Roommates: A Creepy Little Bedtime Story

by William F. Aicher

They're there. Inside your head. Little things. Foreign things. Friend or foe or maybe just part of you. Do you let them out? Do you let them grow? Do you do your best to kill them?

Roommates is the account of a man's struggle with a battle inside. A struggle for sanity and peace and the end of loneliness. No matter the cost.

The third of William F. Aicher's series of "Creepy Little Bedtime Stories" - tales created to read just before bed to help ensure a sleepless night.

Genres: Horror

16 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2016

About the author

William F. Aicher is the author of The Trouble With Being God, A Confession, The Unfortunate Expiration of Mr. David S. Sparks., Calibration 74, and the Phoenix Bones: International Monster Hunter series, as well as a series of short horror and suspense pieces collectively referred to as “Creepy Little Bedtime Stories.” Tending to lean toward the creepy and fantastical, his work has appeared alongside such well-known writers as Stephen King, Richard Chizmar, and Neil Gaiman.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he holds degrees in journalism and philosophy. He currently lives outside Milwaukee with his wife, three sons, and a pair of lazy cats.

Reviews

[William Aicher]

Like most other books I've written, I've technically "read" this - more times than you can probably imagine. But I also won't leave reviews of my own work. That's for my readers to do.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in a disturbed way.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy quick 10 pages.

[Alain Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great short read – fantastically creepy! Everything you need and look for in a creepy bedtime story. The author is fantastic at making you feel things you didn’t know you had the capacity to feel, towards things (creatures? Hmm) you didn’t know existed. An interesting perspective on something we’ve all dealt with. Read this one just before bed for maximum creep factor! You won’t be sorry!

[Kaine Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent road trip into madness.

We've all had our moments of insanity. The feeling that something "other" is in our heads, for whatever reason. But how often do we get an up close and personal view of the descent - with the nagging question of whether it's really madness or some alien intelligence at work, to boot - from someone who lives with it full time?
We receive just such a treatment in "Roommates," a deliciously disturbing short from William F. Aicher. Featuring vivid descriptions of possible insanity that feel spot on, giving you the feeling of what it might actually be like, painting excellent images of loneliness, desperation and a certain childlike glee and blending them into a single nightmare that leaves one questioning just how sane you, as a reader, may be by the end, Roommates buries itself into your skull and stays there long after you're done reading it.
Highly recommended and well worth the price of admission.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story that I read over my lunch break (although you may not want to be eating when you read it :)). I do not normally read short stories, nor am I a huge fan of creepy. However, this was really well written, and definitely kept my interest. I found the story idea intriguing and Aicher does a great job of describing the sickness within. If you want a quick, creepy read, I definitely recommend this story.

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creepy

Creepy little tale about the things that lodge in your brain and make you itch.
Is it all in your head?
Is there really something growing inside?
It works either way in this great short story.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to this "creepy" series. It was a short trip into someone's head that kept me engaged and wondering.

[Luis Tovar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roommates: A Creepy Little Bedtime StoryThis short story takes something a lot of us go through. That annoying roommate that we can't get rid off. The relationship is infectious and the miasmic mystery comes to a conclusion that is rather haunting.

[Iread4fun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Effectively Creepy

I enjoyed the stream of consciousness kind of writing. I went from feeling pity, to disgust, to horrified satisfaction in a very short space of time. Good story! I found this author through his video on TikTok. I'm glad I did. I am now going to read the rest of Mr. Aicher's work.

[Steve Stred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy first person account!

This tale will slowly itch into your brain.

Told through a first person account, you will question whether they are mad, insane, lost the plot, or, just maybe, they know what is truly happening!

Check this out if you want to question any muscle twitch you ever have.

[Paisley Jane Bingham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad short story by any means it just wasn’t too my taste. (2.5 starts)
I feel like if it was longer I would have enjoyed it more but because of how short is was it was difficult to actually get lost within the story.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy things tend to scare me, so I'm glad I read this in the morning rather than right before bed. It's creepy in a psychological way, so it really has a way of making you think rather that flat-out terrifying you. I would enjoy reading more stories like this, especially around Halloween.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me of the movie Bug, and the book/movie The Ruins. It's something that gets under your skin. Is it real? Does it matter? Can't imaginary and unreal things still make you uneasy and uncomfortable? Give it time and they could make you go crazy...

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creepy aspect. Really enjoyed and a short read :) i think the whole aspect makes you want to believe that the things in the mind are either parasites, aliens, or basically someone with a mental disease. Interesting short read thou!