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Cerberus: A Short Story
A Short Story
What kind of deal would you make with the devil?
First published in The Infernal Clock's Dante-inspired Inferno collection (2020), Cerberus is a short, brutal slice of psychological horror - and a fiendish journey down the rabbit-hole of violence, retribution and demonic intervention.
What kind of deal would you make with the devil?
First published in The Infernal Clock's Dante-inspired Inferno collection (2020), Cerberus is a short, brutal slice of psychological horror - and a fiendish journey down the rabbit-hole of violence, retribution and demonic intervention.
Kindle Edition
Published June 7, 2021
11 people want to read
About the author
T.C. Parker
16 books143 followersI'm a writer and researcher based in the fox-ravaged wilds of Leicestershire.
I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.
I write mostly horror and crime, skeet enthusiastically as @tcparker.bsky.social, and post the occasional poorly-composed photo on Instagram (as @writestc).
For stories, serialised novels and other thoughts about the universe, visit/subscribe to my Substack - tcparker.substack.com
I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.
I write mostly horror and crime, skeet enthusiastically as @tcparker.bsky.social, and post the occasional poorly-composed photo on Instagram (as @writestc).
For stories, serialised novels and other thoughts about the universe, visit/subscribe to my Substack - tcparker.substack.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 24, 2023
2023 Update:
How Parker manages to pack so much backstory, emotion, intrigue, and tension into such a short story – while still somehow keeping it all so ambiguous – I can’t understand. I love the dash of mythology, love the morally gray POV character (those last few paragraphs: 🔥), and the sort of anonymous feel of the MC.
Every word of this story (and the flash fic at the end) was completely engrossing. It’s an ultra-short, super-quick read that I highly recommend. (As with most things TC Parker, it’s also a bit grotesque 🤭)
Original Review:
I didn't actually mean to read this right now, but oh well, here we are. Let me just say that it's exceptional that I'm giving a story this short 5 stars, but it's deserved. Just wow!
I fell down the internet rabbit hole and ended up with this short story on my Kindle. I was just going to take a peek, I swear, but the first page had me intrigued af and I couldn't put it down. I won't say anything of the plot because it's so short that I'd spoil it, but it's dark, twisted, sapphic, and fantastic. No surprise (I'm sure I sound like a broken record by now) that Parker's writing is superb! I absolutely loved the back-and-forth between the current state of the relationship that this short story centers on, and how the relationship started and developed into what it is.
The only actual content that I'll mention is in form of a trigger warning: there is an abusive relationship depicted in this one, so a little heads up on that.
Oh, and there's a little flash fiction at the end that's a tantalizing bonus. I only wish it was longer!
How Parker manages to pack so much backstory, emotion, intrigue, and tension into such a short story – while still somehow keeping it all so ambiguous – I can’t understand. I love the dash of mythology, love the morally gray POV character (those last few paragraphs: 🔥), and the sort of anonymous feel of the MC.
Every word of this story (and the flash fic at the end) was completely engrossing. It’s an ultra-short, super-quick read that I highly recommend. (As with most things TC Parker, it’s also a bit grotesque 🤭)
Original Review:
I didn't actually mean to read this right now, but oh well, here we are. Let me just say that it's exceptional that I'm giving a story this short 5 stars, but it's deserved. Just wow!
I fell down the internet rabbit hole and ended up with this short story on my Kindle. I was just going to take a peek, I swear, but the first page had me intrigued af and I couldn't put it down. I won't say anything of the plot because it's so short that I'd spoil it, but it's dark, twisted, sapphic, and fantastic. No surprise (I'm sure I sound like a broken record by now) that Parker's writing is superb! I absolutely loved the back-and-forth between the current state of the relationship that this short story centers on, and how the relationship started and developed into what it is.
The only actual content that I'll mention is in form of a trigger warning: there is an abusive relationship depicted in this one, so a little heads up on that.
Oh, and there's a little flash fiction at the end that's a tantalizing bonus. I only wish it was longer!
April 27, 2022
I picked up Cerberus when T.C. Parker ran a deal on her books and had this as a free (? I think I remember) flagship – I also picked up her three non-horror novels at the same time because reasons (did I use that correctly? My daughter uses this occasionally and I want to be as cool as her). It’s a total bargain at its normal price of 89 cents anyway, so honestly, it was a no-brainer.
T.C. has such an eloquent voice, it saturates all of the pages she writes and that informed background adds credibility and belief to all of her characters. Other elements T.C. does extremely well in her books, are setting and character relationships especially. So, the groundwork for this short is based upon human relations, to which T.C. often adds a flair of paranormal or supernatural. As is the case here.
Now I’m not going to go into the plot because it’s a short, right? If I summarize it here I’d be doing a disservice to the author. Suffice it to say that the tension builds wonderfully, the namesake of the novella makes an appearance, and it all ends as horribly as you would want it to. Parker delivers. So much so, I nagged her to get this novella listed on Goodreads so I could leave my review. Job done! I get to be the virgin review on a book! Whoop whoop!
At the end of the short, T.C. also provides another short, Mrs. Garibaldi and the helter-skelter, which was also great – short but great.
This is a bite-sized portion of Parker’s vast imagination and sumptuous voice, and if that doesn’t scream “take my money”, nothing will.
My summary - 5 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s – short, but perfectly priced, everyone’s a winner here.
T.C. has such an eloquent voice, it saturates all of the pages she writes and that informed background adds credibility and belief to all of her characters. Other elements T.C. does extremely well in her books, are setting and character relationships especially. So, the groundwork for this short is based upon human relations, to which T.C. often adds a flair of paranormal or supernatural. As is the case here.
Now I’m not going to go into the plot because it’s a short, right? If I summarize it here I’d be doing a disservice to the author. Suffice it to say that the tension builds wonderfully, the namesake of the novella makes an appearance, and it all ends as horribly as you would want it to. Parker delivers. So much so, I nagged her to get this novella listed on Goodreads so I could leave my review. Job done! I get to be the virgin review on a book! Whoop whoop!
At the end of the short, T.C. also provides another short, Mrs. Garibaldi and the helter-skelter, which was also great – short but great.
This is a bite-sized portion of Parker’s vast imagination and sumptuous voice, and if that doesn’t scream “take my money”, nothing will.
My summary - 5 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s – short, but perfectly priced, everyone’s a winner here.
May 16, 2024
Jfc her mind
May 16, 2023
What a nice surprise finding this wicked little gem on KU.
Truly excellent from start to finish. A perfect read if you have a spare ten or fifteen minutes.
Thought I knew where it was headed, but I was wrong.
The wee bonus tale was pretty decent too.
Five stars
Truly excellent from start to finish. A perfect read if you have a spare ten or fifteen minutes.
Thought I knew where it was headed, but I was wrong.
The wee bonus tale was pretty decent too.
Five stars
April 30, 2022
This is a macabre, twisted little story with a bonus flash fiction story tacked onto the end. I loved it. It’s a quick, fun read, and it’s free to download from T.C. Parker’s website.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews