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Stung: A Short Horror Story
Something has arrived at the Miami Docks. Something deadly. It had stowed away in one of the shipping containers and now an unsuspecting dock worker has released it. How will Miami survive?
This is a short story at 10,000 words.
This is a short story at 10,000 words.
34 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2016
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 12, 2016
A quick paced short story about something that escapes from a shipping container at the docks. Really, several short stories because each chapter follows a different individual and how they are affected.
February 5, 2017
Stung by Alec John Johnson is a 35-page short horror story. Either Amazon or the author helpfully pointed out that the story is about 10 000 words so for readers who pay attention to their reading speed like a runner pays attention to pace and stride this story is a helpful measuring device. Unfortunately, that is the best feature of this short story. The writing is good and keeps the reader going to the next page, and then the next. There is a suspenseful build up and then it is as if the writer were interrupted, went away to do something else, and never returned. There are three parts, called chapters, with a character name that identifies each chapter.
Emilio works on the docks. Each morning he must empty trucks of their containers so arriving carriers could take the pallets of goods to their final destination. He wasn't sure where the low buzzing sound came from; he wasn't even sure if it was real. It might just be another gift of last night's alcohol binge. But the buzzing got louder and something landed on his arm. The small insect was amazingly colorful. As Emilio looked at it, he saw evidence of an imminent sting. When he swept the insect off his arm before being stung, the air around him seemed to erupt with buzzing which became louder and louder. Emilio decided to make a break for his car and get out of the area. Did he make it? The answer would be a spoiler and this is a no spoiler review.
Chapter Oil introduces James Roth, an unwilling helper for an extremely attractive neighbor whose husband was gone a lot and whose kids were in school. There were hints of possible playtime if he would just do one small favor. It seems he was asked favors on a weekly basis and there had yet to be a reward. This time he would change the oil in the neighbor's car. But it was a difficult job with a car that had all its component parts placed very close together. When James severely scraped one of his fingers and pulled back in pain, he dislodged the oil pan cover and was drenched in hot oil. He scrubbed so vigorously to remove the oil that he didn't see the amazingly colorful insect that landed on his arm. While under the car he had heard a low buzzing. Now he had met its creator. Will James survive the meeting? See the last sentence of the paragraph above.
Chapter Amanda & Tony find the mother and son in a small apartment with outside temperatures so hot that Amanda had to leave a patio door and kitchen window open to catch the occasional breeze. Because she was listening to her favorite radio show, she didn't hear the buzzing. But she heard the screams. The screaming seemed to be far away at first; it also seemed to be heading her way as the screams became more numerous and intense. At the same time, the radio broadcast an emergency message, something about foreign insects arriving in the US. Everyone was told to stay at home or place of employment. That was fine with Amanda; she had already closed the patio door and kitchen window. The noise of the screaming decreased. The buzzing decreased except for the one that was in her house. She could only hide in Tony's room for so long. She knows she must grab her child, get to her car, and flee to a safer area. Does she succeed? See the end of paragraphs two and three.
I can safely say that I would never write a spoiler for the end of this short story. I can't find it. The writing carries the reader along and then flees. I feel like suing for writer abandonment. I do not recommend this short story to anyone except to those who want to see some fairly good writing that goes nowhere. Maybe the author will feel the urge to continue this nice beginning in the future.
Emilio works on the docks. Each morning he must empty trucks of their containers so arriving carriers could take the pallets of goods to their final destination. He wasn't sure where the low buzzing sound came from; he wasn't even sure if it was real. It might just be another gift of last night's alcohol binge. But the buzzing got louder and something landed on his arm. The small insect was amazingly colorful. As Emilio looked at it, he saw evidence of an imminent sting. When he swept the insect off his arm before being stung, the air around him seemed to erupt with buzzing which became louder and louder. Emilio decided to make a break for his car and get out of the area. Did he make it? The answer would be a spoiler and this is a no spoiler review.
Chapter Oil introduces James Roth, an unwilling helper for an extremely attractive neighbor whose husband was gone a lot and whose kids were in school. There were hints of possible playtime if he would just do one small favor. It seems he was asked favors on a weekly basis and there had yet to be a reward. This time he would change the oil in the neighbor's car. But it was a difficult job with a car that had all its component parts placed very close together. When James severely scraped one of his fingers and pulled back in pain, he dislodged the oil pan cover and was drenched in hot oil. He scrubbed so vigorously to remove the oil that he didn't see the amazingly colorful insect that landed on his arm. While under the car he had heard a low buzzing. Now he had met its creator. Will James survive the meeting? See the last sentence of the paragraph above.
Chapter Amanda & Tony find the mother and son in a small apartment with outside temperatures so hot that Amanda had to leave a patio door and kitchen window open to catch the occasional breeze. Because she was listening to her favorite radio show, she didn't hear the buzzing. But she heard the screams. The screaming seemed to be far away at first; it also seemed to be heading her way as the screams became more numerous and intense. At the same time, the radio broadcast an emergency message, something about foreign insects arriving in the US. Everyone was told to stay at home or place of employment. That was fine with Amanda; she had already closed the patio door and kitchen window. The noise of the screaming decreased. The buzzing decreased except for the one that was in her house. She could only hide in Tony's room for so long. She knows she must grab her child, get to her car, and flee to a safer area. Does she succeed? See the end of paragraphs two and three.
I can safely say that I would never write a spoiler for the end of this short story. I can't find it. The writing carries the reader along and then flees. I feel like suing for writer abandonment. I do not recommend this short story to anyone except to those who want to see some fairly good writing that goes nowhere. Maybe the author will feel the urge to continue this nice beginning in the future.
February 7, 2017
Honestly, not too much here. “Stung” by Alec John Johnson is a short story that leaves you hanging.
Some strange insects that are kind of like bees, but larger and blue in color, got into the country by a ship that came into Florida. The bees get out, start stinging people who then die a miserable, painful death and then the victims turn blue.
A woman is alone in her apartment with her son when she hears a report telling the people in her area of Florida not to go out because of the killer bees. Her husband is at work and she has to protect herself and her son.
Suddenly she hears a buzzing sound and sees that one of these strange bees got into her apartment. After some close calls with the killer bee she gets out with her son, runs to her car, and drives off onto I-95.
And then what? I don’t know. The story ends there. Really I’m not giving the story away. I knew that somehow the mother and son would get out unharmed. But it was kind of exciting reading how they escaped. I would have liked to have read a little more about the situation. Like what happened to the bees. Does cold weather kill them? Are these insects on their way to New York because if they are I better buy a case of insect spray killer.
The story left me wanting more and unsatisfied. It has a good premise but no follow through.
Find all my reviews at https://sharonreadsblog.wordpress.com/
Some strange insects that are kind of like bees, but larger and blue in color, got into the country by a ship that came into Florida. The bees get out, start stinging people who then die a miserable, painful death and then the victims turn blue.
A woman is alone in her apartment with her son when she hears a report telling the people in her area of Florida not to go out because of the killer bees. Her husband is at work and she has to protect herself and her son.
Suddenly she hears a buzzing sound and sees that one of these strange bees got into her apartment. After some close calls with the killer bee she gets out with her son, runs to her car, and drives off onto I-95.
And then what? I don’t know. The story ends there. Really I’m not giving the story away. I knew that somehow the mother and son would get out unharmed. But it was kind of exciting reading how they escaped. I would have liked to have read a little more about the situation. Like what happened to the bees. Does cold weather kill them? Are these insects on their way to New York because if they are I better buy a case of insect spray killer.
The story left me wanting more and unsatisfied. It has a good premise but no follow through.
Find all my reviews at https://sharonreadsblog.wordpress.com/
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews