Hither

by Asher Allen

From the moment Holly Käro and her family move into their new house, bizarre happenings plague them. Nine-year-old Thomas claims that a cherry tree came to life and tried to eat him. Five-year-old Katie reports disturbing words from a little girl who "lives in the walls" and has been there for "almost a hundred years." Spiders and other odious creatures beset the family, even as flooding and tornado warnings keep them within the house—a house that seems alive and intent upon tormenting its occupants.
But Holly cannot convince her husband that they are in danger. He does not believe that all is as it seems. And, in a way, he is right.

Genres: Fiction

59 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2025

About the author

Asher Allen worked as a journalist in the Navy, deploying to the Middle East and visiting ports around the world as he wrote. While stationed for a year on the remote island of Diego Garcia, he found time to write a novel (when he wasn’t reading Treasure Island on the white-sand beaches or palavering with giant coconut crabs).

Allen now focuses primarily on fiction, ranging from mermaid romance to brutal sci-fi survival. He has worked as a ghostwriter, but he’s alive as he writes this (though talking about himself in the third person, for some reason).

He likes to use em dashes—he was doing so even as a kid—so he won’t be giving them up just because AI started imitating his style.

Reviews

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this book to end. An intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I appreciated how there was more to the plot than what first meets the eye.

[Cyrus Summerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read! Never quite knew what would happen next. Has a nice weird twist to the ending!

[Philip Tallman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story!
It’s really hard for me to write this review without giving away some key moments of the story. My favorite moments are spoilers. You’ll just have to read it.
By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. This chilling tale had me guessing right up your the end, and even then, I didn’t see the ending coming!
I’m excited to see what genre Ash’s next story will be!

[Aaron Endsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. This was excellent, well done. A most enjoyable and intriguing hour, I do not want to say anything more, because I can't, without giving anything away, and that would spoil the whole thing. Well done!

[J Endsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Seriously. This was a great read. Glad I was given a chance to do so. Its hard to not give spoilers on this book, just read it.

[Ileana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful story! The Käro family was truly so endearing! I couldn't help but become invested in their story as if Holly were just a close friend telling me about her family's unbelievable experiences over a cup of coffee. This suspenseful story was full of many eery scenes, but they were balanced out with just as many heartwarming moments between the members of the Käro family. Despite the looming danger throughout the story, I found myself smiling and laughing at their interactions. Asher Allen has written such compelling and relatable characters!

If suspense and looming danger aren't your usual cup of tea for stories, still give Hither a try because not all is as it seems, and the ending is quite unexpected.

[Asher Allen]

. . .
Katie looked up at Holly, confusion furrowing her little brow. “You don’t see her, Mommy?”
Holly squatted just outside the closet. “No, baby, only you can see the friends you make up.”
“But I didn’t make her up.”
“Sweetie—”
“She said she’s been here for almost a hundred years.”
That caused Holly pause. A chill crept under her skin, and the weird neighbor appeared in her memory to say, “I warned you.”
“Sweetie,” Holly said, forcing the semblance of nonchalance into her voice, “can you ask Lucy if she loves Jesus?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“She left.”
“Where?”
“Sometimes she lives in the walls.”