What Adam Wants:

by Michael Hebler

Losing a child during birth is difficult, but not as difficult as when that child refuses to leave.

Days after losing her child while giving birth, Rachel, and her husband, David, are haunted by the incessant cries of a baby. It is their stillborn, Adam, and he wants something from Rachel... something deadly.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Paranormal, Dark

20 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2016

About the author

Michael Hebler is a writer living in Southwest Florida. He was born in Los Angeles County and raised in Orange County, California. He wanted to write compelling stories with exciting characters from the age of 13, having been influenced by Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Robert R. McCammon. Mr. Hebler enjoys writing many types of fiction but finds that most of his inspiration comes from the thriller and horror genres.

Mr. Hebler recently took a hiatus from writing to explore other opportunities but is excited to return to writing this year (2023) to finish the last two books in his Chupacabra Series and explore some of his other story ideas. In 2024, he plans to release, RETURN OF THE CHUPACABRA: In 1990, after more than one hundred years since being seen, the Chupacabra returns to its blood-thirsty vengeance when a troubled young boy discovers and befriends the mysterious creature.

Visit Mr. Hebler's website: www.michaelhebler.com

Reviews

[Selene · Rating 2 out of 5]

A husband makes a difficult choice during a medical emergency at home: he chooses to save his wife over his unborn child. His wife doesn’t forgive him and neither does their child . . .

◈ Amazon freebie, short read, okay story.

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Rachel suffers a stillborn, she, and her husband David, are haunted by their son.

Very weird. Very creepy.

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh...the line "Time was not a healer; it was an elongator of suffering" really struck me as memorable. As for anyone who has lost a child, this rings oh so true. Rachel and David suffered a tragic loss and were now haunted by the sounds of a lost child, the trauma of the event, and their eroding marriage. Lots of anger, distrust, and resentment kept the flow of this story going strong. Very emotional and rough, this hit all the right notes for me. And it all got capped off with an ending that matched the tone of the book, leaving enough questions to make you ponder on it, without feeling like you were short-changed. A good outing with Michael Hebler.

[Linda Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel and David lost their baby boy, Adam, at birth. They are grieving terribly.

A baby's cries are heard .. seems to be coming from within the walls. At first they think it might be a baby monitor .. somehow connecting with another family on the street who have a child of their own. But that isn't it.

The crying is incessant ...and then the anger sets it. Rachel blames David. She told him if anything happened, he was to save the baby before her. He did not comply. When the baby was in distress, he wanted his wife to live. She thinks he was selfish and just didn't want the responsibility of raising a child by himself.

David blames Rachel ... she wanted a home delivery. If they had been in the hospital like he wanted, there would not have been a problem.

And the crying continues .... what is it that Adam wants?

This is a little out of my comfort zone, but it is a short story .. 16 pages ... so a very quick read. There were a couple of surprising twists that caught me offguard leading to an unforeseen ending.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short "ghostly horror" story. Full review to come.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel rolled her head towards David. Coddled under the white plush of his pillow, the back of her husband’s head rested motionlessly. The noise not only hadn’t bothered him, but he didn’t even stir, and why would he, if he hadn’t heard the baby’s cry too?

Facing away from her, David appeared to be asleep, though Rachel couldn’t be sure without seeing if his eyes were opened or closed. Even if he were under the spell of slumber’s luxury, Rachel couldn’t understand how that would be possible. Her eyes hadn’t closed for more than ten minutes in the last three days. Sleep repeatedly escaped her with no indications of returning. When she did make the attempt, her eyelids would scrape across her sensitive globes, as though all the tears she had cried left a residue as coarse as sand.

Wasn’t super creepy for me until that ending, holy crap!

Good spooky short to read for October, would recommend.

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fabulous cover for What Adam Wants by Michael Hebler looks like a room we would all want for our baby, but this short supernatural horror thriller will not be a lullaby you want to sing to your child.

They both heard Adam’s cries, but that’s not possible. Adam is dead.

As they pass the blame around through angry words and even a punch to the jaw, Adam lets them know he will not be ignored.

What does Adam want? What do you think? Betcha can’t guess.

In less than 10 minutes, Michael Hebler shares a couple’s devastating loss and adds an ending to die for! I never saw it coming!

I received a copy of What Adam Wants from Michael Hebler in return for an honest review.

To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a creepy tale! Rachel and David are a young married couple coming to terms with the loss of their first born son, Adam, but it looks like Adam is not quite ready to leave them. However, the haunting shows up the huge cracks in their marriage with devastating results. 4 stars

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Hebler has done it again. He’s given us another short horror story that feels like a long one. I’m always amazed at how well he can plop me right into a story at the beginning, just like the opening scene in a movie.

Welcome to dysfunction junction. Rachel and David recently lost their baby, Adam. It’s the beginning of a downward spiral for their marriage and a descent into hell.

All of their dreams are shattered and so is the silence. Rachel hears Adam crying and soon David does too. Adam’s cries get more persistent. Rachel must figure out what Adam wants.

There’s not much time to feel sympathy for these two. Shock gives way to grief, then numbness, then anger. You can imagine how they direct that anger. It’s not pretty.

And then there’s Adam. You know how ear piercing a baby’s cries are. Imagine them getting louder and louder until it feels like your head will explode.

The ending is a kick in the pants when you find out what Adam wants.

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars!

I give this book five stars! Who could ever think about a new born baby being a ghost. Now l can.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously freaky story.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that got dark real quick!

[Creedom Critiques · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Adam wants is a short story that follows the tragedy of losing a baby during a home birth. The father of the child blames his wife for the death because he would have preferred to have had the birth in a hospital and their relationship begins to fail from it. The story itself was well-written, but it was hard to relate to the characters or the plot. This first issue was the actual haunting. The father in the story had to make a difficult choice to save his child or his wife, during the risky birth. He saves his wife, and for some reason, she is upset at his for the decision he made. The second issue is the haunting. There was no reason the parents should have been haunted. They did nothing wrong to their baby. The haunting was also unbelievable because Adam died at birth, but the haunting was based around emotion, which he wouldn’t have developed until he was older. If these issues were corrected, it would be a great read.

[TISHA · Rating 2 out of 5]

So what would you do if you had to choose between the love of your life (your wife) and your newly born child if death was the option being presented? Who would you save? This is the scenario David was presented with when his wife, Rachel chose to have an at home birth for their son Adam. Things go terribly wrong and now all hell has broken loose a few nights after their son's Adam birth and death. I had high expectations for the story but it left me with questions and wanting more meat on the bones of this story. Sweet living Adam isn't so darn sweet if he wants dear ol' dad dead. Yes, David shouldn't have our his hands on Rachel, but I think something sinister was at play and it was not their dear son Adam. I know I am adding more to the story, but this is when those questions that I have come into play.

[Michael Bussa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story has an element of the supernatural, which I enjoy. The author offers just enough that it does not take all of the focus away from the main characters, and their problems. While it is not badly written, and did hold my interest from beginning to end, I felt something missing that I just couldn't put my finger on.

The short story is not an easy one to write. The author is challenged to create a complete, and palatable story in only a few pages. I am a short-story writer so I know how difficult it is. Three stars, only because I think the story could have been a bit more polished, though mostly for mechanics. Overall, I did enjoy it and I do recommend it.

[Ted Tayler · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Not for me"

I love a short story. I'm not a horror fan, but I like to read out of my preferred genre now and then. Sadly, this one didn't work for me in either bag. The ending was predictable, but I didn't care what happened, because I never got any sense of the character or situation of the parents. I need to be invested in the story.

[Jenny Ring · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story describes the disturbing and horrific consequences that can come from a very real tragedy. An angry baby ghost, two grieving parents, and a lot of blame to go around. Because there's always got to be someone at fault, right? Even in situations like this? Pretty upsetting, but I liked the writing style.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow this was very short but powerful. That choice that the husband had to make was very hard. I have never lost a child thank god but I have lost a niece and it was terrible would not wish it upon nobody.

[Rachel Noding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy going short read that filled 5 minutes. Not sure if I am inclined to go and read more of this authors books though

[Lisa Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping

Short and sweet , its gripping from the start and shocking too , I highly recommend this book , its a good read

[Donna George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Weird ending. Did not expect it and sad. Food for thought. Can’t think of any thing else to say. The end

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very sad story

Very sad and Grim story but it shouldn't played out like this. And it's way to short to even leave a good review about what Adam wants.

[Lennie Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy

I liked this. Simple, straightforward and creepy, this story is a good pick for horror fans looking for a quick and scary read. :)

[Kathleen Concannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Wow this was an awesome short story I loved it Way to go Michael you rock can’t wait to read another one

[Grampy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What Adam Wants” by Michael Hebler is a sad story. Although presented as fiction, one can’t help but wonder how many times a similar scenario has played out in real life.

Rachel and David so looked forward to the birth of their first child, Adam. His arrival was anticipated as being the watershed moment in which they would advance from being newlyweds, to becoming a family. But something went wrong, and little Adam was fated to not survive the traumatic event.

As might be expected, David and Rachel quietly began to blame each other for the tragedy, further tearing apart their already-fractured relationship. But was anybody really to blame? Perhaps Adam knows the truth. Yes, that would make sense. Adam would know if anyone was at fault for his untimely demise. But little Adam is dead, and he can’t communicate with the living.

Or can he?

Once again Hebler takes us for a wild ride, with only his imagination as our guide. “What Adam Wants” will leave you wanting more of the author’s story-telling talent. Fortunately, Hebler has penned several other stories and full-length novels with which to keep you enthralled. You can be confident each is a well-written adventure you will be glad you read.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously a creepy story, but good story. A married couple keeps hearing the shrieks and cries of their baby; baby Adam who died died not long after birth. I'm wondering if the mother is in deep grief and imagines the cries and the father is too impaired to know know what he hears. Very good read. My only complaint? It ended too abruptly. I want to know what's going on. What happened/happens with Adam's parents and why are his cries being heard, after all he's deceased Right???

[Lanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy, sad, and little fucked up. "What Adam wants" is a pretty good short ghost story. Although, I would liked to have seen more spookiness than just crying sounds, it's still a fun, quick little read.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting short read, not a lot in the way of character development or back story, not sure if this was meant to be a supernatural chiller or whether the death of the baby had driven Rachel mad, or both.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very strange...

[carol harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

This is a good read. It's just too short. it kept me reading. I wanna know what next. I love reads like this.