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Bones
A new short story from the creator of Little Killers: A to Z.
Cooper isn't doing well in Covered Bridge, Massachusetts.
His mother is filling her days with vodka and orange juice, and his psychotic little sister keeps cutting the heads off her dolls. His delusional grandfather won't stop staring at non-existent cows in the pasture, and their farm dog is acting meaner than usual.
Everyone blames Cooper for the tragic accident which took his girlfriend’s life. Now a group of slackers from Mount Tom Regional High School are gathering deep in a forest clearing—at the Devil’s Dining Room—eager for the rising of her ghost on Devil’s Night, the eve before Halloween.
Cooper thinks they're all crazy. Are they?
AUTHOR BIO: Author and playwright Howard Odentz is a lifelong resident of the gray area between Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut. His love of the region is evident in his writing as he often incorporates the foothills of the Berkshires and the small towns of the Bay and Nutmeg states into his work.
In addition to The Dead (A Lot) Series, he has written the horror/suspense novels Bloody Bloody Apple and What We Kill, as well as the horror short story collection Little Killers A to Z, and a couple of horror-themed, musical comedies produced for the stage.
Cooper isn't doing well in Covered Bridge, Massachusetts.
His mother is filling her days with vodka and orange juice, and his psychotic little sister keeps cutting the heads off her dolls. His delusional grandfather won't stop staring at non-existent cows in the pasture, and their farm dog is acting meaner than usual.
Everyone blames Cooper for the tragic accident which took his girlfriend’s life. Now a group of slackers from Mount Tom Regional High School are gathering deep in a forest clearing—at the Devil’s Dining Room—eager for the rising of her ghost on Devil’s Night, the eve before Halloween.
Cooper thinks they're all crazy. Are they?
AUTHOR BIO: Author and playwright Howard Odentz is a lifelong resident of the gray area between Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut. His love of the region is evident in his writing as he often incorporates the foothills of the Berkshires and the small towns of the Bay and Nutmeg states into his work.
In addition to The Dead (A Lot) Series, he has written the horror/suspense novels Bloody Bloody Apple and What We Kill, as well as the horror short story collection Little Killers A to Z, and a couple of horror-themed, musical comedies produced for the stage.
29 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2018
130 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Howard Odentz
10 books141 followersAuthor and playwright Howard Odentz is a life-long resident of the gray area between Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut. His love of the region is evident in his writing as he often incorporates the small towns of the Bay and Nutmeg States into his work.
The mysterious has always played a major role in Howard's writing. He is endlessly fascinated by the psychological aspects of those who are thrown into thrilling or otherworldly circumstances.
“I like writing about my part of the world,” he says. “After all, this is New England. There’s more than enough paranormal activity here to keep me inspired for years to come.”
The mysterious has always played a major role in Howard's writing. He is endlessly fascinated by the psychological aspects of those who are thrown into thrilling or otherworldly circumstances.
“I like writing about my part of the world,” he says. “After all, this is New England. There’s more than enough paranormal activity here to keep me inspired for years to come.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 9, 2025
☆☆☆,5
Un adolescente qualsiasi, una sorellina psicopatica, una madre alcolizzata con un compagno aggressivo, un nonno affetto da Alzheimer....questi i personaggi/ingredienti della storia.
Breve racconto da leggere durante la notte di halloween....uuuuuh non vedo l'ora che arrivi, è il periodo dell'anno che preferisco....breve e spaventosa al punto giusto per dei bambini (beh no, non proprio bambini perché potreste traumatizzarli).
Il succo però è che avevo capito già dopo poche pagine che cappero fosse successo :(
Ah dimenticavo c'è anche un bellissimo cane indemoniato MUHUHAHAHAHAHAHA
Un adolescente qualsiasi, una sorellina psicopatica, una madre alcolizzata con un compagno aggressivo, un nonno affetto da Alzheimer....questi i personaggi/ingredienti della storia.
Breve racconto da leggere durante la notte di halloween....uuuuuh non vedo l'ora che arrivi, è il periodo dell'anno che preferisco....breve e spaventosa al punto giusto per dei bambini (beh no, non proprio bambini perché potreste traumatizzarli).
Il succo però è che avevo capito già dopo poche pagine che cappero fosse successo :(
Ah dimenticavo c'è anche un bellissimo cane indemoniato MUHUHAHAHAHAHAHA
September 26, 2021
What a weird, creepy and yes, a little depressing, tale this was! It wasn't until almost the end that I started to glean where it was heading. A perfect little treat for Halloween.
February 8, 2021
Bones is really good short read. It was a really easy story to get locked into and like the short story snow by the same author I really didn't know where this was going till the end. Highly recommend for a quick 20minute read.
October 9, 2020
This is a perfect short story to read around Halloween. Another friend said it was like a story you would hear around a campfire and I whole heartedly agree on that.
