either read this one first or read it last.
I super enjoyed every line, every page, every chapter. Worthy to make this a movie.
I LOVE IT!!! It was a short story and you can finish it in just few minutes. But gosh! I cannot imagine how the author was able to put in so many details where you can already imagine how exactly the story was happening in real life from start to finish.
This is my favorite in this collection. So if you’re gonna read all of the 7, I’d recommend for you to either read this one first or read it last.
I super enjoyed every line, every page, every chapter. Worthy to make this a movie.
October 3, 2025
“The Secrets Game: Fight Like Final Girls Short Story” by Erica Damon is a suspenseful, twisty shocker! A lake house getaway turns deadly as Heather’s friends are picked off one by one—each body revealing a dark secret. The ending was shocking! Whose secret was worth dying for?
September 27, 2025
The Secrets Game
~Erica Damon
I’m thrilled to have had the chance to read three stories from A Fight Like Final Girls, a seven-part series. Of the three, The Secrets Game was probably my least favorite - yet it’s still a creative, chilling, and original entry in the series.
Let me start by introducing the cast of characters: Lulu and ex-fiancé Darren, Heather and her wealthy boyfriend Seth, Janey and Willem, and Fiona and Adam. The introduction feels a little rushed - I actually had to reread the beginning to sort everyone out, hence the intro - but once the story kicks off, it doesn’t slow down for a second.
This story centers on a group of friends whose weekend trip takes a sinister turn. After a girl’s night out, Lulu, fresh off a breakup with her cheating fiancé Darren, suggests the idea of a weekend getaway at Seth's parent's lake house. Heather is given the green light to plan the weekend, where she plans scary movies, snacks, and downtime. But as soon as the group arrives, unsettling events begin, leading to the first shocking murder. From there, tension escalates as secrets are exposed, alliances fray, and survival becomes uncertain. Some secrets should never be told… or should they?
Damon delivers a fast-paced, terror-laced tale that hooks you from the start. The premise is excellent, and the ending twist completely shook me. That said, I did wish for more character development - without deeper connections, it was hard to care strongly about any individual character’s fate. Personally, I think this concept would have thrived as a full-length novel, allowing the tension and characters to grow and develop more fully. Still, with the limited length of a short story, Damon crafted a gripping story that proves her storytelling skills.
I would like to thank Erica Damon for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for The Secrets Game. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.
~Erica Damon
I’m thrilled to have had the chance to read three stories from A Fight Like Final Girls, a seven-part series. Of the three, The Secrets Game was probably my least favorite - yet it’s still a creative, chilling, and original entry in the series.
Let me start by introducing the cast of characters: Lulu and ex-fiancé Darren, Heather and her wealthy boyfriend Seth, Janey and Willem, and Fiona and Adam. The introduction feels a little rushed - I actually had to reread the beginning to sort everyone out, hence the intro - but once the story kicks off, it doesn’t slow down for a second.
This story centers on a group of friends whose weekend trip takes a sinister turn. After a girl’s night out, Lulu, fresh off a breakup with her cheating fiancé Darren, suggests the idea of a weekend getaway at Seth's parent's lake house. Heather is given the green light to plan the weekend, where she plans scary movies, snacks, and downtime. But as soon as the group arrives, unsettling events begin, leading to the first shocking murder. From there, tension escalates as secrets are exposed, alliances fray, and survival becomes uncertain. Some secrets should never be told… or should they?
Damon delivers a fast-paced, terror-laced tale that hooks you from the start. The premise is excellent, and the ending twist completely shook me. That said, I did wish for more character development - without deeper connections, it was hard to care strongly about any individual character’s fate. Personally, I think this concept would have thrived as a full-length novel, allowing the tension and characters to grow and develop more fully. Still, with the limited length of a short story, Damon crafted a gripping story that proves her storytelling skills.
I would like to thank Erica Damon for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for The Secrets Game. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.
September 17, 2025
'A fight like final girls' is a set of short stories where a group of authors have each taken their own spin on this theme, and the difference between the stories (I was lucky to be able to read three in advance!) was amazing! Each brought something new to the theme, and I was blown away by how different they were, but all deliciously creepy they all were in their own rights! Definately the kind of popcorn read that you want to sit down with when it hits October "horror-slasher" season!
This book was my first dip into the set of stories, and what a great start! This one definately gave me traditional slasher-esq horror vibes but the twist at the end was so nicely done and unexpected! I went through all the typical horror emotions, only at the end to do a 180 and have an *what just happened* moment and feel all new kinds of feelings (trying to explain without spoiling is hard!). It was the perfect length; just right to curl up with at the end of a day on a cold Autumn night and be wondering if that tapping on your window is the wind... or something far more sinister...
