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Study Long, Study Wrong
For fans of Black Mirror and The Last House on Needless Street, Study Long, Study Wrong is a mind-bending psychological horror short story about false memories, déjà vu, and the terrifying possibility that your thoughts aren't always your own.
What begins as an ordinary night of Spades between lifelong friends quickly unravels into something far more unsettling when a conversation about the Mandela Effect awakens memories that shouldn't exist.
A missing friend.
An empty chair.
A feeling you can't quite explain.
Some questions are better left unanswered.
Perfect for readers who enjoy psychological horror, cosmic horror, reality-bending fiction, the Mandela Effect, false memories, déjà vu, unsettling mysteries, and twist endings.
Your thoughts are not always your own.
What begins as an ordinary night of Spades between lifelong friends quickly unravels into something far more unsettling when a conversation about the Mandela Effect awakens memories that shouldn't exist.
A missing friend.
An empty chair.
A feeling you can't quite explain.
Some questions are better left unanswered.
Perfect for readers who enjoy psychological horror, cosmic horror, reality-bending fiction, the Mandela Effect, false memories, déjà vu, unsettling mysteries, and twist endings.
Your thoughts are not always your own.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 19, 2026
A short but memorable take on the Mandela Effect, revolving around a group of long time friends playing Spades, and one of them experiencing a series of weird moments. It's not easy to get what's going on straightaway, but towards the last third of the story things clear up somewhat. Dialogue and characterization are the work's strengths, plotting and resolution not as much, but still of great interest. If you like reality-bending ideas (such as no-clipping out of reality, for example), this tale will be right up your alley!
August 10, 2026
What a tale?!
This was the type of chilling that most people can’t achieve in such a short story. The writing was beautiful and haunting, and I was engaged the entire time.
I loved that the banter happened over the Spades table because that’s such a common practice in our households. There was something so familiar about that setting while the unknown sat at the forefront of our minds.
The themes of loss and grief were haunting, but I also loved that the story felt unfinished in a way that made me sit with it. It lingered.
I used assistive reading to start this one, then I turned it off because I was too invested to listen to somebody else read it to me. 😂 I needed to experience this one myself!
This was so well written, and I definitely plan on reading more from this author. If he can achieve this much in a short story like this I can only imagine what else he has in store !!
This was the type of chilling that most people can’t achieve in such a short story. The writing was beautiful and haunting, and I was engaged the entire time.
I loved that the banter happened over the Spades table because that’s such a common practice in our households. There was something so familiar about that setting while the unknown sat at the forefront of our minds.
The themes of loss and grief were haunting, but I also loved that the story felt unfinished in a way that made me sit with it. It lingered.
I used assistive reading to start this one, then I turned it off because I was too invested to listen to somebody else read it to me. 😂 I needed to experience this one myself!
This was so well written, and I definitely plan on reading more from this author. If he can achieve this much in a short story like this I can only imagine what else he has in store !!
July 21, 2026
**★★★★★**
This was such a fun, unexpected read.
The story weaves together the Mandela Effect and one of my all-time favorite card games, Spades, in a way that felt both familiar and just a little unsettling. It reminded me of those nights spent laughing, talking trash across the table, and just enjoying the people around me. It honestly felt like I was sitting with old friends again.
Then I got to the end...
No spoilers, but somehow I walked away questioning my own memory for a second. I don't know if that was intentional or if my brain just decided to join the story, but either way, I loved the experience.
Another great read that proves you don't need hundreds of pages to leave a lasting impression.
This was such a fun, unexpected read.
The story weaves together the Mandela Effect and one of my all-time favorite card games, Spades, in a way that felt both familiar and just a little unsettling. It reminded me of those nights spent laughing, talking trash across the table, and just enjoying the people around me. It honestly felt like I was sitting with old friends again.
Then I got to the end...
No spoilers, but somehow I walked away questioning my own memory for a second. I don't know if that was intentional or if my brain just decided to join the story, but either way, I loved the experience.
Another great read that proves you don't need hundreds of pages to leave a lasting impression.
July 19, 2026
A chilling read.
I’m a big fan of stories that can take you full circle and Michael does that well in his story that features a thought provoking concept.
It starts off with a simple game of spades, but in an instant, we feel uncomfortable as Mason starts to “remember”. We feel what Mason feels and it’s an intense, unnerving feeling you get when you want to know more and the thing is, everything is already there. Well done storytelling!
Loved this short, one I certainly will remember.
I’m a big fan of stories that can take you full circle and Michael does that well in his story that features a thought provoking concept.
It starts off with a simple game of spades, but in an instant, we feel uncomfortable as Mason starts to “remember”. We feel what Mason feels and it’s an intense, unnerving feeling you get when you want to know more and the thing is, everything is already there. Well done storytelling!
Loved this short, one I certainly will remember.
July 23, 2026
So.. This short story really captured my attention! A group of college friends meet up as usual to play spades but one friend has been missing for years and it’s something the group doesn’t talk about, but why? There are some secrets going on. The way the plot twisted into something I was not expecting gave me the chills. I love the way Michael writes and keeps you wanting more from these short stories is top tier.
July 23, 2026
Another amazing short story by Michael! I loved how he portrayed the Mandela effect in this book. His writing style is beautifully articulate and his words flow seamlessly. And the “get that weak shit outta here” genuinely made me chuckle 🤣
Loved this!
Loved this!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews