Bitterly: Horror Stories have found a Home
by Stephen Barnard
King has Castle Rock, 'Stranger Things' has Hawkins...
Welcome to Bitterly.
Twelve stories, one location, and a number of dark corners not mentioned on the village Wikipedia page.
In the summer of 2018 the moors of Winter Hill, Lancashire, burn for three weeks. The fire services finally get it under control, and the area is made safe again...
But something breaks free of its ancient bonds and finds its way into the streams, rides high on the winds, oozes out of the hillside, and comes to rest in the sleepy village of Bitterly.
It manifests itself in many ways, draws to it unique evils, and insidiously torments the residents.
Father Jimmy Walsh is cursed with an impossible puddle in front of his church, which brings despair to anyone who comes into contact with it...
Teresa Ingram wakes up to find a naked man in her garden who says he's tethered to her for twenty-four hours...
Geraldine Austin may well have just rented a cottage to a coven of witches...
And four teenage boys expect a night's camping on the moors to be nothing more than a farewell gesture to the village they've been wanting to be free of all their lives. But they'll never be free.
Read it as twelve distinct stories or as one overarching folk horror tale, 'Bitterly' is part collection, part novel, all chills.
From the author of 'A Very Bad Year' and 'Unlucky Numbers'.
Welcome to Bitterly.
Twelve stories, one location, and a number of dark corners not mentioned on the village Wikipedia page.
In the summer of 2018 the moors of Winter Hill, Lancashire, burn for three weeks. The fire services finally get it under control, and the area is made safe again...
But something breaks free of its ancient bonds and finds its way into the streams, rides high on the winds, oozes out of the hillside, and comes to rest in the sleepy village of Bitterly.
It manifests itself in many ways, draws to it unique evils, and insidiously torments the residents.
Father Jimmy Walsh is cursed with an impossible puddle in front of his church, which brings despair to anyone who comes into contact with it...
Teresa Ingram wakes up to find a naked man in her garden who says he's tethered to her for twenty-four hours...
Geraldine Austin may well have just rented a cottage to a coven of witches...
And four teenage boys expect a night's camping on the moors to be nothing more than a farewell gesture to the village they've been wanting to be free of all their lives. But they'll never be free.
Read it as twelve distinct stories or as one overarching folk horror tale, 'Bitterly' is part collection, part novel, all chills.
From the author of 'A Very Bad Year' and 'Unlucky Numbers'.