I'm not usually a slasher-trope horror fan but I enjoyed this addition to the set of stories and it encouraged me to want to read more from the book.
This book was my first dip into the set of stories, and what a great start! This one definately gave me traditional slasher-esq horror vibes but the twist at the end was so nicely done and unexpected! I went through all the typical horror emotions, only at the end to do a 180 and have an *what just happened* moment and feel all new kinds of feelings (trying to explain without spoiling is hard!). It was the perfect length; just right to curl up with at the end of a day on a cold Autumn night and be wondering if that tapping on your window is the wind... or something far more sinister...
I'm not usually a slasher-trope horror fan but I enjoyed this addition to the set of stories and it encouraged me to want to read more from the book.
September 17, 2025
The Secrets Game: A Fight Like Final Girls Short Story by Erica Damon
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(4.5 rounded up)
This is a really fun and exciting short and creepy thriller story!
A group of friends decide to have a last hurrah at a lake house before graduation.
Secrets are revealed, but at what cost?
I didn’t move from beginning to end of this one. I had to know what was going to happen!
The ending is fantastic!! Jaw drop! 😱
Erica Damon’s writing is excellent and she knows how to pull you into a story!
This book, along with several other authors, will have short stories coming out on October 3rd in the Fight Like Final Girls Series.
I’m excited to read more books from the series!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(4.5 rounded up)
This is a really fun and exciting short and creepy thriller story!
A group of friends decide to have a last hurrah at a lake house before graduation.
Secrets are revealed, but at what cost?
I didn’t move from beginning to end of this one. I had to know what was going to happen!
The ending is fantastic!! Jaw drop! 😱
Erica Damon’s writing is excellent and she knows how to pull you into a story!
This book, along with several other authors, will have short stories coming out on October 3rd in the Fight Like Final Girls Series.
I’m excited to read more books from the series!!
January 5, 2026
Heather and her friends head to a lake house for a horror movie marathon, but the night takes a deadly turn when one by one, they start dying. Beside each body, a chilling envelope surfaces with a dark secret. It’s like they’ve stepped into their own slasher flick – and the suspense was killing me! I was hooked from start to finish, loving every twist.
October 22, 2025
Get in, sit down, and hold on!!! This was a quick short read that will grip you right at the beginning and won’t let go! Erica Damon does not disappoint!! Come find out why I’d skip this friend gathering! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
October 3, 2025
A perfect short story for spooky season. A classic slasher tale with a unique twist.
October 9, 2025
This is a great suspenseful short story that features some thrilling kill scenes, especially impressive for such a brief story.
October 16, 2025
Another great story in the Fight Like Final Girls collection! This one has similar vibes to Nostalgia.
Heather and her friends are finally getting away for the weekend at Seth's family's lake house. Just as their night is getting started, one of them is dead. Then another. And another. And each one comes with a note spilling their secrets.
A classic fast-paced, tension-filled slasher in a house with no cell reception, no wifi, and no way out. My heart was racing and my leg was shaking with anxiety trying to figure out who knew their secrets and who was behind it all. The isolated setting only added to the chilling atmosphere, and I loved the ending!
This was my first Erica Damon read it and will not be my last.
Heather and her friends are finally getting away for the weekend at Seth's family's lake house. Just as their night is getting started, one of them is dead. Then another. And another. And each one comes with a note spilling their secrets.
A classic fast-paced, tension-filled slasher in a house with no cell reception, no wifi, and no way out. My heart was racing and my leg was shaking with anxiety trying to figure out who knew their secrets and who was behind it all. The isolated setting only added to the chilling atmosphere, and I loved the ending!
This was my first Erica Damon read it and will not be my last.
September 27, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5
Read Again: yes
Recommend: yes
Fav Character: Janey
Least Fav Character: Seth
Favorite Scenes:
-Heather trying to figure out the best scary movies to watch
Least Favorite Scenes:
-Lulu’s leg being “broken” and her preventing them from escaping
-Heather stabbing the killer with the fire poker
Comments:
-I liked the aspect of the cards telling their secrets
-This book was like the movie Truth or Dare where they had to play the game and tell secrets or they died
-Heather, now why would you lie to your entire group of friends like that??
-This was a good short story read too!
Read Again: yes
Recommend: yes
Fav Character: Janey
Least Fav Character: Seth
Favorite Scenes:
-Heather trying to figure out the best scary movies to watch
Least Favorite Scenes:
-Lulu’s leg being “broken” and her preventing them from escaping
-Heather stabbing the killer with the fire poker
Comments:
-I liked the aspect of the cards telling their secrets
-This book was like the movie Truth or Dare where they had to play the game and tell secrets or they died
-Heather, now why would you lie to your entire group of friends like that??
-This was a good short story read too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2025
Secrets are something that can tear friendships and relationship apart. But what happens when it can kill people too? While at a lake house for a break, Heather and her friends quickly learn that someone knows their secrets and is making them pay for what they have done. Will they all come out unscathed or will they all succumb to the secrets they’ve told along the way?
A quick short story that is part of the 'Fight Like Final Girls' collection (6 standalone books that do not need to be together to understand but all have a similar theme).
Action packed and attention grabbing from the start.
**I received this short story as an ARC and I'm leaving my review voluntarily**
A quick short story that is part of the 'Fight Like Final Girls' collection (6 standalone books that do not need to be together to understand but all have a similar theme).
Action packed and attention grabbing from the start.
**I received this short story as an ARC and I'm leaving my review voluntarily**
September 15, 2025
Great novella!!!! Loved the twist too!!!! I would definitely read this if it was a full length book! Maybe? 🤔 😉 Will recommend this one for sure!!!!!
September 15, 2025
Such a fun read! I loved the suspense of this short story. As soon as you thought you had it figured out - the story changed again! Gives a guess who vibe! The ending will leave you speechless!
September 16, 2025
This was a fun one!
The building suspense made this short story a thrill! Secrets being spilled along with the blood...
This took a twist I did not see coming. Fantastic!
The building suspense made this short story a thrill! Secrets being spilled along with the blood...
This took a twist I did not see coming. Fantastic!
September 15, 2025
Oh my god!!! I freaking loved this story!! The slasher feel, the horror references, THE ENDING!!! So stoked to read more by Erica!!
September 15, 2025
A short and very exciting story. Loved it!
November 5, 2025
Someone knows all the secrets…. And they’re going to expose you for what you are… but playing games is a risk! Loved this- such a fun read.
October 5, 2025
The Secrets Game is a suspenseful thriller.
A group of friends decide to go away to one their parents lake house for a weekend getaway. The cabin is in the woods with no cell service. This gives one of the girls an idea to turn this creepy cabin in the woods weekend into the ultimate spooky weekend by watching scary movies. Before they can even start, someone is murdered, leaving the group fearing for their lives. As the bodies begin to pile up, so do the secrets because with each body, a secret is being revealed about the person. Is someone harboring a secret that's worth dying for?
The story is great and so was the plot, however.... I wasn't a fan of the plot twist. I just seemed like such a dumb thing to do for such an older aged group. They had to have known that things could have taken a turn for the worst. That being said, even though I wasn't a fan of the twist, I didn't see it coming.
The story is well written and attention grabbing. It moves at a pretty fast pace and keeps you hooked to the story line!
This story is part of a collection of thriller stories designed to give you the creeps and chills. If you enjoyed this one, make sure to check out the others as well!!!
A group of friends decide to go away to one their parents lake house for a weekend getaway. The cabin is in the woods with no cell service. This gives one of the girls an idea to turn this creepy cabin in the woods weekend into the ultimate spooky weekend by watching scary movies. Before they can even start, someone is murdered, leaving the group fearing for their lives. As the bodies begin to pile up, so do the secrets because with each body, a secret is being revealed about the person. Is someone harboring a secret that's worth dying for?
The story is great and so was the plot, however.... I wasn't a fan of the plot twist. I just seemed like such a dumb thing to do for such an older aged group. They had to have known that things could have taken a turn for the worst. That being said, even though I wasn't a fan of the twist, I didn't see it coming.
The story is well written and attention grabbing. It moves at a pretty fast pace and keeps you hooked to the story line!
This story is part of a collection of thriller stories designed to give you the creeps and chills. If you enjoyed this one, make sure to check out the others as well!!!
October 19, 2025
Playing the long game is an understatement for the characters in The Secrets Game.
A group of friends heads to a cabin for one last hurrah before graduation. What begins as a harmless night of horror movies and popcorn quickly takes a dark, deadly turn. They find themselves trapped in a twisted game—one that challenges their friendships and exposes a web of lies and betrayal.
Erica Damon is a new-to-me author, so I went in with no expectations—just looking for a quick, engaging read. I only wish it had been longer; I was left with questions and a craving for more. The who was both surprising and not, but the why was deliciously entertaining. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.
This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Erica Damon.
