Macabre

by Lori R. Lopez

Overview

A young woman's dream for independence is challenged when her parents depart and she must anxiously face both days and nights of solitude. Yet she is never completely alone, for always the rickety windmill's presence looms. And what is in the house with her, playing games, chewing the furniture? Will she ever be able to outrun the fears of childhood? Gillian is left to conquer Night Frights that have terrified her since she was little. She faces her biggest challenge as she is poised to leave once and for all. Not your typical protagonist, she is whiny and self-centered from living in the shadow of a creepy old structure. All she wants at this point is to escape. Will the creatures haunting the windmill release her, or is she doomed to remain in their thrall? A suspenseful chiller, "Macabre" reminds us of those things that once caused us to hide beneath covers and shiver at the thought of them going bump in the night. This horror tale is also available in THE MACABRE MIND OF LORI R. LOPEZ collection.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940014512770
Publisher:	Fairy Fly Entertainment
Publication date:	04/13/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	278 KB

About the Author

Lori R. Lopez never lived in the shadow of a windmill, but she did grow up beside the world’s largest toothpick, a monolithic structure of wood that dominated her youth in Wisconsin — for fear it might tip over and flatten her house. The beastly thing frightened her at night almost as much as the stories about infamous “psycho” Ed Gein, who was incarcerated about fifteen miles from her home. (She had watched Alfred Hitchcock movies from an early age. It was scary films that left the biggest impression.) To this day Lori recalls the sharp silhouette of the toothpick each night while flossing her teeth before going to bed . . . then lies awake remembering her nightmares of Ed Gein. Eventually, once the world began using Dental Floss, the toothpick had been whittled down and sold for scrap, converted to normal-sized toothpicks that nobody purchased. These fragments wound up in antique shops and museums, like so many outdated modern treasures. The former tourist attraction probably inspired Lori to come up with an old haunted windmill. Or perhaps her story “Macabre” resulted from a trip to see the world’s largest gumball machine at age thirteen and two-quarters. Maybe, too, the statue of Paul Bunyan she would glimpse during Summers in the North Woods carved a notch in her mind — although it wasn’t nearly as large as the toothpick and seemed a lot friendlier. During travels in California, where she has spent the majority of her days and possibly nights, the author would observe a very tall wooden chair that could have belonged to the real Paul Bunyan were he the size of a beanstalk giant, and if he was in fact ever real. The chair occupies her dreams when she is not preoccupied with childhood fears.

Editorial Reviews

Macabre - the old Haunted House/Ghost story slammed into your face and rubbed around in the maggottygoo!! gently, gently, SLAM is how I felt... and unusually left wanting to know more... (from review for the story collection CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES: A SAMPLER OF HORROR).

THE FLUFFY RED FOX REVIEWS; Amazon Review - Vix Kirkpatrick

What amazing pacing! I think I was panting a little the entire time that I was reading this long short story. The story is ostensibly about the Night Terrors, those nasty things that well up as the shadows rise, but it's really a coming of age story. If I liked the little girl better, I would find it so sweet that I would have to add that extra star to the rating, but I really, really don't like her at all. The story, though, it's great.

Goodreads Review - Robin Edman

Gillian has long sensed something nefarious in the windmill [she] can see through her bedroom window. When her parents go out of town, her fears begin to get the best of her. The result is a mental and physical crumbling of her reality. This story was well written and engaging. I thought the parallel between Gillian's mental breakdown and the breakdown of all that surrounds her was a beautifully unique twist. "Macabre" is a short, quick read, one I highly recommend.

Amazon Review - Lisa Lane

This is more of a simple (if a story of Lori's could be described as simple!) haunted house type story. It had a nice pace and good imagery. Gilly was fantastic as the needy, whiny teenager trying to work out what is going [on] whilst trying desperately to get away. I love haunted house stories because of the imagery they conjure up and this was no exception.

Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews Blog, Amazon and Goodreads Review