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The Elixir
Pauly needs cash - NOW - for a fix. When he encounters Belia Demkakova, he negotiates to do yardwork for her. But the old woman has something that can erase his withdrawal symptoms. At a price. What will Pauly give to be free of his addiction? More than he bargained for!Writing about The Elixir, author Lee Allen Howard “The story is about desperation and what people will do to free themselves from addiction. I’d had the idea of an old woman asking a young man to do her a favor. As part of an online writing class, I developed the idea into the story...I wanted [it] to have somewhat of a gritty, noir feel to it. My challenge was to keep readers interested and include a nice twist at the end. I hope I’ve been successful.”(Cover by Adrian Baldwin)
- GenresHorror
46 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2019
17 people want to read
About the author
Lee Allen Howard
30 books175 followersLee Allen Howard, MA, MFA, writes horror, LGBTQ horror, supernatural crime, dark mystery, and psychological thrillers.
His pubs include THE COVENANT SACRIFICE, DEATH PERCEPTION, THE SIXTH SEED, THE ADAMSON FAMILY, PERPETUAL NIGHTMARES, THE BEDWETTER, MAMA SAID, DESPERATE SPIRITS, NIGHT MONSTERS, and SEVERED RELATIONS.
His pubs include THE COVENANT SACRIFICE, DEATH PERCEPTION, THE SIXTH SEED, THE ADAMSON FAMILY, PERPETUAL NIGHTMARES, THE BEDWETTER, MAMA SAID, DESPERATE SPIRITS, NIGHT MONSTERS, and SEVERED RELATIONS.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 29, 2023
The Elixer Must Be Earned...
THE ELIXER (Short Sharp Shocks Book #26) by Lee Allen Howard
No spoilers. 4 stars. Pauly Gruber was on his way down to the street corner to beg
his drug dealer for a hit...
When...
He passed an old lady who shouldn't be living in this kind of neighborhood. Pauly needed money for his drugs, and...
She was raking leaves in her yard. He was staring at her, and she became annoyed and said: May I help you?
Pauly made a deal with the woman to rake her yard and weed her garden for 20 dollars...
When he was finished with the work...
He knocked at her door, and she told him to follow her down the hall, past a room with a handicapped old man inside, staring at them as they passed him...
She led him to the kitchen and told him to sit at the table while she made them some tea...
A funky, sour smell permeated the house. It smelled like rotten food or old, rancid garbage...
Pauly had the shakes, and...
The old woman said Pauly was in a bad way. She had been a nurse for 30 years and knew the signs of withdrawal...
She went to a cabinet in her kitchen and fetched a bottle of something to help him...
An elixer...
Later, the elixer had gotten him through 2 days, but he found himself back at the old woman's house for another hit...
She took Pauly back to her kitchen and told him to wait for her there. He smelled the rotten odor again. Stronger...
Pauly was desperate for that elixer, but the old woman told him: First, I have something I want you to do for me...
The elixer must be earned...
This was a very good short story that reminded me somewhat of APT PUPIL by Stephen King. It's a nice addition to this Short Sharp Shocks collection.
THE ELIXER (Short Sharp Shocks Book #26) by Lee Allen Howard
No spoilers. 4 stars. Pauly Gruber was on his way down to the street corner to beg
his drug dealer for a hit...
When...
He passed an old lady who shouldn't be living in this kind of neighborhood. Pauly needed money for his drugs, and...
She was raking leaves in her yard. He was staring at her, and she became annoyed and said: May I help you?
Pauly made a deal with the woman to rake her yard and weed her garden for 20 dollars...
When he was finished with the work...
He knocked at her door, and she told him to follow her down the hall, past a room with a handicapped old man inside, staring at them as they passed him...
She led him to the kitchen and told him to sit at the table while she made them some tea...
A funky, sour smell permeated the house. It smelled like rotten food or old, rancid garbage...
Pauly had the shakes, and...
The old woman said Pauly was in a bad way. She had been a nurse for 30 years and knew the signs of withdrawal...
She went to a cabinet in her kitchen and fetched a bottle of something to help him...
An elixer...
Later, the elixer had gotten him through 2 days, but he found himself back at the old woman's house for another hit...