A group of friends heads to a cabin for one last hurrah before graduation. What begins as a harmless night of horror movies and popcorn quickly takes a dark, deadly turn. They find themselves trapped in a twisted game—one that challenges their friendships and exposes a web of lies and betrayal.
Erica Damon is a new-to-me author, so I went in with no expectations—just looking for a quick, engaging read. I only wish it had been longer; I was left with questions and a craving for more. The who was both surprising and not, but the why was deliciously entertaining. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.
This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Erica Damon.
October 3, 2025
I had a chance to be an ARC reader for the Fight Like a Final Girl Collection. I'm so grateful for my chance! Absolutely loved it! Can't wait to read all 7 books of this wonderful series.
The Secrets Game by Erica Damon was absolutely phenomenal — a solid 5-star read for me. It was a short story that you could read in one sitting. From the very beginning, it pulled me in and kept me completely hooked. I had multiple scenario's in my head over who the killer was, but the plot twist hit me out of nowhere. It was shocking in the best possible way and made the book unforgettable. This is the kind of thriller that keeps you turning the pages late into the night. Highly, highly recommended!
The Secrets Game by Erica Damon was absolutely phenomenal — a solid 5-star read for me. It was a short story that you could read in one sitting. From the very beginning, it pulled me in and kept me completely hooked. I had multiple scenario's in my head over who the killer was, but the plot twist hit me out of nowhere. It was shocking in the best possible way and made the book unforgettable. This is the kind of thriller that keeps you turning the pages late into the night. Highly, highly recommended!
November 1, 2025
The blurb sounded insane and like it had pure potential! However it did not meet the expectations I had.
Some friends meet at a lake house and one by one they get offed with a small envelope with a small secret about them. The last girl standing is fighting for her life! Until she’s not. It all ended rather abruptly with no real explanation. Other than they knew her secret and wanted her to say it. A really pathetic reason for killing people too unfortunately. Who would kill someone because they spread the flu on a holiday? Realistically? It just seemed janky, didn’t flow as it should and was left with more questions than answers. Highly disappointed
Some friends meet at a lake house and one by one they get offed with a small envelope with a small secret about them. The last girl standing is fighting for her life! Until she’s not. It all ended rather abruptly with no real explanation. Other than they knew her secret and wanted her to say it. A really pathetic reason for killing people too unfortunately. Who would kill someone because they spread the flu on a holiday? Realistically? It just seemed janky, didn’t flow as it should and was left with more questions than answers. Highly disappointed
September 15, 2025
This was a such a fun read! It was just supposed to be a fun weekend with friends but it took a major twist and and some secrets were told. It is a quick read but don't let that fool you it is thriller packed and really good! I highly recommend checking it out! You may think you have the ending figured it out and then the twist happens and shakes things all up and it makes the ending even better! It's a really great read if our looking for something short but also a thriller read!
September 21, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive and ARC copy of this short story. This is not my first read by Erica, I love her writing and I loved this short story.
A bunch of friends go to a lake house of the friend groups parents. They want to watch scary movies and have snacks. Things start happening and notes are found about secrets each person has been hiding.
It’s was really engaging and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end!
A bunch of friends go to a lake house of the friend groups parents. They want to watch scary movies and have snacks. Things start happening and notes are found about secrets each person has been hiding.
It’s was really engaging and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end!
October 20, 2025
The Secrets Game: A Fight Like Final Girls Short Story by Erica Damon
Secrets can hurt people and even sometimes kill them. I absolutely loved this story. The characters were very easy to follow along with. The story absolutely had me on the edge of my seat. I love horror movies so all of the references were easy to get. I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end. I loved it and wanted to read more!
*I received this as an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily*
Secrets can hurt people and even sometimes kill them. I absolutely loved this story. The characters were very easy to follow along with. The story absolutely had me on the edge of my seat. I love horror movies so all of the references were easy to get. I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end. I loved it and wanted to read more!
*I received this as an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily*
September 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I did enjoy this one but I didn't feel the characters were developed enough for me to really root for them. Great writing but it felt a little rushed. However another fight like a final girl story!
I did enjoy this one but I didn't feel the characters were developed enough for me to really root for them. Great writing but it felt a little rushed. However another fight like a final girl story!
September 22, 2025
Thank you for the ARC! This is apart of a series of Fight Like Final Girls stories and a very quick read. I actually wish this was longer with more details, however it was a fast thrill ride, with a fun little twist at the end.
September 24, 2025
This was a fun, quick read. It started off feeling a bit too cookie cutter "scary movie" but the author was able to throw some plot twists in to keep it creative. The writing style is great for short and entertaining scary stories, and I'm curious to read more from the author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews