Lost in the Dark
by Joe
Mynhardt
Looking for
something scary to read? Look no further than Joe Mynhardt's debut
story collection, Lost in the Dark.
Description
In this first
collection by Joe Mynhardt you will plunge into the bewildering world of
werewolves, ghosts, psychos, zombies, demons, evil elves and things that should
not be named. Follow five friends to the threshold of hell in "Portico";
walk alongside a young boy bent on killing his brother’s murderer in "The
Nature of the Beast"; beware of your own demons in "The Great Wall of
Rubin". These twelve stories will explore the theme of lost hope and the
on-going struggle to free ourselves from despair. Are you sure you’re ready for
this?
The twelve stories
buried within this book's pages are:
The Great Wall of Rubin
Rubin’s story is one
of tragedy and addiction. As a recovering alcoholic on the verge of falling
back into old habits, he decides to join an Alcoholics Anonymous group. Certain
feelings and memories are brought to light, which forces Rubin to face his demons,
which are all waiting for him on the drive home. Expect heart-wrenching
revelations and visually disturbing scenes that will stay with you long after
you’ve read the story.
Beyond the Ornate Tree
This might be the
creepiest Christmas story ever. Jim is scared of Christmas. Don’t ask him why,
he really doesn’t know. That’s why he had himself committed to an insane
asylum, where Doctor Brown will unlock Jim’s childhood memories, and reveal the
source of his fear. What they both discover will leave you shocked and
repulsed. You might even fear Christmas after reading this disturbing 1st
person story.
Portico
The longest story in
the collection, "Portico" follows five friends to an abandoned
observatory-turned-theatre on top of a deserted hill. The history of the
building and its surroundings motivates them to break into the building,
especially after they noticed something odd staring at them from one of the
windows. Inside the building, their fears and friendships are put to the test
as the building’s occupants come to life. As the reader you will get to know
all five characters personally, only to see the life ripped out of some as they
die in horrific circumstances. The final pages will leave you breathless. "Portico"
is also being turned into a movie in South Africa, filmed inside the actual
setting of this story. To stay updated, visit the Portico Facebook page.
The Way Back
Thomas Sanders is a
veteran paranormal investigator, who has quite a disliking for fancy gadgets
and unnecessary technological advances. His wife, on the other hand, loves
them. One night Thomas accompanies a group of young ghost hunters through the
Eastern State Penitentiary, where he stumbles onto an event that could change
the world and leave millions dead, starting with his family.
Always Come Back
A very short piece, "Always
Come Back" is a quick journey into the disturbed and troubled mind of
William, whose dead wife just doesn’t want to leave him alone. This story will
leave you asking, "How did he do that?"
Fashionably Undead
"Fashionably
Undead" follows poor old Rupert to a fashion show with his wife (guess who
the models are). Rupert is tired of watching his wife flirt with her boss, he’s
tired of her fashion industry job, and he’s tired of his own stay-at-home-daddy
life. One more fashion show is all it takes to send him over the edge.
Come All to the River of Death
Henry Taylor needs
one great photo to establish himself as a great ghost hunter, or so he
believes. In his search for this paranormal evidence, he ends up neglecting his
wife, and decides to break the law by entering the old abandoned house. Inside
he finds out exactly what happened as he strolls blindly into his worst
nightmare. This haunted house story is based on an actual building in
Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Forgive Me Now
Andy’s wife is angry
and he’s running out of time. He needs to do something before it’s too late. If
he can’t get her to forgive him, the results would be catastrophic, for both of
their lives.
Lost in the Dark
The title story of
this collection, "Lost in the Dark" is a disturbing tale of young
girls being kidnapped by a powerful old man name Wolfgang Demourtes. The Wolf
keeps the girls locked up in cages in the basement of his little hut in the
dark forest. More of a dark fantasy story, it touches on magic and talents,
family issues and friendship, as well as working together to destroy the evil
that’s scouring the land.
Rise, Dead Man
You shouldn’t steal
from the dead. Someone should’ve told Gerrit that. This chilling story follows
drug-addicted Gerrit as he first tries to score his next hit, then fights to
rid himself of a haunting presence. Is his drug-induced mind playing tricks on
him, or is the old man he robbed taking over?
Zombie Mischief
A funny little 1st
person tale of life after the zombie invasion, and how people always find a way
to entertain themselves. Anyone up for a good prank?
The Nature of the Beast
Ethan’s older
brother was brutally murdered, and he’s looking for the killer. Ethan sneaks
out of the house of his grieving parents and faces his own inadequacies as he
enters the park where the killer is believed to be hiding. But this is no
ordinary killer he’s after. Will Ethan be able to stand up for himself, to fill
the void his older brother always occupied? Or will he just be another victim?
Review
By R. Ridgway
I love horror
stories. I was not disappointed with this collection. There is an undercurrent
of malevolent evil that stalks the well rounded characters in each story. I
couldn't put the book down once I started reading as the relentless action
takes you into a current of dread and you find yourself pulling for the
characters and hoping they will find the strength to survive. These stories are
not for the reader who is afraid of the dark and you may have trouble sleeping
after reading this tour de force of horror from a fresh author. Watch out
Stephen King.
About the Author
Joe Mynhardt is a South African horror writer and teacher. While having
dozens of published stories, Joe also tends to a tome of story, movie, comic
and stage ideas scraping for a chance to be written. Joe Mynhardt took up
writing towards the end of 2008 and has enjoyed remarkable success. Joe
contributes to horror fiction in more ways than his own work. He maintains a
constant presence on several of the major horror writer's forums as a
contributor and adviser. He's also a moderator for a foremost writer's group, Mywriterscircle.com, as well as an
Assistant Submissions Editor at The South African Literary Journal, New Contrast. Not to mention the
owner and operator of Crystal Lake
Publishing. All in all, he keeps his finger on the active pulse of current
horror. His influences stretches from Poe, Doyle and Lovecraft to King,
Connolly and Gaiman. In his spare time Joe blogs about haunted buildings. In
his non-fictional life, Joe is a primary school teacher who enjoys reading,
watching movies, and collecting rare coins. After matriculating in 1998, he
moved to Bloemfontein, South Africa, where he received an honors degree in
Education Leadership and Management. Joe devotes himself to his wife, his work,
and to feeding his two dogs. I'm sure if something happened, and he was
incapacitated, he wouldn't mind if his dogs ate him. After all, it would be a
shame to let all that talent go to waste.
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