December 31, 2019
Loved Cooper and disliked Officer Scalia; such a good story.
October 26, 2020
3.5 stars
Neat little creepyish short story. I agree with friends of mine that says this is the type of book for telling around a campfire. The story takes you on a journey of a boys not so wonderful life and does an excellent job of leaving things out of the story but in the right way. Definitely better to go in knowing very little about it.
Neat little creepyish short story. I agree with friends of mine that says this is the type of book for telling around a campfire. The story takes you on a journey of a boys not so wonderful life and does an excellent job of leaving things out of the story but in the right way. Definitely better to go in knowing very little about it.
March 20, 2020
Great short story with an inevitable shocking reveal.
November 4, 2018
Loved it!
March 13, 2021
A great little horror story for Halloween. It felt like the kind of story you'd tell around a campfire. It is creepy with a twist at the end that makes you go "Ooohhhh!" and want to re-look at everything that came before.
Highly enjoyed and recommended to everyone looking for something short, but creepy.
Highly enjoyed and recommended to everyone looking for something short, but creepy.
January 10, 2026
Bones is a dark, unsettling short story that dives deep into guilt, grief, and the thin line between reality and madness. Cooper’s life in Covered Bridge, Massachusetts is falling apart. His mother drinks herself numb, his little sister has disturbing habits, his grandfather is lost in delusions, and even the family dog seems to have turned against him.
Blamed for the tragic accident that killed his girlfriend, Cooper becomes the target of cruel rumors and growing superstition. When a group of classmates gathers in the woods on Devil’s Night, hoping to summon her ghost, Cooper is forced to confront the past he can’t escape. Chilling, emotional, and eerie, Bones is a haunting tale of loss and lingering spirits.
Blamed for the tragic accident that killed his girlfriend, Cooper becomes the target of cruel rumors and growing superstition. When a group of classmates gathers in the woods on Devil’s Night, hoping to summon her ghost, Cooper is forced to confront the past he can’t escape. Chilling, emotional, and eerie, Bones is a haunting tale of loss and lingering spirits.
May 6, 2019
This story is meant to be read without knowing what you're delving into.. So I'll keep this spoiler-free.. (Wait, I don't put spoilers on reviews anyway?!)
Just know it's in the genre of horror and probably best read around Halloween time but it's a great read at any time of the year! Loved how the story concluded and how everything came together.
You can tell other people enjoyed it too from its current rating in GR and Amazon. It's free on Kindle at the moment :)
Enjoy!
Just know it's in the genre of horror and probably best read around Halloween time but it's a great read at any time of the year! Loved how the story concluded and how everything came together.
You can tell other people enjoyed it too from its current rating in GR and Amazon. It's free on Kindle at the moment :)
Enjoy!
September 30, 2019
Oh my gosh what a great book. It had suspense and humor. While reading, certain things were left out of the story but when you arrived at the ending, certain items were told to you as the reader. The items filled you in on the actions making the ending a total bizarre story. Can not wait to read more by Howard Odentz. Enjoyed him writing about the western Massachusetts area as that is where I reside.
May 14, 2021
Its a story about a teen who wants to get away from his less than ideal family - an overbearing, abusive 'step-dad', an alcoholic mother and a little sister straight from your nightmares. But when he tries to leave a few days before Halloween things go horrifically wrong.
This wasn't overly gory or even in your face scary which was a good thing. The story unfolds with Cooper and we gradually figure out things as he does. I did catch some of it but some of the ending was a complete surprise to me.
It's perfect Halloween reading!
This wasn't overly gory or even in your face scary which was a good thing. The story unfolds with Cooper and we gradually figure out things as he does. I did catch some of it but some of the ending was a complete surprise to me.
It's perfect Halloween reading!
November 3, 2018
This was a super fun read!
I previously read Howard's short story Snow and when I saw this come up as a freebie, I had to snag it. The story was super intriguing and the continued unsettling atmosphere really drew me and let me fly through this.
It was a great one-two punch for me of Halloween reads, when I read it directly after reading Calvin Demmer's scary tale!
Highly recommend!
I previously read Howard's short story Snow and when I saw this come up as a freebie, I had to snag it. The story was super intriguing and the continued unsettling atmosphere really drew me and let me fly through this.
It was a great one-two punch for me of Halloween reads, when I read it directly after reading Calvin Demmer's scary tale!
Highly recommend!
October 5, 2019
SHORT SPOOKY STORY
Cooper's home life is sad, strange and overwhelming, so Cooper decides to run away from home and tragedy strikes. Things will never be the same for Coop, The twist at the end was an AHHH HAAA moment.
The ending is the only thing that made this short story a worthy read for me.
