Contents

1. A Taste of Sin

2. Horror Story Compilations

Read more

Contents

1. Horror Story Compilations

2. Free eBook: The Thing in the Grain House

FREE Horror Story Compilations

Tales of Terror: 41 FREE horror stories, including: ‘Respect’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’

Midnight Whispers: 54 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre: Books 1-4’.

The Thing in the Grain House

By Newton Webb

An exiled family survives by following rigid laws. The foremost rule... stay away from the grain house.

Click the button below to download in either ePub or PDF format.

Download ePub / PDF

The Third Dynasty of Ur. 2052 BCE

The goose struck with the speed of a viper, forcing Enmer to jump backward to escape it’s serrated beak. He kicked out at the hateful creature. The white mass of feathers erupted into a frenzy of hisses and beating wings.

“Rot take you.” Enmer grabbed a handful of dried grain from his pouch. He scattered it at them.

The gaggle descended on the food. Their orange beaks stabbing at the dirt. Enmer watched them for a moment. The morning air reeked of river mud and wet reeds mixed with the sour stink of goat dung.

He heard cackling.

Enmer turned.

His brother Gil sat on a three legged stool beside the ewe pen. Gil pressed his forehead against the flank of a sheep and pretended he hadn’t seen the skirmish. His hands worked. The milk hit the clay pot with a steady rhythm. Splat. Splat.

“Very funny,” Enmer said.

He walked to the goat pen. The animals bleated at his approach. Their flat pupils stared at him with idiot malice.

Gil stopped milking. He wiped sweat from his brow. The heat pressed down on the flatlands between the Tigris and Euphrates.

“This one’s drying up,” Gil said.

Enmer unlatched the gate. He grabbed the nearest goat by its horns and forced it towards the trough. “Mother won’t be happy if she has to ask Father to help us.”

Gil pursed his lips.

Enmer followed Gil’s gaze. It travelled beyond the house. Beyond the low structure of mud brick lay the irrigation ditches and the date palms that lined the property. Past the mist that rolled off the Euphrates.

To the grain house.

The mud brick block stood at the far edge of their land. There were no windows to let in the light. Just a door carved from a single piece of stone. Neither the goats nor the geese would forage in its shadow.

The door to the main house opened.

Their mother Ninsun stepped out. Her hair fell in black waves over her shoulders. Her skin was a pale brown next to Enmer’s greyish tone. “The sun falls.” Her voice carried across the yard. “Inside. Now.”

Iltani followed her mother out carrying a basket of laundry.

“We were tending the animals, Mother,” Gil said. He stood up and hefted the clay pot.

Their mother walked towards them. She looked into the pot and her expression grew worried.

“You will have to clear the ditches tomorrow.” She glanced back at the windowless grain house. “You must not be outside when your father wakes.” She smiled at them. “Come inside. We will eat. Then you will all practise your cuneiform.”

Gil snorted and muttered, “I would rather shovel dung.”

#

When supplies ran low, their mother took the small reed boat and poled it downriver. She left in the grey dawn but always returned before dark. She brought back jars of oil and new linen but she clutched the clay tablets like gold. She carried them wrapped in wool and strained under their weight.

Enmer knew the city existed but he could never go there.

“We are exiles to them.” His mother set the jar down hard. “They would kill us if they knew.” She looked at the palms with disdain. “They fear you. Only I can enter because I used to live there.”

They followed her rules.

The most important rule was absolute. Never approach the grain house.

Father lived there.

Enmer and Gil stayed away during the day but curiosity has a terrible habit of eroding obedience.

They watched him while their mother slept. Spying on him as he left to hunt. Father left after the sun fell. He was a tall dark shadow striding out naked towards the hunting grounds of lions and boars. He would return long before they woke. Father kept the larder full of fresh meat and left small pouches of tradable jewellery by the front door.

Sometimes in the dead of night Enmer woke to the sound of the heavy door creaking. A gong sounded. Their mother would leave them and creep into the night. Soon after Enmer heard her. Soft cries echoed across the yard. Enmer covered his ears. Father remained silent.

Enmer once asked his mother why they lived in exile.

