The Braid: A Short Story

by Angela Yuriko Smith

There is something wrong with Cambria's new babysitting job when she gets drawn into a little girl's game of pulling faces—with no one. Cambria's simple world begins to fragment. It all starts when you tie the knot. The Braid is a satisfying short story that will resonate with readers long after the story is closed.This is a Story² collectable book. Be sure to look for other squared stories from Angela Yuriko Smith.

24 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2015

About the author

Angela Yuriko Smith, HWA president and Space and Time publisher, is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winner. As a Publishing Coach, she helps writers search less and submit more with her weekly calendar of author opportunities at authortunities.substack.com.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad way to spend ten minutes of your life if you’re in the mood for a few chills. I enjoyed this novella more for the idea on which the story is built than the story itself. I think with a few extra pages the flow could’ve been better and the characters could’ve been fluffed out more. Overall though, a good effort.

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly chilling little short story.
I really enjoyed this and having spent many a day or evening babysitting I must say that I can picture these events all too well. Especially if there is some thunder and the power gets knocked out.

This is not the first story by this author that I have read but it is my favourite to date. I love seeing how an author grows. And in this little short I must say the author is obviously growing into her own voice in leaps and bounds.

WaAr

[Lynn Worton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a chilling short story. I loved it!

Cambria is a babysitter, looking after a little girl called Missy while her parents are out. When she catches her charge making grotesque faces, Cambria realises that something is not right.

This is an atmospheric short story that sent chills down my spine. I am not a huge fan of horror, but having previously read this author's debut horror story and enjoying it, I knew that I would be in for a ride. However, even I was surprised at how easily I was drawn into this tale. It is extremely easy to picture the scenes as they unfolded due to the descriptive prose. I felt empathy with Cambria as her sanity was called into question. Was the house haunted? Or is it just a wild imagination that leads to an unravelling mind? I don't know the answer to those questions, but this story sure captured my imagination and I was very grateful that I read this during my lunch half hour and not at night. I would have had nightmares otherwise!

I would have liked the story to be a little bit longer, but I'm not sure if the intensity would have been kept if it were. That being said, I am looking forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.

Angela Yuriko Smith has written an intriguing short horror story. I loved her fast paced writing style, which was very descriptive and gave the story intensity. The flow was wonderful too. Her writing has improved a lot and I will definitely be adding this author onto my favourite authors' list.

I highly recommend this novella if you love horror or ghost stories. - Lynn Worton

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine the scary stories that kids often tell, sometimes while sitting around a campfire or anywhere with a dark, spooky vibe. Often it's about the “haunted house” down the street. The Braid reminds me a lot of those stories, minus the atmosphere of the dark and spooky night with the breeze rustling the leaves, but told much better with time for more detail than the best childhood storyteller could pull off. All that's missing is a friend jumping out from the dark and screaming to scare you at the climax.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Marion Marchetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cambria is a teen-aged babysitter watching over five year old Missy as this tale opens. Missy doesn't want to go to sleep - at least that's what we're led to believe - and plagues Cambria with her pretend game of being like the invisible lady. But the lady is only invisible to Cambria. And by the time the babysitter figures out just who the invisible lady is, it's too late. She has fallen under the spell of the song the ghostly woman sings and within moments seems to lose her mind. What happens next is a conclusion so chilling that it may have been told by the master of horror himself, Stephen King. To reveal any more would be to reveal the ending of this wonderfully gripping short story.

This story gripped me from the opening lines and didn't let go until the final word. That's when I realized I'd been holding my breath the entire time!

I found The Braid by Angela Youriko Smith a compelling, concise, and almost perfect short horror story. The writing is superb, the characters are complex, and plot is singularly straightforward. Short enough to read over a cup of coffee. If you like the genre, don't miss this one.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!!

Great, spooky short read. The ghost made the babysitter tie the knot. Very interesting, how history repeated itsself. Worth a read!

[Ranjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely chilling short story. I loved it.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://fallenoverbookreviews.blogspot...
Wow this was an amazing short ghost story.
It is short and to the point no extra information that has you scratching your head.
Cambria is babysitting but when the little girl she is babysitting is acting strange and saying well that is what that lady there is doing with her hair it has you wondering what the heck is going on.
It seems that Cambria's world is being turned upside down by an unseen force that keeps repeating tie the knot. So what happens when Cambria can't take it anymore?
You have to read to find that out yourself.
If you are looking for a short chilling story that you can finish within about 15 minutes I say give this book a read.
I can not give out anything else or the story will be told before you read it. Just give this book a shot.

[Robin Wiesneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was tied up in this story from the first page

Good horror has the ability to suspend reality and make the impossible seem real. The Braid does this with descriptive prose that made me actually hear that wooden rafter groan and creak, nervous with apprehension about what might happen next.

[Tammy Wooding]

There is something wrong with Cambria's new babysitting job when she gets drawn into a little girl's game of pulling faces—with no one. Cambria's simple world begins to fragment. It all starts when you tie the knot.

The Braid is a satisfying short story that will resonate with readers long after the story is closed.

**

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short story. It was spooky - I had to put it down when I started reading at night - it was easier to complete during the day. Short and sweet and to the point. Well worth the read.

[Ami E. Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this was based on a post on the /NoSleep Reddit forum about creepy things kids have said. I enjoyed where the author took the story.