Remaking

by Blake Crouch

Prepare for edge-of-your-seat suspense in this Thriller Short.

Originally published in THRILLER 2 (2009),
edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Clive Cussler.

In this disturbing Thriller Short, bestselling author Blake Crouch unleashes the horror every parent fears. Mitchell stares at a page in a notebook, but he isn’t reading. He saw the short pudgy man and the boy of perhaps five or six walk into the coffeehouse fifteen minutes earlier. As he sips his espresso, he listens to the father and son talk. Outside in the small town, snow is falling. He follows the man and boy to the Antlers Motel and checks into a room next to theirs. With snow piling up in the parking lot, he lies down on top of the covers and whispers the Lord’s Prayer. That evening he sees the boy walk alone into the alcove housing the vending machines. It’s the opportunity he’s been waiting for. Amid the sound of coins dropping through the slot, he puts his hand on the boy’s shoulder and gently guides him out of the alcove to his car. What has driven Mitchell to do such an unthinkable act? And how will it end?

Genres: Thriller, Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Crime

16 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 3, 2010

About the author

Blake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the forthcoming novel, Dark Matter, for which he is writing the screenplay for Sony Pictures. His international-bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that was Summer 2015’s #1 show. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT television show starring Michelle Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over thirty languages and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Crouch lives in Colorado with his family.

Reviews

[Matt]

In Crouch's Remaking, nothing is quite as it seems, especially in small communities. Mitchell has an eye for odd situations. A young boy sits in a small-town diner with a man purported to be his father, but something feels off. Mitchell follows them at a distance and soon approaches the boy and poses as a police officer, promising to help young Joe. When the boy obliges, worried that he might upset the authorities, Mitchell begins acting on a scene he's scripted for months. Unfortunately, Mitchell's story may not have a happy ending, at least for the entire case of players.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Kathy]

3.5
Really good story

[D. Ward]

Picked up this short story by Blake Crouch and... Holy shit! Where have I been that I have missed this author and his writing? Where have you been all my life, Blake Crouch? I love this guy's style.
Right... back to the review. This is a short story so it's quick but it is excellent! It has a subtle menace that uncoils itself right in the opening scene. When things escalate and the protagonist does what you are afraid he is going to do, it is chilling. Before I knew it, the story was over and I was just sitting there thinking, "Damn!"
So, just to re-cap, here are the three stages of this little number from Blake Crouch: Menacing. Chilling. Damn!
I want badly to delve into his latest novel "Pines" but might go the route of trying out "Abandon" first. As in now. Right now. It's downloading as I type this. What is taking so dang long?

[Lynn]

A short story with incredible impact! Every word counts here, and the author's considerable talent is on full display.

[Matthew]

This short story follows a man that recently lost his son in an automobile accident and what he does to deal with the grief.

I found this story creepy, scary and sad at the same time. I can't really go into detail of why without giving spoilers but it is well worth reading.

[Jaycee]

[Cyndi]

That one packed quite a punch with brevity and suspense.

[Shihab Siddiquee]

এক সন্তান হারা বাবার গল্প। মিশেল তার ছয় বছরের ছেলে কে রোড এক্সিডেন্ট এ হারিয়ে মানসিক ভাবে এলোমেলো হয়ে পড়ে। অন্যের সন্তান চুরি করে তাকে নিয়ে হোটেলে বসে একসাথে টিভি দেখে, পিজা খায় যা সে তার সন্তানের সাথে করত। গল্পের শেষটা খুবই দুঃখ জনক একটা সমাপ্তি।

[Tanner Ashley]

what!? you not make sense this story. I lost. so please redo your story.

[Kimberly]

This short fell flat for me. Just about the time a little tension was built, the author released it too quickly.

Thankfully, this experience is an anomaly for me with this author and I'll continue to read his works. Hey, they can't all be winners.

Some of my favorite short stories include Late Returns from Full Throttle, Pop Art from 20th Century Ghosts and F is for Farewell (A Sexy Sendoff) from F is for Five Sapphic Tales.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich]

Remaking by Blake Crouch is a short story.

WOW. It’s over.

It starts in a snowy Colorado town with a man watching a father and son in a diner. It ends in a death. In between it goes between tense, and creepy and sad.

Crouch has an amazing way of telling a story. In a very short time, he reels the reader in, making you feel so many emotions, and then drops you. The suspense is real, and the grief is palpable.

Loved it!

[Piku Sonali]

Having read plenty of Blake Crouch's books before, I was excited to read this novella. But it fell short of my high expectations.

Crouch's writing is as good as ever but story-wise, the book disappoints. It is more of a drama than a thriller and ultimately predictable.

If you have never read Crouch, I'd be happy to recommend better books. If you have, I'd recommend this in case you are on a mission to go through everything he has ever written. Can be skipped.

[Viva]

This is a terrible short story. I disliked it from beginning to end. It had no meaning, did not convey anything.

Spoilers ahead.

Basically a guy lost his son a year ago. He tried to re-make the scene by kidnapping someone else's kid. The end.

The author tries too hard with short abrupt writing to convey atmosphere but it doesn't work. It feels unfriendly and abrupt.

[Donny]

I don’t read short stories often, but I finished “Dark Matter” today (and LOVED it) and wanted to consume more of Blake Crouch’s writing. This story was enthralling, unsettling and heartbreaking. I’m excited to read more of his work.

[Hank Helstrom]

A short story that punches right in the heart. I finished it and looked up at my family with tears in my eyes. Blake Crouch’s versatility once again makes me wonder why I ever spend time doing anything other than reading his stuff.

[Sue]

Well this was a shock. I expected something far different. It was short but deep and I ended it with a huge sob. This is a story mainly about love and about loss. How would you handle the loss of the dearest thing in your life. Would you do something awful or would you simply sit and weep.

[Janelle]

3.5 stars.

It was a bit rushed and could’ve used some more exposition, but I enjoyed this sad little story. It’s a premise I’ve read before, but I’m always intrigued to see an author’s take on parental grief and the lengths some people will go to.

[Adem Zakeriya]

🇺🇸 2009

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ GREAT

Short, sharp and seriously tense. Crouch wastes no time getting under your skin, building a creeping sense that something is very, very wrong.

Well written, disturbing and completely gripping. That’s exactly how I like my thrillers.

Very Blake Crouch.

[Chris]

I read that this is a short story. Boy oh boy, was it short! Good story.......... VERY short and to the point. I'm still reeling over the fact that I actually paid money for this story.

[Christa Maurice]

Very quick read and gripping.

[Andy]

A quick introduction to Crouch’s work, albeit a tad predictable to readers familiar with his style.

[Susan]

Sad story but good writing .

[Rita]

Not the Crouch i'm used to reading but was a fast and fun read

[Nolan]

WOW!! Shortest story I have ever read. Except for when I was six years old. Got it on my wife's tablet. Thirty six pages. What's the point of even writing this story?

[Kristin Lansdown]

One of this author’s tamer stories. Almost touching.

[Patsy Fisher]

It's very very short

[Michele Letourneau]

The last sentence really got me and I’m not even a parent

[Dave]

Meh for me. Not much of a fan of short stories.

[Rachael]

A page turner that leaves your skin crawling and your heart broken.

[Dennis]

3.5 stars. Short story