Odd Little Girls

These are Appalachian stories, stories that take place mostly in my home town and around the area of western West Virginia where I grew up and still live. They are also horror stories, inspired in part by stories and legends I grew up hearing. Some are graphic, some subtle... all can be considered Appalachian Gothic.But there is another thread that connects all of these stories... young girls. For the entire history of horror, written and film, even old ghost stories told around fires,...
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These are Appalachian stories, stories that take place mostly in my home town and around the area of western West Virginia where I grew up and still live. They are also horror stories, inspired in part by stories and legends I grew up hearing. Some are graphic, some subtle... all can be considered Appalachian Gothic.But there is another thread that connects all of these stories... young girls. For the entire history of horror, written and film, even old ghost stories told around fires, scary little girls have been a mainstay of fear. There is nothing more scary than an innocent child who knows far too much about the other world. Sweet little girls with the power to hurt and kill are the stuff of nightmares. And, in many cases, it is just as scary when the world of fear turns it's clutching hand toward an innocent little girl. Regardless, good, bad, and somewhere in-between, all of these stories feature young girls.The stories in this collection represent different levels of horror... some are simply psychological thrillers, some are more direct and bloody, but all are meant for mature readers. They also vary in length. Two stories are not stories at all, but are novelettes and I was able to bring out a more novel-like feel in those.