Kindness

by Michael R. Goodwin

EVERY FAMILY HAS THEIR SECRETS...
 
Jay and his siblings live in fear of their father, a man with a strict set of rules enforced by his brutal temper. One of the many rules Father stresses the most is to stay out of the garage, which is always kept locked. When his father invites him inside the garage one day, Jay notices that the rest of his family is nowhere to be seen. Once inside, he is overwhelmed by a horrible, rotten smell.

Then, Father takes out an axe.
 
Dark secrets and horrible truths are revealed in this harrowing and dark tale, all in the pursuit of one coveted thing: REVENGE.

Genres: Horror

43 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2022

About the author

Michael R. Goodwin is the author of THE LIBERTY KEY, a novel of supernatural suspense, SMOLDER, a horror novella, and ROADSIDE FORGOTTEN, a collection of five short stories. His collection of short stories, HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO BURN, was released by Dark Pine Publishing, and he has released several standalone short stories.

His work has been featured in multiple anthologies such as "124 Beloved" by Regulus Press, "Lunatic Lullabies" by Pyke Publishing, "October Blood" by Hawke Haus, "Devil's Rejects" by Dark Pine Publishing, and "The Sacrament" by Dark Lit Press. Aside from writing, he enjoys reading, composing music, and photography.

He lives in Maine with his wife and four children.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the writing here, and even the premise, but it was all extremely short and unable to achieve any sort of impact. As I was finding myself getting immersed with the characters and situation, it just ended. Lots of missing pieces and I had a lot of questions after I finished it. Sort of a letdown but could be a great prequel of sorts to a much longer and more detail-oriented book.

[C.J. Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story that I grabbed a paperback copy of, kind of cool that that’s even an option, and I loved that it’s like pocket sized similar to Evening of the Mutated Undead by E. Reyes and The Gatherings by Jeremy Ray. I read it in a single sitting, so no need for pocket storage, but the option’s always there.

Jay’s father is a man of rules, a harsh corrector when the rules get broken. One of his biggest rules is to never enter the garage, which is most often locked, and the memory of the one time Jay’s brother disobeyed is well engrained in their memory. So when Jay’s father tells him to follow him, and he seems to be headed for the garage, Jay doesn’t know what to think. Where is his family? And why is his father being stranger than usual?

This was a quick read but it still packed a punch. While not exactly long enough for me to sink my teeth into as a revenge story, it’s certainly short and sweet. A family heirloom, an axe, makes Jay feel strong, makes him feel like he’s up for the task of taking on his dad. All his father wanted was to be obeyed, but he’s done things unforgivable. In a kind of rule of two ending, the student may become the master. And I loved the barrels, they made me think of Breaking Bad.

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-kindne...

[looneybooks79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dysfunctional father who is a bully to his sons, inciting a tremendous fear in them, shows his youngest his ‘Kindness’. Eventually it’s only a small step to use ‘Kindness’ for revenge!

What I love about Michael’s stories is his way of putting us on edge not by creating monsters or ghosts and ghouls but by putting regular people in situations where they need to make snap decisions and monsters are human… everyone can be the monster in one of his stories… (even in Smolder the real monster didn’t live in the woods but it was the ex-husband!)

I read this, in the collection Devil’s Rejects (edited and collected by Michael himself - see my review for the collection on its page on Goodreads) and it was one of my favourites in that collection!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodwin's tale of familial horror is as sharp as an axe blade, swung with a natural elegance that steadily cuts through layers of horror till it reduces the reader to a bloodied stump. It's a tale of double-edged revenge that cuts both ways.

[Amina Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of revenge

[Kiera ☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize when I bought this that it was only 37 pages! But none the less it was good, I just wish there was 300 more pages. Definitely has peaked my interest in this author.

[Robb Basham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Jamie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading this story before it was release and I can happily say it’s my favourite of everything I’ve read by Michael so far. There’s a raw beauty to this story’s language that captures the heart and makes you all too aware of the horror unfolding on the page. Simple yet elegant, Michael Goodwin is a master.

[Willie Heredia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great, quick and twisted short story from Goodwin. Like his other stories, this one is fast-paced and relentless. Goodwin does a great job in presenting characters that you know you're supposed to hate but keep reading juuuussstttt to make sure that justice is served, the right way. His writing is crisp and clear, like always, so it demands your attention for the whole story.

[Dawn Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you deal with bullies? You kill then with Kindness of course.

Jay’s Dad keeps his secrets locked away in the garage. He’s always been curious about what his Dad is hiding in there but was never brave enough to look. Until one day his Dad invited him into his private little Hell. Jay learned a lot that day, including how to take care of a bully.

I read this while sitting in the school pick up line and was blown away by the powerful punch this amazing short story has. I absolutely loved it and I can’t wait to read more by @michaelrgoodwin

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to give another one of this author's tales a shot after enjoying "The Cameraman". Despite the fact that the back and forth between past and present tense took me out of the story for a hot second near the end, this was a solid punch to the gut. I'm gonna need more of these.

[Ryan Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of detail for a book with so little pages!
Good read if you got 5-10 minutes spare.
Amazing.

[Melissa Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing short story by Michael. Some cringy goodness with a satisfying ending.

[Rio · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, twisted, short story.

[hailey ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Honestly, didn’t even know what to expect from this novel, but it was quite interesting. What happened to the main characters mother and sibling was fucked up, but I’m glad he got his vengeance against his father. Quite interesting that something as violent as an ax is named “kindness.” Could be a bit gory for some readers as the details of death are pretty gross, but still a good, short read.

[Blutrippe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun, quick read!
I really enjoyed it, tho I have to say tho, that I wished it was a little longer and more detailed!
It didn't feel rushed or anything, I just was so into the story, that I wanted more of it!
Great read!

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

An incredibly well written and haunting short story on the cycle of abuse. This one will stay with me for a long time.

[Catia Araujo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A groesome story

[JWo1855 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tension-building story that while it wasn’t filled with gore, it brought back memories of working in the garage with my Dad.

Minus the Kindness of course.

[Lovely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have rated this 5 stars, but I couldn't due to the fact that the story felt TOO short. If Michael R. Goodwin were to expand this into a full-length novel, I would be the first to buy it.

[Haleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ew but in a good way

[Stefany Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Short Story!

This pulled me in from page one! This was a heart wrenching and explosive short story. I loved it. Read this one!

[Molly Riordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t realize how short that was but oof

[razan · Rating 2 out of 5]

short but didn’t really enjoy this. first, the plot summary basically gives away most of the book. you can easily guess what generally happens. i also was expecting a better explanation for why the father did what he did. just saying he enjoys it isn’t enough for me. all i’m trying to say is that this needed more relevant horrifying plot details.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindness is a brutally unnerving story written in the most fascinating and delicate way. Goodwin has such a gift for finding a nerve, plucking it, then making you want more. A truly talented author can make the scariest monster out of a regular person. Goodwin has done just that.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this story you really know what killing them with friendliness means. Look at that cover. Inside you'll find a story about an axe, a father and the rest of the family. Absolutely captivating, bizarre, eerie, frightening and weird. Be careful with that axe, folks. Highly recommended.

[(the.darkandmoody.reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 - such a crazy good short horror story

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice setup, felt a bit too short for me. "Because i enjoy It" and that's It?