The Den: A Ghost Novella

by Steven Jenkins

DISCLAIMER: Contains coarse language and scenes of drug misuse.

My world used to be simple. The life of a junkie.

Wake up. Get high. Repeat...

Even the sight of my dark, mould-infested flat never bothered me. I liked the darkness. It felt like home. It felt safe.

But now, there's someone else here. A little girl that watches me. Follows me.

She wants me dead.

But I won't let her beat me. I won't give her the satisfaction - because she's in my head.

She's not real.

And neither are ghosts...

Genres: Horror

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2019

About the author

Born in the small Welsh town of Llanelli, Steven began writing stories at the age of eight. His inspiration came from his love for ‘80s horror movies, and novels by Stephen King and the late Richard Matheson.

During Steven’s teenage years, as well as being a black-belt kickboxer, he became a great lover of writing dark and twisted poems – six of which gained him publications with Poetry Now, Brownstone Books, and Strong Words.

Over the next few years, and after becoming a father and a husband, Steven's passion drove him towards writing short stories, gaining him further publication with Dark Moon Digest: an American horror magazine. His terrifying tales of the afterlife and zombies gained him positive reviews, particularly his story, Burning Ambition, which also came runner up in a Five-stop-story contest.

Finally, in 2013, after years of hard work (and countless rejection letters), Steven got his debut novel, Fourteen Days, published by Barking Rain Press.

Reviews

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Den tells the story of one man’s life while using drugs and what it feels like to him. It also tells how on one horrific night a wrench was thrown into a man's life that changes it forever is sending him down a dark and lowly spiral and into the world of drugs.

The Den is a dark, short read that can pull at the heart strings. It is a horror story but at the same time it is so much more. It will be disturbing for some but can also be an eye opener for others.

I would like to suggest The Den to anyone who has ever had a loved one who has traveled down this road.

[Spooky Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a dark and beautiful story about a man struggling with addiction.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

😲

A gruesome quick read. It grabs you by the throat and wont let you go. A tale about an accident followed by bad decisons. A tale of loss. Drug use is prominent in the telling of this story. A haunting? Or a drug riddled hallucination? Who is the little girl that no one else seems to see?

[R. M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A junkie starts to hallucinate a little girl telling him to kill himself. Or is she a ghost?

This initially reads a lot like a huge fan of Martina Cole - which Jenkins might well be - trying their hand at a ghost story. Then the plot twist hit and the pieces of a well-crafted narrative fall neatly into place. Dark and disturbing, I give this a 4/5.

[Sofia Danokaras tsotrou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great psychological thriller short story. What is real and what is in the mind, and what drugs do to your mental health. I just loved it and was hooked to it right away.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. Real life mixed with the supernatural always makes for an intriguing read and this is no exception.

[Carrie O’Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written but dark and disturbing story with an unexpected twist. I would only recommend for an adult audience due to the very adult language and distressing scenes.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, really well written short story! Very enjoyable! I do recommend this & the writers other work!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 4.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 5 🌟.