Synopsis
“Dreams of Lake Drukka” and “Exhumation” explore the unearthing of horrific, long-buried family secrets. Journeying into the darkest recesses of the past, these stories depict the dire consequences of discovering the truth.
Writing about this duology, author Mike Thorn says: “It was only in retrospect that I could see the connections between these two stories. When I revisited them for publication, it struck me that they work well as companion pieces. Both plots depict unfulfilled pacts with supernatural undercurrents, both include journeys to uncover unresolved familial trauma, and both pivot around the revelation of repressed memories. I wanted to explore the relationship between setting and atmosphere in these pieces, and to depict horror within internal and physical ‘sites of trauma.’ The characters are grappling with painful memories / experiences that have held them back, consciously or unconsciously. One story focuses on a character who is the agent of her own revelations, whereas the other story sees someone whose agency is quickly and brutally taken away.”
Review
This book is comprised of two short stories.
The first is called Dreams of Lake Drukka and reminds me of someone making a deal with the devil and it was now time to pay the price. It is a little creepy but was well written but definitely could have been developed into a longer tale. Of the two stories, I preferred this one.
The second is called Exhumation. This is one bizarre story! I’m not even sure how to describe it but let’s just say that Abel is “forced” to remember some times from thirty+ years ago and they aren’t pleasant memories.
If you are into weird and outlandish stories, you might enjoy these two. Won’t take long to read, maybe 15 minutes depending on how fast you read.
We give these stories 3 1/2 paws.
About the Author
Mike Thorn is the author of Darkest Hours and Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation. His fiction has appeared in numerous magazines, anthologies and podcasts, including Dark Moon Digest, The NoSleep Podcast, Turn to Ash and Tales to Terrify. His film criticism has been published in MUBI Notebook, The Film Stage, The Seventh Row, Bright Lights Film Journal and Vague Visages. He completed his M.A. with a major in English literature at the University of Calgary, where he wrote a thesis on epistemophobia in John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness.