She took Pauly back to her kitchen and told him to wait for her there. He smelled the rotten odor again. Stronger...
Pauly was desperate for that elixer, but the old woman told him: First, I have something I want you to do for me...
The elixer must be earned...
This was a very good short story that reminded me somewhat of APT PUPIL by Stephen King. It's a nice addition to this Short Sharp Shocks collection.
January 10, 2022
Pauly is hard up for a fix and comes across an elderly lady named Belia that needs some help with yardwork. He jumps at the chance to make a little money. Pauly goes in thinking it’s going to be easy, but it turns out to be the complete opposite.
I loved this twisted short! Howard pulls you in immediately with Pauly’s overwhelming need to score some drugs. Belia seems to know that Pauly is having some withdrawal and offers him the Elixir to help. He accepts and from that moment everything goes crazy. When Pauly first meets Belia you think things are going to go one way and by the end the story completely flips!
I loved this twisted short! Howard pulls you in immediately with Pauly’s overwhelming need to score some drugs. Belia seems to know that Pauly is having some withdrawal and offers him the Elixir to help. He accepts and from that moment everything goes crazy. When Pauly first meets Belia you think things are going to go one way and by the end the story completely flips!
March 29, 2020
I enjoyed this. Nice writing style and a good plot. A perfect bite of horror for when time is short, or anytime you want a quick read.
November 28, 2023
Great story!
I could not believe the ending. This was such a great story that will leave you with your mouth hanging open in the end. Really well written.
I very much enjoy this series by Demain Publishing!
I could not believe the ending. This was such a great story that will leave you with your mouth hanging open in the end. Really well written.
I very much enjoy this series by Demain Publishing!
March 29, 2022
Pauly is desperate for his next fix and he's about to find out how far he's willing to go to get it.
Lee Allen Howard is a fantastic writer who creates realistic settings, believable characters, and high tension with only a few words. The Elixir is short in terms of page count, but the story is so rich and vivid that I felt transported to Pauly's reality and now desperately want to wash the grime off my hands.
Lee Allen Howard is a fantastic writer who creates realistic settings, believable characters, and high tension with only a few words. The Elixir is short in terms of page count, but the story is so rich and vivid that I felt transported to Pauly's reality and now desperately want to wash the grime off my hands.
June 22, 2021
I really enjoyed this little gem, it's short but it packs a punch. It's part of the Short Sharp Shocks! series 52 in total I think. It's about a drug addict called Pauly which on his way to see his dealer he sees an old lady cleaning her garden and he sees an opportunity to earn some cash for his addiction...he should have kept walking because that old defenceless fragile old lady is not what she seems.
I like to read short stories between novels not only to change scenery but also to up my goodreads reading challenge lol
I like to read short stories between novels not only to change scenery but also to up my goodreads reading challenge lol
June 9, 2021
💀😱 very good chilling read.
Pauly Gruber is on his way to see his dealer.
On the way, he meets an old woman raking leaves in front of her house...
Pauly offers to help her...
----------
An absolutely effective and captivating short "horror" story, full of suspense.
To discover.
💀💀💀
Pauly Gruber is on his way to see his dealer.
On the way, he meets an old woman raking leaves in front of her house...
Pauly offers to help her...
----------
An absolutely effective and captivating short "horror" story, full of suspense.
To discover.
💀💀💀
August 7, 2021
I really liked this book.it was a very quick read. It grabbed my attention from the first word. Just enough horror just enough thriller. I will be reading Lee Allen Howard again.Go get this book
December 6, 2021
Nasty little short story. Well done.
November 16, 2022
A terrific short thriller/horror story where sometimes the cure isn't worth the cost.
July 6, 2023
This was great I loved it. Alittle different then I expected but it was pretty wonderful. I received this an just voluntarily choose to reveiw.
March 16, 2025
The tale of a druggie with a questionable heart. He’s too early to meet his dealer and has too little money. An old woman offers him a way to earn a bit more money to maybe find himself someplace in his trashcan, dark alley world or to free himself from his addiction. Really?! It’s a fascinating , gruesome cautionary tale. Have fun reading it! It’ll give you the shivers!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews