Wake

by Justin Freeman

I wake with a gasp. The first thing I notice is the smell. The stench of blood and urine crowds my nostrils. My eyes are open, but I can’t see anything. I put a hand on the floor and push myself into a sitting position. I fall when I try to stand. My head is throbbing and the effort has me dizzy. I throw up violently and try to get my bearings. I wipe the saliva from my mouth and try to stand again. My arms are fully extended for balance. I take a few short strides to prove that I can walk. Wherever I am, it is pitch black. I can’t remember having been somewhere this dark before. I can’t remember anything. My left-hand grazes something rough and wooden. It feels like plywood. I move my hands over the surface of the wall, searching for a light switch. I continue along the wall until my elbow hits the adjacent wall. I turn to frisk this new piece of my plywood prison. It takes me approximately seven minutes to realize there is no switch and there is no door. I am trapped.

26 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2017

Reviews

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure ~~ Justin Freeman is a friend of mine, and one of my favorite people on Goodreads. He did not ask me to read his story and did not solicit a review. I read his marvelous story Wake because A) he is my friend and B) it's important for me to support my friends' work.

With that being said, I very much enjoyed Justin's short story, WAKE. As an author, Justin is quite good at setting a mood. The initial setting of the story had my skin crawling and holding my breath. I felt trapped right along with the main character.

I was vested in the outcome. Would our hero find the redemption he needed? Would he heal his relationships? Would he solve the mystery of who was trying to break his spirit and why?

My only criticism is that the ending felt rushed. I would have liked to have read some more back story, and learned more about our hero's marriage and happier times.

All in all, I have to say good job, Justin.

[Emily Kitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this down. It was mysterious and poetic. Loved it!

It had me questioning everything at every moment, with every new piece of information. The visuals in the beginning gave me chills. If you haven't yet, check this short story out!

[Melanie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Lots of twists and turns as the protagonist tries to discover what happened to him and why?

[Shane Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being slightly rushed in some areas where more detail would've been appreciated this turned out to be a fine short story.

Stories in which the protagonist wake up with memory loss and must work backwards to achieve clarity have a home in my heart. Every new detail caught me off guard which was unusual but welcomed. The realism and casualness of the dialog was appreciated as well.

I didn't quite experience enough Schadenfreude sensation from what Grady experienced toward the end. Retribution was served but the sociopath in me craved something sweeter. For that I don't apologize!

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the details of this book. I found myself picturing it like I was watching a movie. In the beginning, I felt like I was also trapped and anxious. The story swept me up, and I became invested in the outcome. Towards the end it was a little rushed, but overall the detail and story telling was beautiful. I look forward to reading future works. I did find myself wishing the villain had been made to suffer a little more.
Justin has a great style of story telling that pulls you in and keeps you interested.