Although horror can be imagination, sometimes the disturbing truth makes its way into my stories. The result may not end up being fantastical, but I find the touch of realism adds its own creepy factor.
The seed for this story was planted last year, while I was reading an article about how domestic violence isn't always taken seriously, especially when men are the victims. Then, while browsing Reddit, I came across a few posts about women falsely claiming abuse to get back the men in their lives, and how that was making it even more difficult to believe the accounts of true victims. Add to that yet another post detailing a creepy stalker situation, and a story was born.
As with a few of my other stories, I wanted a protagonist who wasn't especially good. Pauline is a stalker, peeping into Keith's apartment, faking a business job with a heavy briefcase to have him carry, adjusting her likes to match his, etc.
But I did want to add a few suspicious trails here and there to keep the reader on their toes. Perhaps when she invited Keith over, she was going to drug him? Perhaps Keith is actually bad, and his violent "fiancé" is his kidnapped victim, but Pauline is too infatuated to see?
But at the end, we realize Pauline is truly a selfish, possessive stalker, and Keith is a battered fiancé. And even though he now has a caring nurse as a love interest, Pauline is still jealous, revealing that she wasn't doing all this for him, but for herself. The cycle continues, and it might get worse.
If you've read the story, let me know what you think. I’m always open to feedback, suggestions, and critique!
And if you liked this story, you can find it in "The Fall of Souls: and six other twisted stories about unlikable people", available on Amazon! If you do purchase it, I'd greatly appreciate an honest review. :)