Shattered Piece of Heaven
When her grandmother passes, Sandy, accompanied by her friend Thomas, heads back to the family orchard she hasn’t seen since she was on a tricycle. Her dreams of what happened there have haunted her for her entire life. The reality is even more nightmarish.
Short story originally published in Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 4: Women Running from Houses, October, 2020. Edited by Jason Henderson, published by Castle Bridge Media.
“The theme is Gothic– the horror of Gothic romance. Throughout the mid-century, paperback Gothic romance books dominated the shelves, always featuring a woman running away from a house. (Go ahead, Google “women running from houses.”) Gothic romances tended to tell stories of women coming into conflict with old families, old houses and old traditions. So we’ve asked a bevy of best-selling writers to celebrate the movement with their own horrific takes on Gothic. Run from the house with us!”