Old Man Scratch

by Rio Youers

Johnny Gregson moved to the country to enjoy the quiet of his twilight years, but it seems he's got two problems. The first is the roadkill. His neighbour—Hill "Scratch" Clayton—is the second. Scratch is a hard-edged old man and a creature of habit. He mows his lawn at first light every morning, and the sound of the John Deere's engine always wakes Johnny and his wife from their brittle sleep. Come winter the ride-on mower is replaced by Scratch's snowblower. Johnny tries to reason with him, but Scratch is set in his ways. There is no compassion in his soul.


After Johnny's world is turned upside down, he is compelled to take drastic action. He thinks he knows a way to silence Scratch forever. For six years he has been scraping dead animals from his driveway and tossing them to the side of the road, and for six years they have disappeared within a day or two. He often asks himself, what happens to the roadkill? Just where does it go? Old Man Scratch is a revenge story that is often touching, often humorous, but always bound by the unknown … the inexplicable fear of what man is capable of, and the darkness of his heart.

Genres: Horror

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Rio Youers is the British Fantasy and Sunburst Award–nominated author of Lola on Fire and No Second Chances. His 2017 thriller, The Forgotten Girl, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. He is the writer of Refrigerator Full of Heads, a six-issue comic series from DC Comics, and Sleeping Beauties, a graphic novel based on the number-one bestseller by Stephen King and Owen King. Rio’s latest novel, The Bang-Bang Sisters, was published by William Morrow in summer 2024.

Reviews

[Horror Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful moving novella about a man and his wife trying to live a peaceful life and the mean, sadistic old man, Scratch, who lives next door and torments them.

Even when his wife is wasting away with cancer, Scratch shows no mercy or sympathy and continues to purposefully make life as hellish as possible for the couple. The husband has tried everything to call a truce but to no avail.

There's something in the woods though. Something which makes roadkill dissappear without a trace. And the husband begins to form a plan of revenge against Scratch, but at what cost?

This one is a quick but immersion read. It's narrative is sharp and to the point, and Scratch is a fantastic villain. You'll definitely feel sympathy for the couple and what they go through. I highly recommend this.

[William M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to Rio Youers with his impressive novella, Mama Fish. It was clear this was a writer that chooses his words carefully and has a wonderful talent for effective and powerful storytelling. With Old Man Scratch, author Youers steps it up a notch and creates one of the most powerful, tense, and heartbreaking novellas I've read in recent years.

The characters here are expertly described and the situation of a nasty and relentless neighbor is delightfully addictive. Youers could have easily written this as a straight drama, but he ups the ante by infusing the tale with a touch of otherworldly horror that compliments the central narrative beautifully. I won't give anything away except that I'm so happy I read and experienced this story and will continue to seek out more work by this author. Very high recommendation.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always satisfying to read the first sentence of a short piece of fiction and realize that this is going to be a good read. Then you finish the first paragraph, the first page, knowing your emotional response to that first sentence was a bullseye.

The difficulty in reviewing a piece of short fiction is getting around not telling the actual story yet creating the necessary interest to make someone else want to read it. Rio Youers takes writes a rollercoaster ride of what it might be like to live in a small town next-door to the neighbor from hell. I don't think I can use the same colorful language Youers uses to describe this neighbor; however, suffice it to say the language is warranted.

Growing old sucks! Take it from me, because I am right in the age range of the protagonist in "Old Man Scratch," and I also totally understand the desire for a good night's sleep.

[G.R. Yeates · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thoughtful modern folktale where the consequences of revenge create an atmosphere of inevitable approaching doom. Tender moments portraying an old couple's lifelong love contrast with the thunderous confrontations between two men who could not be more opposed. All of this then leads us into a bleak and ambiguous coda that stays with you once you have put the book down. Recommended.

[Jen ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but impactful.

"The curios of a lifetime- even something as seemingly innocuous as a pencil or a paperback novel- can be powerful. When held at the right moment, magic can occur; they become windows in time: portals."

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a retired couple from Toronto who decide to live out their retirement away from the city and out into a small town setting. They move to the outskirts of town and their only neighbor is a mean old man named Scratch. What makes Scratch so mean is he cuts his lawn every day at 5:30 in the morning. Johnny, the husband of the retired couple decides to ask Scratch to stop waking them up every morning with his lawn cutting, but that doesn't go well and things get uglier as the story progresses.

This is a short story of about 60 or so pages and is pretty much a straight thriller, until the ending. The story was interesting, told well, and I enjoyed it. There's really nothing phenomenal here, but it is a good story. I was glad to have read it.

[Lyndon]

I read this when it first came out. Trying to find my review of it, but it's lost in cyberspace I suppose. Was a free advanced review copy and I believe it was a horror story. Anyway, discovered I'd not counted it as a book read until now (2018) but will mark it read in 2010.

[Paul Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rio Youers can always spin a good tale. This has great character background but I found it a bit predictable and a little slow paced for my taste. I'd give it 3.5 stars. But I do like his writing style.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it on the plane back from World Horror Con in Brighton and couldn't put it down. Incredibly well written.

[Paul Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot is packed into this small 57 page novella. Rio Youers knows how to quickly make you feel connected with the characters, Johnny, Melinda, and Scratch. Scratch is the selfish mean ass of a neighbor that we all have known at one time or another. Johnny is a kind hearted, timid man who retired to the country for some peace and quiet with his faithful wife Melinda. Of course there is a conflict and things come to a head between them.
There are tender moments and great quotes “The curios of a lifetime—even something as seemingly innocuous as a pencil or a paperback novel—can be powerful. When held at the right moment, magic can occur; they become windows in time: portals.” There might also be a supernatural element waiting for you around the corner.

[LordTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 4.5
Youers has yet to disappoint me.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good short story from Rio Youers. Reads fast and very well written. Recommended.