Cooper's home life is sad, strange and overwhelming, so Cooper decides to run away from home and tragedy strikes. Things will never be the same for Coop, The twist at the end was an AHHH HAAA moment.
The ending is the only thing that made this short story a worthy read for me.
October 5, 2019
Great short story
This was a very clever story. I loved how each character had their own unique qualities. It drew me in quickly and held until the end. I would love to try a longer book by this author. I really appreciate his writing style. Definitely a horror story, but done with slight of hand. It's quite short, but packs a punch.
This was a very clever story. I loved how each character had their own unique qualities. It drew me in quickly and held until the end. I would love to try a longer book by this author. I really appreciate his writing style. Definitely a horror story, but done with slight of hand. It's quite short, but packs a punch.
October 3, 2020
This one got me.
I definitely did not realize this was a short story when I started reading. The plot is fast paced and interesting, and I couldn't put it down! It was only when I reached the last pages that I realized it was a short. It was a fabulous quick read, but I'm partial to twist at the end stories!
I definitely did not realize this was a short story when I started reading. The plot is fast paced and interesting, and I couldn't put it down! It was only when I reached the last pages that I realized it was a short. It was a fabulous quick read, but I'm partial to twist at the end stories!
January 7, 2022
Great 👍 entertaining listening 🔰😡
A will written fast moving paranormal fantasy thriller novel by Howard Odentz about a family and the bad 👎 things that happen to it. I would highly recommend this fantasy novel to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or 🎶 listening to novels 🔰🏡😠 2022😈
A will written fast moving paranormal fantasy thriller novel by Howard Odentz about a family and the bad 👎 things that happen to it. I would highly recommend this fantasy novel to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or 🎶 listening to novels 🔰🏡😠 2022😈
January 21, 2019
This a a relatively short novel that will ultimately shock you to the core!! I honestly don't know what else to say except be ready for what you will never expect!! It is definitely a chilling psychological novel from the first page to the last.
October 3, 2019
Perfect for Halloween
This is one of the creepiest stories that I've read in a long time. Just in time for Halloween, read it around a blazing fire with candles lit and all the lights turned off. Good story.
This is one of the creepiest stories that I've read in a long time. Just in time for Halloween, read it around a blazing fire with candles lit and all the lights turned off. Good story.
April 21, 2020
A shot story about a teenage boy named Coop who lived with his mom who was a drunk and his sister who chopped off her Barbie doll heads. Also who ever was his moms current boyfriend at the time. He was beaten by most of them .Him and his school sweetheart decided to leave town but never made it.
October 1, 2020
Better than average
For a short story, it was better than average. I could relate to all the characters, and the plot as it was laid out. A quick well crafted read that I would recommend to horror fans.
For a short story, it was better than average. I could relate to all the characters, and the plot as it was laid out. A quick well crafted read that I would recommend to horror fans.
November 7, 2020
Bones.
Well, the ending wasn't what I expected it to be. It didn't end happily. But, I felt bad for Cooper. And Sammy. And crazy scary Lauren. Not Cooper's mom though. I loved the disturbing story though
Well, the ending wasn't what I expected it to be. It didn't end happily. But, I felt bad for Cooper. And Sammy. And crazy scary Lauren. Not Cooper's mom though. I loved the disturbing story though
December 14, 2021
Epic horror
Horror that is cleverly concealed by a skilled author.
No spoilers here. Even a tiny hint would ruin a perfect short story.
A dysfunctional family roils like a storm in this carefully crafted little tale.
Horror that is cleverly concealed by a skilled author.
No spoilers here. Even a tiny hint would ruin a perfect short story.
A dysfunctional family roils like a storm in this carefully crafted little tale.
November 7, 2018
Creepy
This is a great short story with an awesome twist at the end. Very twilight zone esq. any true horror fan will enjoy.
This is a great short story with an awesome twist at the end. Very twilight zone esq. any true horror fan will enjoy.
November 7, 2018
Great short thriller
Another great short thriller by Howard. A fast read you don't want to put down til the end. As for the ending, well wasn't what I saw coming!!! A must read!!
Another great short thriller by Howard. A fast read you don't want to put down til the end. As for the ending, well wasn't what I saw coming!!! A must read!!
November 8, 2018
Crazy twists, with a shockingly unexpected ending. Very clever.
April 10, 2019
An alright short story, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.
October 5, 2019
Good read
Love reading this book. Kept my interest in till the end the end really surprise me. Wasn't expecting it. I know you will love it too
Love reading this book. Kept my interest in till the end the end really surprise me. Wasn't expecting it. I know you will love it too
October 9, 2019
Loves it!
Even though it was short, it pulled me in! I want more! I am new to this author, but will definitely download some other stories!
Even though it was short, it pulled me in! I want more! I am new to this author, but will definitely download some other stories!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews