Phantom Rift: A Novella

by Dylan Gibbs

Barry’s life in the small town of Orchard Bay is a slow slide into dead-end job, fading joy, and nothing to look forward to but another day just like the last. Until one morning, he wakes to find the streets empty. No people. No animals. All is quiet. It may look like his world, but he's gone someplace else.

Barry soon learns the key to returning home is sleep again. But each time he lays his head, it tears him from one reality into another, trapping him in a relentless cycle.

The other side appears deserted at first, but shadows stir… and something seems to be following him. Has his fate already been decided, or can he close the rift between worlds before it’s too late?

141 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2025

About the author

Dylan Gibbs is from a small town in Central New York. He is a family man first and foremost. He has a wonderful wife and three beautiful children. Although he works a blue-collar job, he's spent his adulthood writing stories. Dylan has always been curious about the things that frighten us most. His writing style is primarily geared for young adult readers but anyone with a love of horror and thriller genres will enjoy. He has plans for several future publications.

Reviews

[Bo Poske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thanks to Dylan Gibbs for sending me a copy of this atmospheric, reality-warping nightmare. From the first chapter, I was locked in. Barry’s dead-end routine in Orchard Bay gets ripped apart the moment he steps outside to find the world emptied, no people, no animals, just a hollow version of home that feels wrong in all the quietest ways.
What follows is a relentless cycle of sleep and slipping, each dream dragging Barry into another distorted reality. The tension builds beautifully: every new world feels more unstable, more threatening, and whatever’s hunting him starts to feel uncomfortably close at your back while reading.
Gibbs nails the tone of cosmic loneliness in this novella. Turning Barry’s search for a way home into something both terrifying and strangely emotional. It’s horror wrapped in existential dread, the kind that lingers long after you turn the last page

[Mike S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book from this author. Quick read but very good story. I couldn’t put the book down.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Dylan! Another 5 star read from this author !! Read his books you won’t be disappointed!

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story although it did pull some strong emotions from me. This book deals with some difficult topics of suicide and suicidal ideation. That may be triggering to some readers but I think it is done so tastefully. Being such a short story the author really makes you fall in love with the characters quickly. It's a perfect book if you only have a few minutes here and there to read and is easily digestible.

[Lyndsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Met the author at a book fair in Watertown last year and picked up a couple of his books!
Phantom Rift was an enthralling story from the start. The pace is very steady, keeps you interested, and builds suspense up to the right moment. I do feel the prose can be plain at times and rigid at worst, but the concept makes up for it. It’s a unique take on mental illness and how it literally haunts you. A short read but a good one.
Definitely give it a chance!