Maybe

by Jane Jago, E.M. Swift-Hook

Sometimes we walk the very edges of reality

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2022

About the author

I live in the beautiful west country with my big, silly dog and my big sensible husband.

I spent the first half of my working life cooking and the second half editing other people's manuscripts.

At last I have time to write down the stories that have been disturbing my sleep for as long as I can remember.

Writing my first title took two years, because the characters kept doing unexpected things. I've since learned that they are always going to break out of the mould. So I just sit back and enjoy the ride.

For more writings and musings see:
http://tinyurl.com/t9pkll3

Reviews

[Stjepan Cobets · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating 4.5

The Novella "Maybe" by Jane Jago and E.M. Swift-Hook is an intriguing story about a girl named Jessica who goes through the path of purification after the ugly events of the recent past. I like how the writers have created a world of reality and fantasy, fitting it all into one dark, serious story.

Jessica had a traumatic period after the ugly events of her recent past because someone she trusted raped her. When she returns home at night, her car breaks down in front of an abandoned amusement park, and she searches for someone to help her fix the car. Jessica is unaware that she entered a dark world by entering that park. Whether Jessica can get out of that parallel universe will depend only on her.

I would recommend the novella to fans of fantasy and psychological drama.

[Lolli Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The car of a woman who is still recovering both physically and psychologically from an accident and a rape breaks down in the parking lot of an abandoned amusement park. But the amusement park is not what it at first seems. I won't go into any more detail to avoid spoilers, but I will say there are plenty of chills to be had while reading this. Characters are usually what makes a book for me, and these characters are well drawn. I especially like the teen girl who lives at the park. The story was just right for novella length, too. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the horror genre.

[Ben Haskett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe is like one of those quintessentially weird episodes of the Twilight Zone. When Jessica's car breaks down in front of a dilapidated theme park, she ventures beyond the turnstile and finds herself in a nightmare world stuck in permanent nightfall, where the theme park reverts to its retro heyday. Garish flashing lights and hurdy-gurdy music and the sounds of theme park rides running nonstop. Under the direction of Annis, the pair navigate vampires and Eldritch horrors on their way to a terrifying underworld where they hope to set things right again.

It's brief, satisfying, unique, weird, and, given the subject matter, surprisingly restrained. Anyone looking for a quick horror read will find a lot to love here.

[William Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman’s car breaks down in the parking lot of a long-abandoned amusement park. Drunk men chase this recovering rape survivor into the arms of a teen girl who speaks a pidgin English. Having rescued her, the teen introduces her to the haunted amusement park, acting as her guide into Hell, but protecting her. The woman and the girl narrate the story in alternating chapters. It’s a good story, intriguing and frightening, with strong well-delineated characters, horror with a punch, and a gripping, meaningful ending. It’s very well written, too, but at times a generally effective but complex literary style clouds clarity and partially obscures the story. So many more pluses than minuses, I gotta give it a five.