"Quiet Bullets" by Christopher Golden

"Quiet Bullets" by Christopher Golden 

This story comes from the collection "Tell My Sorrows To The Stones" written by Christopher Golden. 

This was a story of a young boy named Teddy who lived in Tucson, Arizona.  He was your average young boy who went to school, walked home with his friends, Rachel and Sedesky, or Mikey as Rachel liked to call him.  Every now and then the bullies of the school, Artie and his gang, would bully Teddy and Sedesky.  They didn't like them walking home with the older girl Rachel. 

One day after walking home with Rachel and Sedesky they said their goodbyes and each headed to their home.  As Teddy approached his home he clearly saw a cowboy by his front gate.  There was something strange about this cowboy though. 

The cowboy was an honest to goodness cowboy.  Every cliché you could imagine.  Though what Teddy found peculiar is that the light went through the cowboy.  There wasn't any shadow.  The cowboy was more of a translucent figure than a real person.  Teddy guessed it must be a ghost of a cowboy. 

As Teddy followed the ghost into the house, he found his mom sleeping on the couch as always during that time.  She was a deep sleeper so Teddy wasn't worried about waking her up.  He also found the door to the closet under the stairs slightly opened.  Apparently there was something in there that the ghost wanted Teddy to look at or find. 

Inside the closet Teddy found a belt and holster for a gun.  He also found a wooden box that contained a gun.  It must have been the gun his dad used to fight in the war.  That's the only place Teddy could imagine the gun came from.  Since his dad had died in the war there was nobody else to ask except for his mom.  He didn't want to do that in case it was too painful to talk about his dad.  He knew that this was his gun though.  The cowboy wanted him to find the gun.  The cowboy had led him to the closet so he could find the gun. 

After Teddy put on the oversized belt with the holster he placed the gun inside.  Now he was a real cowboy with a real gun.  Just like he always wanted to be. 

When Teddy looked back to the door the cowboy ghost was there again.  Standing by the front door, beckoning him to follow.  Teddy left the gun in the holster, and kept the belt cinched up around his waist.  He walked out the front door and tried his best to keep up with the cowboy ghost as it started his way down the road. 

They ended up at the Hatton ranch which was just miles of field.  The cowboy then led him to the edge of the woods where empty pop and beer bottles lay all over the ground.  Then to Teddy amazement the ghost picked up the bottles from the ground and started to set them up on the fence.  Now Teddy had a better idea of what they were doing, but the gun didn't have any bullets.  So what was he going to do?  What was the ghost going to do?  Why lead him all the way out there in the middle of nowhere with a gun?  Maybe there was a lesson to be learned, maybe not? 

This story was a great ghost story.  I liked how the ghost was a cowboy and was a cliché version of everything that embodied masculinity during the era the story took place in.  Teddy turned out to be a smart little boy and put the puzzle together fairly quickly. 

He figured out why the cowboy arrived and why the cowboy took him to the woods and taught him how to shoot.  He figured it all out in the end of the story.  The end of the story which was also the darkest part of the story. 

Everything came together in the end.  There was a great action scene to end the story.  Who knew there were gunslinging ghosts.  And, oh, possibly some grim reaper cowboy that needed to be dealt with??...  Who know, you'll have to read to find out! 

 

"The Art Of The Deal" by Christopher Golden

"The Art Of The Deal" by Christopher Golden 

This story comes from the collection "Tell My Sorrows To The Stones" by Christopher Golden. 

A man named Craig was in a bind.  He was in the process of selling off his company, New England Electrical Safety Systems, or NEESS for short, to a buyer who would destroy everything his family had built.  The company had been in Craig's family for forty-two years.  His father had brought him into the company as a child and raised him to run the company after he was gone. 

Craig did a so-so job of keeping the company afloat, but not enough.  The company was bleeding money and there was nothing more that he could do to remedy the situation.  He even made a promise that as CEO he wouldn't draw a salary higher than the highest paid employee.  A move that cost him dearly during his divorce. 

He met the negotiator from Illuminet, the company buying out NEESS, at a hotel.  It was supposed to be common ground, but it was just another reminder to Craig that he had failed his eighty-seven employees.  He hadn't even told his employees that the company was being sold yet.  He couldn't bring himself to tell them. 

While he was pondering everything that was wrong with his life, the negotiator came up behind him and introduced his wife, Anita.  Craig hadn't planned on having more than just the negotiator at the bargaining table.  Not only was he surprised by her presence and involvement in the deal, but her appearance was breathtaking. She was stunning.  It took everything Craig had not to have an erection while standing there in discussion.  He couldn't figure out why the negotiator's wife was at this meeting especially since she wasn't even an employee at Illuminet.  Oh well, it was what it was. 

After ordering a drink and cutting through the small talk they arrived right at the point of the conversation and meeting.  Anita did most of the talking with her husband chiming in here and there where finer points were needed.   

Craig was sick with what he was doing.  The papers were at this lawyer's office waiting to be signed.  As soon as they were signed this disaster would be done with and he could get on with his life.  He didn't want to sign them  though, not yet anyways.   

Abruptly he bid good-day to both the negotiator and Anita.  He stood up and without saying anything else, left, and went back to the office. 

While Craig sat at his desk drinking Wild Turkey and drowning his sorrows Anita came walking into his office.  Craig was surprised to say the least, but went ahead an listened to what she had to say.  Her husband was on his last leg with his company and if this deal didn't go through, then her husband was through as well.  Anita was there to make sure that everything happened the way it was planned and she would do anything it took to ensure the deal.  Anything. 

Anita mention to Craig that they had talked about art.  She wanted to show him her art gallery.  Craig was so turned on that he couldn't say no.  When he asked her where they had to go to see the art, she said no where.  And with that she stripped off her dress to expose her completely naked body. 

Anita's body was covered with tattoos.  Finely detailed and colorful.  When Craig asked about her tattoos she told him they were all the old gods from different religions.  She was fascinated by them.  There was one god in particular that Craig couldn't get over and asked her about it.  She told him it was the oldest god of them all, but there wasn't any name for it, or at least everyone had a different name for it.  It had pointy teeth, a top hat, and knives for fingers.  Craig couldn't take his eyes off of it. 

That's when the tattoo started to move.  And that's when the tattoo started to talk.  And that's when the tattoo wanted to negotiate.  Craig was all ears. 

This was a good story about a man down and out.  He was at his wits end and would do anything to not have to do what he had to do.   

I like how the author integrated the negotiating into the story.  Everything in life can be negotiated.  It all just depends on what you want out of the deal.  And if your savvy enough there is always something for you on the other side of the deal.  There is an art to the deal if you will. 

Just when they think that all the cards have been played an ace gets thrown down and the pot is yours.  That is what happened for Craig.  At least I believe it did. 

Craig was dealt a bad hand, and he was given an ace.  Or did he just think it was an ace?  The juxtaposition was done well for the story.  The characters were well developed and the the emotions were vivid.  Craig's emotions came across the pages very clearly and very strong. 

I loved the description in this story as well.  I could feel what Craig felt and see what he saw.  What I found so interesting is that with the description I could actually smell what Craig smelled as well.  That particular part of the story had taken me aback slightly.  It's rare that description had actually awakened the smelling sense in me.  Very good job, very well done.

"Breathe My Name" by Christopher Golden

"Breathe My Name" by Christopher Golden 

This story comes from the collection "Tell My Stories To The Stones" written by Christopher Golden. 

Tommy Betts first entered the mine when he was eighteen.  Up to that point his father had been the only one in the family working the mine.  Tommy was always afraid for his father in the mines.  Tommy used to think that one day his father, Al Betts, would drill straight into hell.  It wasn't until Tommy entered the mine that he realized it wasn't that far off from what he used to fear for his father. 

In the mine the men were by themselves.  Nobody could save them if the mine decided to collapse.  And even the most toughest man freaked out occasionally from claustrophobia..  There were many things that could go wrong in the mine. 

One day  after the crew was lowered into the mine via mantrip, one of the crew asked Tommy if he smelled anything funny.  Tommy told him that he didn't smell anything and left it at that.  Then a short while later Tommy did smell something funny.  In fact the entire crew started smelling it.  That's when the earth rumbled and black smoke started pouring into the tunnel.  Fear crossed the crews face, including Al Betts. A cave-in. 

The crew went deeper into the mine where there was a safe space.  Puttning up a tarp they created a safe space, but with a limited air supply.  They took turns with a sledgehammer pounding out a distress signal on the metal infrastructure hoping someone above ground would hear them and send help. 

While they were sucking up the limited air in the safe space Tommy stated talking about the Lost Miner.  The lost miner was a legend in the mine.  A miner who died while working in the mine. 

Tommy decided that since no one seemed to be coming for them the only thing left to do was call upon the Lost Miner.  Tommy asked his dad what the name of the Lost Miner's name was and he told Tommy his name was Ostergaard.  Tommy started calling out for Ostergaard to help them and come and save them.  He called for the ghost of the Lost Miner before his father shut him up. 

Men started to pass out and they already were suffering casualties due to the lack of oxygen.  There seemed to be no hope.  Or was there?  Was the lost miner real, or did the people above ground come and find them?  I'll let you read and find out. 

This was a fun ghost story.  Told a little differently than a typical ghost story.  Normally the ghost story would be told around a campfire, or as a story someone else was relaying to someone else.  This one took place in a "real-time" scenario.  Meaning that I wasn't being relayed to anyone as a story within a story, but the ghost story was the actual story. 

I greatly enjoyed this story.  To be honest it wasn't anything that will keep me up at night or even think twice about turning off the lights before bedtime.  I did find the story to be a page turner though because I wanted to know how it ended.  I really felt a connection with the main character in this story.   

There were many side characters in this story, none of them really developed into anything, they were just there for dialogue purposes in my opinion.  The main character Tommy though developed well throughout the story.  By the end you could feel for him in his situation and why he did what he did.

"Put On A Happy Face" by Christopher Golden

"Put On A Happy Face" by Christopher Golden 

This story comes from the collection "Tell M Sorrows To The Stones" written by Christopher Golden. 

This story was about a clown named Benny.  He had always wanted to be a clown.  He was always the funny one growing up and always tried to make people laugh.  He grew up doing acts for his mother who thought he was the funniest person alive.  (What mother doesn't think their kid is the best?) 

When the Macintosh Traveling Circus Troupe came to town in Corriveau, Vermont, Benny went every day without fail.  After the circus he would go and talk to the clowns.  Eventually they invited to the backstage to hang out after the show.  After hanging out with clowns for a few days he asked them to take him on for an apprenticeship.  Soon he had word from the circus manager that they would accept him and put him on probation. 

He earned a spot in the troupe, but was always the low man on the totem pole.  He didn't get nearly the laughs that a couple of the other clowns received.  Nothing he did could improve his comedy enough to gain any notoriety.  There just didn't seem to be anything left to do accept that he would never amount to anything he dreamed of or quit the troupe. 

One day Benny is walking around the circus grounds and stumbles upon an old bus.  The bus had been repurposed and turned into a bookstore.  Going inside the bus he met the owner of the bookstore and started up a conversation.  She said she had something for everyone and after looking around he spotted a book he had to have and bought it after a short haggle. 

The book was about Giovanni Tovolo a retired Italian clown.  He had to retire after an accident that claimed sixteen lives.  The book described how Tovolo was wanting more laughter during his shows and always struggled with anxiety about his own talents.  Then one day another performer at the circus taught him how to summon a spirit, the patron of clowns. 

 

If your into clowns, carnivals, or circuses, you'll like this story.  This was a carniepunk story at it's heart.  Horror was more the wrapper of the carniepunk.  Picture an Oreo cookie: carniepunk would be the creamy filling and the cookie would be the horror. 

This story is quite the show in all senses of the words.  You get to see what happens when shows go right and when they go wrong.  How wrong can a show go?  That depends on what you do and what you want out of the show. 

The characters were ok in this story.  Not as developed as I would of liked.  The characters were a bit two dimensional.  Benny being the most fleshed out character, he was the main character after all.  Even Benny with all the backstory didn't seem to be that deep of a character.   

Overall I liked the story.  I'm a fan of carniepunk stories and this tickled that spot.  I love horror and it scratched that itch.

"Under Cover of Darkness" by Christopher Golden

"Under Cover of Darkness" by Christopher Golden 

This story comes from the collection "Tell My Sorrows To The Stones" written by Christopher Golden. 

This story started out following a national guardsman, Carl Weston, waiting in a trench.  We aren't sure what he is waiting for yet, but we find out he is "babysitting" one of the new guardsman, Brooksy.  Soon we find out the National Guard is working with Border Patrol on the Mexican Border. 

The Border Patrol had intel that there was a cartel running illegals across the borders and making them smuggle cocaine at the same time.  A double bonus for the cartel.  The Border Patrol setup an operation to stop this shipment of drugs and illegals crossing the border with the National Guard backing them up. 

Soon illegals crossed the border from Mexico into the United States carrying backpacks full of drugs.  Weston and Brooksy, along with the rest of the National Guard are just waiting for the go ahead on the radio to start their part of the operation. 

Only something different happened.  As the illegals crossed the borders, running right by the National Guardsmen in the trenches, screaming started to be heard all over the place.  Weston wasn't sure what was going on.  Still not sure what to do and not having received the go ahead on the radio he just sat waiting, listening to the blood-curdling screams. 

Finally they get the go ahead over the radio.  They take off out of the trenches.  What they find is a cluster-fuck of people scared out of their minds.  The illegals aren't sure what is going on, but they do know that they are being attacked by something and dropping like flies.  They decided to turn around and try to flee back to Mexico.  Only problem with that are the guards guarding the drugs.  They start shooting people that are turning back towards Mexico. 

More screams could be heard.  Things are getting crazy and no one is really sure what is going on.  While following one of the drugs guards Weston catches a glimpse of something unnatural.  He couldn't be sure of what he saw, but it scared the hell out of him if what he saw was correct. 

What follows is Weston and Brooksy trying to corral the illegals and drug guards while finding out what is lurking in the shadows at the Mexican Border.  Will they make it out alive, or will they be the next victim? 

This was a pretty good story.  I liked using the setting at the Mexican border for the setting of this story.  It added a depth of desolation to the story that would have been hard to accomplish using a different type of setting, or even another desert somewhere else. 

The use of National Guardsmen to back up the DEA was a believable plot.  That added to the realism of this story.  The characters were well developed for the amount of time we had with them.  You could really get a sense of Weston's and Brooksy's personalities.   

About halfway through this story though it hit what the story was about.  That is a way ruined the ending for me.  I thought I already knew how it ended, so everything else I read up to the point of the end of the story was with me believing I knew the ending already.  The sad truth for me on this story is that the story was exactly what I thought it to be.  

The story itself was great.  Nothing wrong with the story, it was a good horror story that for some might make them think twice before entering a dark room.  For some though the will pick up what this story is about fairly quickly and know an approximation of the ending.