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The Hereafter
Daryl is an ambitious television reporter sent across America debunking local superstitions and his segments are extremely popular throughout the country. Aided by his cameraman Eddie, he reaches his next destination of Weston, Mississippi to investigate a haunted swamp. Even though the locals share the terrifying tale of the ghosts roaming there, as well as their origins, he remains undeterred. But what does he truly expect to find there and is it a hoax or something more? A lighthearted romp that eventually takes dark and disturbing turns into spine-tingling territory and unimagined, eye-opening terrors that shock you by the end.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2016
About the author
Hank Garner
44 books39 followersHank Garner is the author of Bloom, Mulligan, and The Witching Hour. Southern fantasy/sci fi.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 15, 2017
"The Hereafter," a short story by Hank Garner, is about Daryl Daltry, a man who makes his living traveling around the country debunking supposedly haunted houses and other supernatural phenomena for a TV show. That's fitting, because, like the haunts that Daryl debunks, this story starts out extremely spooky but winds up with an explanation that proves a bit of a letdown.
In "The Hereafter," Daryl and his cameraman Eddie are nearing the end of their series of features about the scariest spots in each of the United States. In all forty or so of the places they have visited, Daryl has quickly found a natural explanation for the occurrence, much to the delight of his producers at a Today-like morning show. But, when they arrive in Weston, MS, home of a supposedly haunted swamp that was the site of a brutal murder 100 years earlier, they find something completely different.
Author Garner is familiar with the southern culture, the workings of TV shows like Mythbusters, and supernatural lore and has combined them into a very clever tale that rouses reader curiosity. The author is from Mississippi (although the town of Weston is apparently fictitious), and his familiarity with the locale and the way of life are apparent in the way he gradually sets out the elements of the story. Those elements include a roadhouse called “Possum’s” and locals like the suspiciously friendly deputy sheriff, who warns Daryl and Eddie not to go into the swamp, especially during the full moon (“some things even the law can’t protect you from”) and the waitress at the Waffle House who calls everyone “Sugar.” Eventually, Daryl gets the “official” story from the elderly sheriff himself, that the swamp is haunted by the ghost of the murdered man, along with yet another admonition about going there. So, naturally, Daryl and Eddie go to the swamp and set up shop with all their gear. And then…
Of course, I wouldn’t dream of revealing what happens next. However, I will say that, after a clever and colorful 15-page buildup that had me longing for a plate of the collard greens they serve at “Possum’s,” the finale felt like finding a cockroach at the bottom of that same plate of collard greens. The introduction managed to set readers sufficiently on edge in anticipation of what Daryl and Eddie might encounter. But when all was finally revealed, the resolution simply did not live up to the buildup, and the author’s gift of infusing the story with the local color that made it so enjoyable seemingly disappeared. The one thing I will say is that it wasn’t so much the ending that was bad as the rather abrupt manner in which it was handled. This is a story that would have worked better had the author spent a couple of more pages on its ending.
Overall, I did enjoy “The Hereafter” a good bit, especially the buildup. Author Garner really captures the feel of small town Mississippi in those first few pages, and, for a change, the locals in the story aren’t portrayed as either Jethro Bodine-style idiots or sinister rednecks. They’re just friendly people who try to steer Daryl and Eddie away from the swamp. And, haunted swamp or no haunted swamp, the author makes Weston a place well worth a visit. I just wish it had been a visit that lasted a couple of more pages.
In "The Hereafter," Daryl and his cameraman Eddie are nearing the end of their series of features about the scariest spots in each of the United States. In all forty or so of the places they have visited, Daryl has quickly found a natural explanation for the occurrence, much to the delight of his producers at a Today-like morning show. But, when they arrive in Weston, MS, home of a supposedly haunted swamp that was the site of a brutal murder 100 years earlier, they find something completely different.
Author Garner is familiar with the southern culture, the workings of TV shows like Mythbusters, and supernatural lore and has combined them into a very clever tale that rouses reader curiosity. The author is from Mississippi (although the town of Weston is apparently fictitious), and his familiarity with the locale and the way of life are apparent in the way he gradually sets out the elements of the story. Those elements include a roadhouse called “Possum’s” and locals like the suspiciously friendly deputy sheriff, who warns Daryl and Eddie not to go into the swamp, especially during the full moon (“some things even the law can’t protect you from”) and the waitress at the Waffle House who calls everyone “Sugar.” Eventually, Daryl gets the “official” story from the elderly sheriff himself, that the swamp is haunted by the ghost of the murdered man, along with yet another admonition about going there. So, naturally, Daryl and Eddie go to the swamp and set up shop with all their gear. And then…
Of course, I wouldn’t dream of revealing what happens next. However, I will say that, after a clever and colorful 15-page buildup that had me longing for a plate of the collard greens they serve at “Possum’s,” the finale felt like finding a cockroach at the bottom of that same plate of collard greens. The introduction managed to set readers sufficiently on edge in anticipation of what Daryl and Eddie might encounter. But when all was finally revealed, the resolution simply did not live up to the buildup, and the author’s gift of infusing the story with the local color that made it so enjoyable seemingly disappeared. The one thing I will say is that it wasn’t so much the ending that was bad as the rather abrupt manner in which it was handled. This is a story that would have worked better had the author spent a couple of more pages on its ending.
Overall, I did enjoy “The Hereafter” a good bit, especially the buildup. Author Garner really captures the feel of small town Mississippi in those first few pages, and, for a change, the locals in the story aren’t portrayed as either Jethro Bodine-style idiots or sinister rednecks. They’re just friendly people who try to steer Daryl and Eddie away from the swamp. And, haunted swamp or no haunted swamp, the author makes Weston a place well worth a visit. I just wish it had been a visit that lasted a couple of more pages.
October 17, 2016
This is a fun story about a couple guys who are making their living by debunking mysterious happenings across the nation. So far, everything they've come across has a good explanation. Their next destination is Weston, Mississippi, and upon arrival, they receive various warnings that this story is true. But Daryl and Eddie have heard this before.
The Hearafter is a well-told, enjoyable story that you don't want to miss out on.
The Hearafter is a well-told, enjoyable story that you don't want to miss out on.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews