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    Regretfully Invited
    Regretfully Invited
    Regretfully Invited
    Ebook89 pages1 hour

    Regretfully Invited

    By Jan L. Mayes

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Why do left feet keep washing ashore?

    Find out the answer to this question and more with this 13 story bundle of creepy, horror micro-stories and flash fiction.

    No zombies, vampires, or werewolves.

    Delve into disturbingly haunting quick tales of murder, madness, and mayhem. Contained in a menacing atmosphere where all is not right in the world.

    Included in this bundle:

    Double Vision
    Based on real events, where midnight visitors could be sinister or a quirk of vision.

    Tubsy & The Trauma of Oz
    Based on real life hideously shocking consequences of letting a girl's favourite dolly perform in the school play.

    The Grave of Gelert
    Based on a visit to the real Gelert's Grave in Wales, a tribute to the memory of when hasty deadly action brought sorrow.

    Mary Annette
    Based on the most terrifying teleporting real life marionette ever rejected by a child.
     
    Tinnitus Study 421: Rotary
    A flash fiction experiment that inspired the optimistic psychopath Doctor Bell.

    Regretfully Invited
    When an audiologist knows too much about Doctor Bell's tinnitus cure experiments, he takes an unorthodox approach to eliminating them as a witness.

    Disembodied
    Inspired by real events where left feet keep washing ashore in the Pacific Northwest, but police have no idea who they belong to or where they came from.

    Dreams of Debbie
    Based on real events after the death of a sister, when a dream may be more than a dream.

    Eye Eclipse
    A father uses a rare solar eclipse for revenge, inspired by real events when a bystander videos a fatal accident instead of trying to save the child.

    Ladykiller
    Based on nightmares of an alien apocalypse, where oversleeping has deadly consequences.

    Dad's Death Bells
    Based on real events after the death of a father, who might have ghosted back to give a murderous message or last good-bye.

    Cofveve Pie
    A Mom's desperate plan to prevent her daughter's wedding by serving the fiancé a "special dessert", inspired by real events and the mystery of what cofveve means.

    Napkins
    Inspired by a big brother who decides to take things into his own hands to protect his sister from Mother's abuse, but things don't turn out exactly as planned.

    Mature content not appropriate for young or sensitive readers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJan L. Mayes
    Release dateJan 6, 2018
    ISBN9781386021049
    Regretfully Invited
    Author

    Jan L. Mayes

    Jan L. Mayes has been writing and blogging horror fiction and tinnitus-hyperacusis non-fiction for over 10 years. Her background in linguistics, audiology and adult education—combined with over 30 years of experience coping with ghosts, hyper ears and plotting murders—have given her a broad base from which to approach many topics. She is an international Eric Hoffer Award winner for non-fiction Tinnitus Treatment Toolbox (rev. 2012) on how to cope with tinnitus-hyperacusis, and is currently a member of The Writer’s Path writing club and the Ladies of Horror Fiction. Her writing has been featured at Tinnitus Today, Communique, silencity.com and The Right to Quiet Society. Jan lives in the Pacific Northwest of Canada. She enjoys reading, cookies and deadheading, as should all right thinking people.  

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      Book preview

      Regretfully Invited - Jan L. Mayes

      Regretfully Invited

      Regretfully Invited

      13 Short Horror Stories

      Jan L. Mayes

      Contents

      1. Double Vision

      2. Tubsy & The Trauma of Oz

      3. The Grave of Gelert

      4. Mary Annette

      5. Tinnitus Study 421: Rotary

      6. Regretfully Invited

      7. Disembodied

      8. Dreams of Debbie

      9. Eye Eclipse

      10. Ladykiller

      11. Dad’s Death Bells

      12. Covfefe Pie

      13. Napkins

      Letter to Readers

      About the Author

      Also by Jan L. Mayes

      Free Preview: Doctor Bell Anthology

      Free Preview: Tinnitus Toolbox Hyperacusis Handbook

      © 2018 Jan L. Mayes

      All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

      ASIN B078VDZQL5

      Cover design © 2018 iamjerome Studios

      www.janlmayes.com

      Created with Vellum Created with Vellum

      1

      Double Vision

      Based on real events, where midnight visitors could be sinister or a quirk of vision.

      Something woke her in the depths of the night. Propping herself up on her elbows, Lidia looked past the foot of the bed towards the slight figure outlined in the doorway to the en-suite bathroom.

      What are you doing up, hun? she mumbled sleepily. Turning down the coverlet, she patted the bed beside her invitingly, Come cuddle up with me.

      It was only when the child slowly approached that Lidia realized she did not recognize her... It? What had she invited to her bed? The girl was wearing a long colourless nightie, and her lightish hair was divided into two tight braids that fell past her ears. Almost reaching to each shoulder.

      It was not until Lidia turned her eyes away that she saw the second figure standing beside her bed. Almost touching her. A slender waif-ish girl with long dark hair obscuring her face. What could they want with her? Lidia quickly looked back to check on the first child. The girl was now sitting cross-legged beside her. Her mouth stretched wide, baring her teeth in a facsimile of a smile. Lidia couldn’t maintain eye contact with her cold, hateful stare.

      She did the only logical thing. Sliding slowly under the covers, she pulled the coverlet tightly over her head, and kept her eyes tight shut. It was just the optic palsy flaring up, she told herself. Causing the double vision that occasionally plagued her.

      She whispered like a protective spell, Double vision double vision double vision. Cold seeped into her pores, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. Time dragged by until, surprising even herself, Lidia fell sound asleep. When she woke up to the light of day, she was alone in her bedroom.

      Every night she began waking at the same dark hour. But there was no repeat of the vision. She pretended to convince herself it had simply been the palsy. In combination with a trick of light and shadows. Nothing more. Of course nothing more. She was able to sweep the memory away into the recesses of her mind. Eventually her insomnia passed.

      The next time Lidia woke in the night, she sensed she was not alone. She looked beside her bed. The willowy dark-haired girl loomed. Strands of black hair still hiding any expression. Lidia turned her head. Braids was cross-legged on the bed in her self-appointed spot. Baring her terrible smile.

      Lidia could only close her eyes and softly whimper, Double vision double vision.

      2

      Tubsy & The Trauma of Oz

      Based on real life hideously shocking consequences of letting a girl’s favourite dolly perform in the school play.

      Zoe sat on her coiled rag carpet holding Tubsy in her arms. Gently feeding Tubsy her bottle of water. Tubsy’s eyes were almost completely closed against her flushed pink cheeks. A bottle always made her sleepy.

      When Tubsy was finished, Zoe took off her little diaper and popped Tubsy into her light blue bathtub. A fresh diaper and a pair of pyjamas was neatly folded within reach. Water pee came out the small hole between Tubsy’s legs. Zoe picked up a piece of cloth and began washing Tubsy with the water. A sound made her stop to listen.

      Kev and Steve, the foster man, were huddled in the hall outside her bedroom door talking in low voices with each other. Something is up, thought Zoe.

      Kev came into her room, Steve right behind him. I was wondering if I could borrow Tubsy Wubsy for—

      Her name is Tubsy.

      Can I—

      No. said Zoe.

      Now Zoe, said Steve. Your brother needs a baby doll for The Wizard of Oz play. For when the witch shrinks after they throw water on her.

      No.

      I promise I’ll keep Tubsy safe, said Kev. I’m one of the guards. I’ll be right by her the whole time. Please?

      The water won’t hurt Tubsy at all, said Steve. And nobody else has a baby doll they can use.

      Would Tubsy like to perform in a play? wondered Zoe. She picked Tubsy up and looked her straight in her now wide open flat blue eyes. Tubsy wanted to go.

      The play had a three night run. Steve and Zoe had tickets for

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