Forgive me...
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Once again I found her downstairs. She seemed lost and confused, oblivious to my presence. I tried to wake her gently, kneeling in front of her and whispering her name. I flinched when she looked at me, the hatred in her eyes razor sharp. When I took her by the hand her fingers were cold. I led her back upstairs and slipped into bed beside her, pulling the covers around us, trying to warm her. At first she was tense, unresponsive to my reassurances, unbending to my attempts to wrap myself around her, to warm her gooseflesh. That hurt. But I held her tight, told her to relax, everything was fine. Kissed her. Loved her. She softened briefly but when I moved between her legs she abruptly turned away.
In the morning, I asked her what had happened. She wouldn’t look at me. “Must’ve been dreaming,” she said, “I can’t remember.”
The creature returned each night as soon as she fell asleep, emerging from the corner – a charred cadaver that looked as if it had crawled from Hell itself. I didn’t know how to stop it. Each morning, just as dawn broke, a shadow lifted from the bed, rising from within my wife like a departing soul leaving a dead body, to skulk in the half-light, panting and rasping until it faded away. What was I to do? Who was going to believe what I was seeing when I could barely believe it myself.
Then he vanished. Or so I thought...
The rest of my short story (2,500words), Dreaming, Not Sleeping, is published by Etopia Press and available to download for Kindle from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com for 99c, and from Barnes & Noble for the Nook.
In the morning, I asked her what had happened. She wouldn’t look at me. “Must’ve been dreaming,” she said, “I can’t remember.”
The creature returned each night as soon as she fell asleep, emerging from the corner – a charred cadaver that looked as if it had crawled from Hell itself. I didn’t know how to stop it. Each morning, just as dawn broke, a shadow lifted from the bed, rising from within my wife like a departing soul leaving a dead body, to skulk in the half-light, panting and rasping until it faded away. What was I to do? Who was going to believe what I was seeing when I could barely believe it myself.
Then he vanished. Or so I thought...
The rest of my short story (2,500words), Dreaming, Not Sleeping, is published by Etopia Press and available to download for Kindle from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com for 99c, and from Barnes & Noble for the Nook.
Reviews for Dreaming, Not Sleeping
AMAZON
A brilliant and chilling short story
*****
"Dreaming Not Sleeping is the first horror to be published by Etopia Press and I've been waiting eagerly for it. I'm not disappointed. Kavan writes beautiful prose that flows off the page. I'd liken her to a 21st century M R James, the horror works that well. I do hope that she produces a full length novel soon. Worth every penny."
Steve
Haunting and sensual
*****
"Seduced by a dream lover, a woman slips from reality into...?
This is an eerie and seductive short story. Just the right kind of bed time reading to send you off to sleep with a smile and a shiver."
‘Verse’
READER COMMENTS
"A beautifully told, chilling and sad story. I loved it"
Louise, North Yorkshire
A brilliant and chilling short story
*****
"Dreaming Not Sleeping is the first horror to be published by Etopia Press and I've been waiting eagerly for it. I'm not disappointed. Kavan writes beautiful prose that flows off the page. I'd liken her to a 21st century M R James, the horror works that well. I do hope that she produces a full length novel soon. Worth every penny."
Steve
Haunting and sensual
*****
"Seduced by a dream lover, a woman slips from reality into...?
This is an eerie and seductive short story. Just the right kind of bed time reading to send you off to sleep with a smile and a shiver."
‘Verse’
READER COMMENTS
"A beautifully told, chilling and sad story. I loved it"
Louise, North Yorkshire
