Family Horror

In this darkly-comic retelling of the Prodigal Son parable, Jesus talks of a man who must overcome strange horrors in order to convince his family he is real. "Prodigal Son" by Daniel M. Lavery is one of 9 short horror stories in Nightfire's audio anthology. Come Join Us by the Fire S2...

relata el descenso de su narrador a los abismos de la locura luego de realizar algunas investigaciones sobre el pasado de su familia, descubriendo un hecho que repugna a la razón. Al parecer, esta familia de «sangre pura», sufrió en el pasado algún tipo de intercambio genético con una «raza menor», aunque decididamente espeluznante, cuyos rasgos deformes se han prolongado en generaciones posteriores.

“I hate cats more than any on the planet,” Grandpa always told us. “A dog you can take hunting and a moose you can shoot, but a cat only gets in the way and barfs on your carpet in the nighttime, most usually in the very spot that you step on first thing in the morning with your bare feet - and then you are left walking around the whole day long smelling of cat-barfed-on-footprints.”

One of the earliest creative approaches to feminist literature, this sinister horror story tells of a woman's mental anguish and unconscious struggle with conformity in a society that generally viewed women as weak and hysterical creatures unable to think for themselves. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a prominent American feminist, paved the way for other authors like Sylvia Plath and Alice Walker. She suffered mental illness during her life and ultimately committed suicide.

Steven is a writer, by all accounts of self-proclamation. But no artist can be expected to work under serious pressure, especially not when the pressure consists of his own mother indenting his tender skull with the muzzle of the pistol held in her hand. Suddenly, it's write or die for Steven. He better tap away on that typewriter or expect to be extracted from the land of the living before he's had the opportunity to finish anything he's ever written. Not to mention that his recently departed father lying on the floor beside him should supply enough motivation.

The theme is revenge in this gruesome tale about the lengths we will go to for retribution. This is one of several stories in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

A kidnapping turns to be unexpectedly deadly when the Mafia encounters ogres and demons. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

Nice young boys collect white supremacists to feed a Lovecraftian monster. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

A mythological figure comes and takes away bad memories and replaces them with someone else's. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

Deep in a kudzu forest, a small town sacrifices an unsuspecting traveler. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

The Hatfields and the McCoys set aside their differences to guard the gate of hell. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

A retarded young girl saves the lives of those in her care with box of broken crayons. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

In this chilling short story, the nature of a priest's prisoner and his crime are revealed through a letter. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

A boy discovers the special connection between fishing, grandfathers, and the great beyond. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.

Enter a melancholy world of Mardis Gras, sacrifice, and the death of a child. This is one of several tales in the Smoky Mountain Horrors collection.