Beware: Things Are Not as They Appear

by J. Meverington

Don’t walk through the forest alone...

Those six words echoed around Hayley Powell’s head as she walked home along the forest path. Alone. Her father had warned her many times, but today she’d decided to ignore him.

On the side of the path, shredded pieces of paper had been scattered at regular intervals with a warning attached. At first she thought it might be a game that someone had laid out, but after a while, the messages became personal.

Who was watching her? And why?

Beware, things are not as they appear to be...

This is a novelette of 70 pages which is about a quarter of the size of a novel.

68 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2017

Reviews

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story filled with mystery. Loved the ending, completely unexpected. Excellent characters. Very well written. Would definitely read more from this talented author. Completely captivated my attention from start to finish which only took about 2 hours. Free on amazon today and on KU. Recommend to fans of short stories and stories with a twist.

[C.A. King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed with this story. Again Mervington makes a mystery by hiding the crime. This time, a girl is walking home through a forest. It appears she has a stalker. The author kept me guessing as to what was really going on right until the end! I love a mystery I can't figure out. This is one author who can deliver.

[Brigitta Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mind boggler. A short story you can read quickly and not know exactly what is going on. That's what kept me reading. Haley took a short cut through the woods knowing she shouldn't and then the story and mystery begin. At the end of the story when you're wondering what just happened, it's all summed up. The last sentence makes me think a sequel is in the making. As a treat the first few chapters of The Secret Community is included at the end.

[Marianne Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars, but bumped it up to 4 since 3.5 isn’t an option. It’s an intriguing story that kept me guessing. There were several things I didn’t quite understand what the author was referring to — terminology and references that aren’t necessarily familiar to Americans. The ending was a bit confusing, a bit twisted ... I had an inkling Brendon wasn’t as he appeared. Not a bad read, but it did make me say ‘huh’ at the end.

[C.A. King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had thought I reviewed this already, but my bookshelf says otherwise.

I was impressed with this story. Again Mervington makes a mystery by hiding the crime. This time, a girl is walking home through a forest. It appears she has a stalker. The author kept me guessing as to what was really going on right until the end! I love a mystery I can't figure out. This is one author who can deliver.

[Alison Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short tale. It started as a simple story, but rapidly escalated into something with twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end! Highly recommended for those who love mysteries, suspense, and thrillers.

[Julie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short story with a twist, where a sixteen-year-old girl defies her father and ventures into the woods. But nothing is as it seems.

A fast-paced writing style intensifies the suspense, and though there were some grammatical errors, it still reads well.

Cleverly done.

[M E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good short story that will remind you to never go against what your father told you. The twists and turns will keep you wondering and wanting to read more.

[Yvonne Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disturbing

This story was disturbing . I expected a scary story but it also was a terribly sad story. It just wasn't for me.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

good short story

[Jo Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly! Things were not as they seemed.....kind of a mind twister!