Goodreads' Author Group discussion

‘Remember now, the others and I were working people, working to get by, month to month. They keep their heads down and push through, and when they can, they dream.
Their dreams are an escape. That wasn't possible with Julian stalking the aisles, his ever-grey pallor, his wasted figure serving as a reality check. That's what was scary.
When there were no dreams anymore.’

Julian Kensi is about to start his first day in retail.

What he doesn’t know is that to his supervisor, Peter Smith, he is just another pawn to be used in his rise to the top. That is until Julian begins to act strangely.

As Peter attempts to learn more, his ruthless methods cause events to take a macabre turn beyond control.

Insular a short story about one man’s life-long fear and regret. It’s a story about obsession, the power of a person’s imagination, and the terrible consequences once this imagination has been unleashed. It is perfect for fans of Stephen King, Dean Kootnz, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Joe Hill, H.P Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson.

This was a very interesting short story. I used to read a lot of Dean Koontz when I was in high school, and this story reminded me of, 'Strange Highways.' My sub-conscious seems to remember more than my conscious mind does, because it was the sub that recalled Koontz's short stories while I was reading 'Insular' ... indeed, the brain has many a 'strange highways' that takes many twists and turns, much like this short story does!

Thank you for sharing your work, Jamie!

My review:
Insular kept me navigating through imagination and reality in every page of it. It made me feel the obsession, the regret, and the trauma a person's non-existence can evoke. And as Jamie writes: "It's the what-ifs that keep a man up at night, let me tell you."