Careful What You Wish For

Weird things happen at Jupiter Falls. Terrifying ghosts haunt the forest. Mystical beasts walk freely at night. As everyone tries to deal with several supernatural incidents, a strange man has arrived to terrorize them.

THE LIGHTS OVER JUPITER POINT by Joe Jones is a short story featuring a mix of theological and supernatural elements, creating a rather horrific night for all involved. Not only did the author keep me captivated throughout the story, but Jones also impressed me with the turn-of-events at the very end.

If you're looking for a story with terrifying characters, I recommend this one for a quick horror fix.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Faces Look Ugly

With no memories of his identity or where he came from, Baal finds himself trapped in a strange street surrounded by anomalies. The only person available to walk him through is some weird creature by the name of Miles Douglas. The only choice he has is to uncover the truth of the strange place before he loses his sanity.

A FRIEND SO STRANGE by Eric Kibue is an odd piece of flash fiction, mixing theology and the supernatural, and in need of a good editor. The story is interesting, but the writing is roughly done.

If Kibue enlists an editor to polish this piece, I believe fans of Constantine might enjoy Baal's dilemma.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Commit The Crime, Do The Time...Forever

A man wakes up in Hell--naked and intertwined with a hundred other terrified human beings who have also just arrived. After fending off a gang of demonic men and rescuing a beautiful woman, the nameless main character fights his way through a crowd of billions, heading for the only rumored means of escape.

With each passing moment, his wits and his sanity are pushed to their limits as he begins to realize that the inhabitants with whom he shares his damnation may be more dangerous than the devil who sent him there.

The Gate by Michael W. Layne is a concept of Hell I haven't read in any other story (and I've read many stories featuring the infamous inferno). The author draws readers into the accursed cavern of eternal suffering with a detailed accounting of the murderous ritual the main character performed to ensure his own damnation. Even knowing the atrocity carried out prior to his arrival in Hell, it's surprisingly easy to feel sympathy for the man who remains nameless and almost cheer for him at times.

The character appears to be an atheist, which makes his journey all the more interesting as he resists the proselytizing from those who believe they can still redeem themselves. The descriptions of the people surrounding the character transcend time and location, appearing to represent the whole of mankind from our first creation to the end of our existence. Observing people continuing their battles over race and religion provided an excellent backdrop to the main character's inner struggle to accept his place in the afterlife.

While there is some redundancy here and there, I strongly recommend The Gate to anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking story.

As always,
AstraDaemon