More than Shadow

by Dorothy Quick

It looked exactly like a little dog waiting to be lifted into its mistress' arms. It had dimension and a definite personality. It seemed more than a shadow or a wet spot.

Genres: Horror

20 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2016

About the author

Dorothy Quick was an American writer. She befriended Mark Twain in her childhood and he encouraged her to become a writer.

Reviews

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Leprechaun’s Dog
4 June 2026

This seems to call upon Irish mythology with faires and leprachauns and that. The thing is that I grew up thinking that they were lovely magical creatures, but when you actually dig into Celtic mythology you suddenly discover that it is a lot darker than it seems, and this story draws upon that.

Basically, the protagonist and her family accidentally spill some liquids and it forms into the image of a poodle. This isn’t one of those gee this blob of liquid kinda looks like a poodle type of thing, it is an exact representation of a poodle. This creates a desire in the kids to want a poodle, and all of a sudden this poodle appears at the gate. They initially think it might be lost, but nobody claims it so they decide to take it as their own.

As I mentioned, this calls back to the darker side of Celtic mythology, particularly Irish, namely because apparently Leprechauns ride poodles. This one is no different because it actually entices people to get on it and go for a ride to a wonderful magical place, namely the land of faeries.

So, I won’t give away the ending, but it is certainly one of those stories that make you wonder if the fae were actually all that pleasant.

[Egghead · Rating 2 out of 5]

beware magic dogs
take you wonderful places
not reading story