Ninsun glowered. Her knuckles whitened on the pestle.

“I was a girl in the court of the King of Uruk.” She pounded the stone into the grain. “The King was a cruel man. He took what he wanted. He wanted me.” She ground the barley harder. “My family had no choice. His guards seized me when I was younger than you. He would have used and discarded me.”

She stopped then. She looked out towards the windowless grain house.

“Your father came in the night. He moved silently. He took me from the palace. He carried me here. He carried me here. He gave me a home. He gave me children. For everything the world says about him remember this. He loves you. He has never raised a hand to any of us in anger. Never. That makes him more human than the animals in the city.”

#

Enmer had always wondered why his mother was darker skinned and slender yet Enmer and his siblings were grey and muscular. Her ears were rounded. Theirs were pointed. Unlike their mother none of the children grew hair on their bodies.

Even his sister Iltani had a smooth bald head. When she was not weaving with their mother she would play in the reeds. She would disappear for hours wading through the muck. She would return with waterfowl she had caught with her bare hands. Their necks were always snapped cleanly.

And Gil.

Gil was broad chested. His muscles were much larger than Enmer’s. He spent his days at the edge of the property lifting stones, smiling at the strain. Enmer remembered the day a bull had become stuck in the thick mud of the irrigation ditch. It thrashed and panicked as it sank deeper. Gil had waded in, grabbed the beast by the horns and hauled it out. He’d laughed then. The deep guttural sound made the other animals shrink away.

“Look at me,” Gil’s chest had heaved and mud slicked his skin. “I am stronger than the bull of heaven.”

Enmer was strong too. He could crush a clay brick into dust with one hand but he preferred to sit with his mother. He helped her carry the heavy tablets she brought from the city. He felt safe in her shadow even though he could have snapped her spine with a hug.

She would whisper as she stroked his bald head. “You have the soul of a scribe, Enmer.”

But beneath the quiet life their father waited.

#

Enmer remembered a night when he was fifteen. The heat was unbearable. The air sat heavy on the chest. It was wet and suffocating. Gil and Enmer were on the flat roof of the house looking at the stars.

“What is Father?” Enmer asked.

Gil did not look at him. He sharpened a piece of flint against a stone. “He’s a hunter. The greatest hunter.”

“Is he like us? Or like Mother?”

Gil stopped scraping. He looked at Enmer. “He must be like us. Look at us. We’re gods compared to Mother. He must be a king of gods.”

“Then why do we hide away from others? Do gods hide?”

Across the yard the stone door of the grain house creaked.

They were supposed to be inside. Mother insisted Father was a private man. But they had to know if he looked like them or like her. So they scrambled to the edge of the roof and peered down.

A figure emerged. His naked skin was grey in the silver light.

He stood by the door. He was perfectly still. Father did not look around. He inhaled. It was a long slow intake of breath as he tasted the air. He turned and smiled in their direction. It was a long, slow smile that crept across his face. Enmer flinched back, but he saw Iltani, who’d silently climbed onto the roof beside them, smile back at the figure in the darkness.

Then Father moved.

He had been standing by the door. A heartbeat later he was fifty paces away, disappearing into the palm grove.

“Did you see that?” Gil gripped the edge of the roof until the dried mud crumbled under his fingers. “He is fast. Faster than a leopard.”

Cold dread coiled in Enmer’s gut. He looked at his own hands. They were grey like the man below. He wished they were brown like their mother.

#

The seasons turned and the sickness came to their mother.

It started with a cough. It was a dry hacking sound that echoed in the small house. Then came the fatigue. She began to sit for longer periods. Her skin turned the colour of dried clay. Her eyes sank back into her skull.

Enmer took over the cooking. He cleaned the house. He sat by her feet as she shivered under piles of wool blankets even in the heat of the day.

“Do not worry, Enmer,” she wheezed. Her hand was cold in his. “It will pass. All things pass.”

“What if it does not?” Enmer asked. The fear made his voice thick. “What if you leave us?”

“Your father will provide,” she said. Her eyes slid away from his. “Gil is strong. Iltani is capable. You will be fine.”

“We do not know him.”

“He will come to you when it is time.” His mother squeezed his hand. Her grip felt weak. “He loves you. In his way.”

As she withered the house fell into disarray. Iltani and Gil spent less time indoors. They became wilder. They stopped washing the mud from their limbs. They ate the meat raw. They tore it from the bone with their teeth. Enmer cooked his portions. He clung to the rituals of the home and tried to maintain order.

The end came during the season of storms. The sky was a bruised purple and the wind whipped the palms into a frenzy.

His mother’s breathing slowed. Enmer listened to the rattle in her chest. She would not heal.

He fell to his knees beside her. He buried his face in her lap. He wept great heaving sobs that tore at his throat.

Gil stood by the door. He didn’t cry. His jaw set, his hands balled into white knuckled fists. He wouldn’t look at the bed.

Iltani stood and tilted her head.

The heavy door of the grain house groaned open.

“He’s coming.” Iltani’s eyes widened.

Enmer’s heart pounded in his chest. The man they had never met approached. Sweat slicked Enmer’s palms. He stood up and wiped the tears from his face. He placed himself between his mother’s body and the entrance to their home.

Their father entered the house.

Enmer saw him clearly in the light of the oil lamps for the first time. He stood as tall as Gil but lacked his brother’s heavy bulk. He was lean and wire thin. His face was angular yet handsome.

But it was his eyes. They were black from rim to rim. No white. Just void.

Father looked at his three children. He sniffed the air. He looked down at their mother and his expression softened. He stroked her hair.

She could not speak. Her eyes darted from her husband to Enmer.

Father’s finger ran down her cheek. “Now your mother gives you the greatest of gifts.”

It was the first time they had heard him speak. His voice was deep, almost hypnotic. He lifted her. She looked like a child in his arms.

“Come,” he commanded.

He turned and carried her out into the storm towards the grain house. Iltani followed immediately with a strange eagerness in her step. Gil hesitated and then followed. Enmer was left alone. Fear gripped him as he forced his legs to move, following them into the grain house.

The smell hit him first. Copper and rotting flesh.

It was a windowless tomb. The walls were high and lost in shadows above. The skeletons of gazelles and lions and boars lay in orderly piles. A pyramid of human skulls filled one corner.

His father laid his mother down onto a large stone slab in the centre of the room. He moved with practiced efficiency as he stripped her body of the linen dress.

Enmer stood transfixed by the tableau unfolding in front of him.

“She was the only one who gave me joy.” His father looked down at her. “She gave me three strong children. Now she gives you her final offering.”

He raised a finger. Extending from it was a long, wicked nail.

He dragged the nail down the vein on her neck. It sliced through the old flesh. Blood sprayed Enmer’s face.

A thick, metallic scent filled the grain house.

Pain tore through Enmer’s gums. He doubled over and clutched his mouth. It felt as if his teeth were shattering and pushing through the flesh. He groaned, tasting his own blood.

He looked up. Gil was on his knees. His head thrown back as he roared. His mouth was open and Enmer saw them. Two long white canines descended from his upper jaw.

Iltani’s face contorted and her jaw distended.

His father smiled, exposing his own fangs. They glistened in the lamplight.

“Drink.” He gestured towards her. “Absorb her body and soul. It is your birthright.”

Gil didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward and buried his face in the wound at their mother’s neck. The sound of his feeding filled the room. Wet slurping gulps. Iltani joined in. She tore at their mother’s arm and licked the blood that pooled on the stone slab.

His father watched them with pride. Then his eyes fell on Enmer.

“Enmer,” he said. “Do not deny your nature.”

Enmer was starving. A hunger like he had never known was clawing at his insides. A red haze demanded to be sated. His fangs ached to drink. The copper scent of the blood was intoxicating.

Enmer looked at his mother’s slackened face. Her eyes stared blindly at the ceiling. The woman who had taught him to read. The woman who had held him when he was afraid.

He looked at Gil. His face smeared with blood. The woman who had given them all life.

Enmer looked at his father.

“No.” Enmer backed away, shaking his head.

His father’s eyes narrowed. “Enmer. Her soul is in her blood. You’ll never truly know her unless you taste her.”

Enmer scrambled out of the grain house. He slipped on the wet mud and threw himself into the storm.

He didn’t look back.

October 31st, 1936. Berlin.

It takes a long time to learn how to live when you can’t die.

Millennia passed in a blur of hunger and hiding. Enmer had seen the Hanging Gardens rise. He had seen the legions of Rome march and fall. He learnt how to make people see him as human, clouding their minds with a glamour. He learnt how to drain blood without killing. He learnt how to identify other predators who would not be missed. After his fangs had emerged only human blood could sustain him.

But now he was in Berlin. The city pulsed with a manic energy, a new vigour. Banners of red and white and black hung from every building. They snapped in the autumn wind.

Enmer walked the streets with his collar turned up against the chill. The people were busily going about their work, but Enmer could smell the sour scent of fear upon them.

A rally was dispersing near a government building. Uniformed men poured into the street. Their black boots struck the cobblestones in unison. They wore skulls on their caps.

Enmer stopped. His heart gave a painful thud.

An officer stood by a black Mercedes. He was tall and broad-shouldered. His uniform was tailored to perfection. He was laughing with a younger soldier.

It was Gil.

He had not aged a day in four thousand years. His grey-skinned face looked back at Enmer. His cruel expression fit perfectly here. Perhaps the glamour did not work on Enmer. Or perhaps it was unnecessary with these humans.

Gil looked up as if he felt the gaze. His eyes were black as the pits of hell. They locked onto Enmer across the crowd.

Gil didn’t look surprised. He smiled and gave a small nod.

Enmer turned vanishing into the crowd. He left Germany that night.

Present Day. East Anglia, UK.

The cottage sat on the edge of the salt marshes where the land bled into the North Sea. It was quiet here. The wind howled and rattled the windowpanes. It reminded Enmer of the storms of his youth.

He had lived there for thirty years. To the locals he was known as Mr Emery. A recluse. An eccentric. He ordered his groceries online. He hung blackout curtains. He paid his taxes.

Enmer reclined in a leather chair watching the television. The news played a section on the upcoming election. A new party was gaining ground, already surpassing the two main parties that had previously led the nation.

A man stood on a podium in a coastal town not fifty miles away.

“We must not be afraid to do what is necessary,” the man said. “We must protect the people of our great nation from the perils of uncontrolled migration.”

The caption read: Sir William Kingston, MP.

The grey skin told a different story.

His brother, Gil, had appeared once more.

He had adapted and evolved. Modern monsters did not hide in grain houses. They wore suits. They got elected. They shaped the laws to ensure a constant underclass to feed upon.

“This nation.” Gil smiled. He stared down the camera lens and Enmer swore he was looking straight at him. “Is your birthright.”

Enmer sat back. The leather of the chair creaked under his weight.

He touched the tips of his canines with his tongue.

For four thousand years he had run. He had hidden in the mud and in the mountains and in the small cottages at the edge of the world. He had tried to be Ninsun’s son. The gentle scribe. The human.

He looked at the screen. He looked at the monster who shared his blood and remembered what had happened the last time he’d preached a similar gospel.

Enmer closed the laptop. He stood up. He felt the old strength flowing through his limbs. It was the power that could crush bricks and snap necks.

He went to the closet and pulled out a leather jacket. He put on his boots.

I am done running.

He retrieved his sword.

Enmer stepped out into the night and inhaled deeply.

The air smelled of salt and rain.

He would have words with his brother.

Tales of the Macabre

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

Contents

1. Buried by Newton Webb

2. Horror Story Compilations

Buried

By Newton Webb

A desperate young doctor, sealed in a secure lab with his critically injured mentor, must resort to unspeakable surgical procedures to keep them both alive.

Click the button below to download in either ePub or PDF format.

Download ePub / PDF

Greetings, my wicked darlings!

Ah, cannibalism, or as it’s otherwise known, long pork. I’ve done a few cannibalism stories before, notably in Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1 (The Grimsdyke Ghouls and The Ghouls of New Bangalore). I clearly had a cannibalism bee in my bonnet back then, but I got through TotM 2–4 without the sweet taste of human flesh. Is that personal growth? If so, I’ve absolutely ruined it with my free short story Buried!

I blame Ash Ericmore for this one. His truly phenomenal Summer of Sin collection had two standout pieces: Pride and Gluttony. Both of them combined humour with gross-out violence. Gluttony was the cannibalism story that reignited my love of the trope. I recommend everyone reads his collection, and while we are at it, how good is that cover? I should also mention that Ash is an excellent cover artist.

Are you feeling hungry yet?

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Sweet screams,

Newt xx

FREE Horror Story Compilations

Tales of Terror: 41 FREE horror stories, including: ‘Respect’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’

Midnight Whispers: 54 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre: Books 1-4’.

Tales of the Macabre

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

Contents

1. The Cold Dead Sea

2. Horror Story Compilations

Read more

Contents

1. Free eBook: The Leprechaun

2. Horror Story Compilations

The Leprechaun

By Newton Webb

Download ePub / PDF

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, my wicked darlings!

This particular tale was originally published for paid subscribers on 15 January. It was heavily inspired by some of the moralistic, gore laden episodes of Tales from the Crypt.

So raise a glass of Guinness or Guinness Zero with me and let’s toast St Paddy with The Leprechaun.

I’ve written a few stories about Ireland over the years, including a novel. It has breathtaking scenery and a vibrant, albeit very wet, beauty to it. The challenge of writing horror when surrounded by beauty is an interesting one. The Italians showcase the art of this with their blood soaked giallo films, so I enjoyed flexing my writing muscles to do the same thing, with a supernatural twist, in rural Ireland.

A similar story appears in Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2 with The Green Man. In that story the characters travel through the sun-dappled trees in Sherwood Forest before coming to their inevitable fate.

NOTE: My highest rated and reviewed anthology, Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2, is currently on sale for $0.99 / £0.99, so if you enjoyed this story, why not pick up Vol. 2?

Speaking of which, I’ll definitely be toasting St Paddy today, as Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2 has hit the number one spot in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Thank you all for your support.

Sweet Screams,

Newt xx

FREE Horror Story Compilations

Tales of Terror: 41 FREE horror stories, including: ‘Respect’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’

Midnight Whispers: 54 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre: Books 1-4’.

Tales of the Macabre

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

1. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2

2. Horror Story Compilations

Happy Friday the 13th, my wicked darlings,

To celebrate the occasion, Tales of the Macabre Vol. 2 is discounted to $0.99 / £0.99.

I’ve published seventeen books now, with TotM 5 currently in production, but this one will always hold a special place for me. Vol. 1 was my first collection. I barely understood story structure at the time. It had a raw, primal energy that I still love, but Vol. 2 is where my writing really came together.

It still carries that wild imagination that comes from writing before you fully understand genre conventions and structure, but by then I had learned from the experience of Vol. 1 and grown as a writer.

Which Tales of the Macabre is your favourite?

Sweet Screams,

Newt xx

Subscribe now

FREE Horror Story Compilations

Tales of Terror: 41 FREE horror stories, including: ‘Respect’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’

Midnight Whispers: 54 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre: Books 1-4’.

Tales of the Macabre

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

Contents

1. Horror Story Compilations

2. Free eBook: Faster On The Way Down

Subscribe now

FREE Horror Story Compilations

Tales of Terror: 41 FREE horror stories, including: ‘Respect’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’

Midnight Whispers: 54 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre: Books 1-4’.

Originally published for paid subscribers on 10 December last year, Faster on the Way Down was heavily inspired by the works of Robert Bloch and Alfred Hitchcock. The location in my fictional town of Grimsdyke is based on the Fairlight Cliffs in Hastings. Much of Grimsdyke is based on Hastings. My matriarchal family originated in Hastings and we spent many holidays down there.

This is my first attempt at ungating paid content, so of course it went horribly wrong. What was supposed to happen was that three months after the piece was released to my paid subscribers, it would be sent out to free subscribers in its entirety.

Instead, it sent the original version, not the updated one with the latest promos and explanatory text. So henceforth I will not be using the automated unlocking of content and will do it manually.

Shame on you, Substack. Shame on you!

Now you should be able to enjoy the full piece. Please let me know if you have any issues. No part of this should be locked.

Sweet Screams,

Newt xx

Faster on the Way Down

By Newton Webb

27th May, 2019. Grimsdyke

Download ePub / PDF

“We’re almost at the peak.” Erin stood ten yards up the incline, hands on her hips. Her Lycra leggings looked brand new, untouched by the mud that seemed to cake Arthur from the ankles down. “Don’t worry, it’s faster on the way down.”

Arthur scowled. He considered switching to a placating smile but, lacking the energy, abandoned the effort. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He had to wipe the stinging mess from his eyes. His remaining hair was stuck to his head. He looked at his wife bounding up the slopes.

Maybe I should have exercised more?

Whereas his wife Erin took great pleasure in going to the gym, he preferred the safety of his armchair and the warm glow of the television, preferably with a nice ale in one hand and a bowl of crisps on the side table.

Erin knew this and normally would never invite him to join her on her excursions. She was a taut machine of muscle and tight clothing. He was more of a chubby unit who favoured wearing a comfy pair of trousers.

So, when she suggested a ramble across the cliffs, he had been caught off guard. Usually, he would ferret around and find an excuse. A deadline at work perhaps. A dodgy knee, that was always a good one. The weather forecast looked grim, a bit weak, but it would work at a pinch.

But this time he found himself unable to refuse his wife. Things had been cold between them for months. The silence in their semi detached house in Grimsdyke had grown heavy and suffocating. When she asked him this time, her voice unusually bright and insistent, he agreed. He felt he had to, given the circumstances of late.

He glanced at her again. She was beautiful. This time he found the energy for a sad smile. At least this adventure would bring this awful period of prolonged misery to its culmination.

His boots, a gift from his wife for today, were good quality, but still wrestled with the slick chalk downs. He had almost stacked it once already in the slippery mud. The terrain ahead always seemed to be the peak, but every time he reached it he saw the next peak. It was worse than edging, and he hated edging.

His lungs burned.

He bent over, hands on his knees, and wheezed. Ordinarily, he would have called a break, feigning a need to make an urgent call, but Erin had been insistent that they embraced nature and left their phones behind.

He heard a sharp exhale from above. He looked up. Erin was looking down at him with a tight smile that did not reach her eyes. The wind whipped her blonde ponytail around her face.

“You know,” she shouted down, her voice carrying easily over the wind. “Maybe we should have taken the funicular. You could have saved your energy for the final ascent.”

Cow.

Arthur chuckled as he mentally cussed Erin, then straightened his back. He reached into the side pocket of his rucksack and pulled out his metal water bottle. Arthur unscrewed the cap but did not drink. He just held it, staring at the dark rim, before screwing the lid back on tight.

“Oi, save it for the top. “You’ll get a stitch,” Erin shouted down.

“Yes, dear.” Arthur forced his legs to move. The muscles in his calves ached. The oppressive humidity clung to his skin despite the chill.

They trudged on for another twenty minutes in silence. The path narrowed. To their left, the hill sloped gently upward. To their right, the ground fell away into a jagged rocky cliff face. The slate grey sea crashed against the rocks at the bottom.

“Pick up the pace, Artie,” Erin yelled. She was bounding over the rocks with irritating grace. “The light won’t last forever.”

Arthur wiped sweat from his forehead.

It never does.

They reached a plateau. The summit was a flat expanse of rock that jutted out over the ocean below. The view was commanding. From here the waves foamed and roared. The wind was ferocious, tearing at their coats.

“Finally,” Erin said. She dropped her pack near the edge, dangerously close to the sheer drop. She turned to face the view, spreading her arms wide. “Look at that. Worth the agony, isn’t it?”

Arthur dropped his bag a safe distance from the edge. He sat on a large, flat rock and tried to slow his heart rate. “It is something else,” he admitted. “Just as good as when I proposed to you on this rock. Though my lungs were better back then.”

Erin laughed. “You will be fine. You just need to hydrate.” She reached for her own water bottle. It was pink compared to his blue one. “Here. Cheers to making it to the top.”

She took a long drink. She swallowed greedily, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Arthur watched her throat work. He unscrewed his own bottle and brought it to his lips. Arthur tilted it up but kept his tongue over the opening. He lowered it and exhaled a satisfied sigh. He feigned a surprised delight that it was gin and tonic, not water.

“You rogue,” Arthur cackled at her.

“Remember, we had G&Ts when you proposed?”

“I remember. I was so nervous I downed the lot in one before asking the question.”

Erin smirked at him. “Go on then, let us see if you have still got it.”

“You first. That was ten years ago.” Arthur took another small gulp. “I am old now.”

“Challenge accepted.” Erin held up her bottle in a toast. “Together then?”

“Together.” Arthur joined her and the two of them guzzled down their gin like a pair of teenagers.

“Still got it,” Erin winced as she wiped her mouth. She capped her bottle and clipped it to her belt. She took a step closer to the edge, peering down. “I have always loved it here. Everything down there seems so small. Small but furious.” She smiled. “Primal.”

“Does Jamie like the view too?”

The wind howled between them. Erin’s back was to him, but he could see her shoulders go rigid.

“Who?” Her voice was flat.

“Jamie. The lad from Accounts. The one with the Audi.”

Erin turned around slowly. Her face presented a facsimile of confusion, but her eyes darted left and right. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Arthur. The gin has gone to your head.”

“No, I don’t think so, my dear.” Arthur rose from his seat. He felt remarkably calm. The burning in his legs did not matter anymore. “You had me fooled for a good while. The late nights. The networking events in Leeds. But you really should have told him not to WhatsApp you. I saw the text while you were in the shower last Tuesday. It is inconvenient, isn’t it, the way technology betrays us?”

Erin stared at him. The colour was draining from her face, leaving her pale and ghostly against the grey sky. “You looked through my phone?”

“I didn’t have to look hard. It was right there on the lock screen. Cannot wait for the weekend. Once the old ball and chain is out of the picture, we can finally book that trip to Bali. That was the message.”

“Arthur, stop it,” she snapped. “You are being paranoid. You have got the wrong end of the stick.”

“Wrong end of the stick. Really?” Arthur stood up. “Actually, that was my first thought. So, I unlocked your phone. Yes, yes, it is not hard to remember a Z motion. I read the whole conversation. Well, the salient parts anyway.” He brushed the grit off his trousers. “I misunderstood the plan, did I? The plan to get me up here. A tragic hiking accident. Poor, unhealthy Arthur. A clumsy slip near the edge. Then, you and Jamie cash in the life insurance and fly off into the sunset.”

Erin took a step toward him. Her expression hardened. The pretence dropped. Her lips curled into a sneer. “You always were a boring little man, Arthur. You suffocate me. You sit in that house and rot.”

“Maybe,” Arthur nodded. He looked at his beautiful wife as anger turned her face ugly. “But I loved you, I really did.”

“And how could you expect me to love you back?” she hissed. She took another step and then blinked, swaying.

Erin stopped and reached up to touch her temple.

She swayed, just an inch to the left.

“Why...” Erin mumbled. Her speech slurred. She suddenly glared at him. “I feel...”

“What is the matter, love?” Arthur asked. His voice was devoid of sympathy. “Feeling a bit unsteady? Maybe the gin has gone to your head.”

Erin stumbled back. She looked at the bottle on her hip, then at the bottle in Arthur’s hand. The realisation hit her slowly, fighting through the fog clouding her brain.

“You...”

“Yep. I poured the gin and tonic from the bottle you prepared for me into yours last night,” Arthur said. “While you were sleeping. You were snoring, actually. Very unladylike.”

“No,” she gasped. She tried to lunge at him, but her legs refused to cooperate. They buckled. It looked like her knees had turned to jelly. “Artie please, it was just a joke. We were being silly.”

“I wonder where you got the drugs from,” Arthur observed clinically. “I hope it is your prescription sleeping pills. If you went on the dark web and got something dodgy, you could get me in a lot of trouble. But I think I will be okay. You do like to do your research.”

Erin reeled backward. She was close to the edge. Too close. The wind gusted, hitting her full in the chest. She flailed her arms, trying to find purchase on the air itself. Her boots slipped on the wet chalk.

Arthur stood in front of her. She sank to one knee. He raised her up. She clutched at his arms.

He looked at her deep into her widening eyes, trying to see if there was any remnant of the woman he had loved.

“Please, please, we can work this out, Arthur.” Her voice had lost its arrogant tone, instead being filled with terror.

Arthur’s lips pressed firmly together. He raised his finger to her nose.

“Booooooop.” He pushed.

He batted her hands off his coat. Gravity did the rest. She tipped backward, her centre of mass shifting past the point of return.

Arthur watched her vanish.

A long, high shriek tore the air, echoing off the stone before the wind swallowed it.

Arthur walked to the lip. Just under three hundred feet down, a patch of neon blue lay still against the jagged grey teeth of the coast.

He took a deep breath. The cold coastal air seemed somewhat refreshing now.

“You are right. It is faster on the way down.”

Arthur turned away from the edge. He picked up his rucksack and slung it over one shoulder. He checked his watch. If he hurried, he could make it back to the car and call the police before it got properly dark. He would have to put on quite a performance for the police. Tears, shock, the works. He practised the face in his mind.

Distraught husband. Tragic accident. She was always so healthy.

Arthur began the descent. His body still suffered, but he found he had a renewed spring in his step.

THE END

Tales of the Macabre

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

Contents

1. Horror Story Compilations

2. Free eBook: Faster On The Way Down

Subscribe now

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Yuletide Terror: 33 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Respect’, ‘Justice is Unleaded’, ‘Blade of the Blood God’, and ‘Shadow of the Wolf’.

Tales of Terror: 57 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Faster on the Way Down

By Newton Webb

A married couple celebrate an anniversary hike. Each hides a secret from the other. The truth could have deadly consequences.

Download ePub / PDF

Tales of the Macabre

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

1. Brides of Dracul

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

When a loutish biker ignores the fine print on a fetish profile, his dream Halloween hookup spirals into a deadly nightmare.

Read more

1. Night of the Expo

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

During a rainy night in Birmingham, Arthur, a mild-mannered wargamer, finds his plan to transport his latest trophy home going awry after a chance encounter in a pub.

Read more

1. The Better Half

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

Gayle Ingold is at the end of her tether. Her husband of twelve years, Barny, is a classic slob. A man who leaves wet towels on the bed, toenail clippings in the shower, and is utterly blind to household mess.

Gayle’s frustration has reached a boiling point.

One Monday night, her life changed. She finds Barny obsessively cleaning the kitchen at 11 p.m., scrubbing pans with uncharacteristic fervour and offering unsolicited advice on cookware.

Something isn’t right in the Ingold household.

Read more

1. The Girl in the Glass

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

The Girl in the Glass was published in Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3.

This story was written in a day, when I sat in the corner of a pub on its opening day in North Greenwich. It was loosely based on a friend of mine who avoids mirrors.

From that concept, I asked myself why he might do that and exaggerated it considerably. He read the story and bought me Scotch afterwards, so I presume he forgave me.

I’ve previously mentioned my mental health issues, and this story certainly features them as paranoia and the escalating fear of undiagnosed anxiety.

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Horror For the New Year: 25 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’, ‘The Black Fog’, ‘The Tattoo’.

New Year, New Terror: 42 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Books You Can’t Put Down: 130 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’ and ‘The Black Fog’.

The Macabre Codex

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

1. Barghest

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

On a dark January night, Charlie and his mother, Heidi, are driving through the winding backroads of Cumbria, determined to make their annual ‘second Christmas’ at his grandparents’ cottage. Despite a severe government weather warning for the approaching Storm Goretti, Heidi, a fiercely stubborn woman with a love of 80s rock, is determined not to miss the family gathering.

As the storm begins to brew, she pulls over for a brief stop before the weather turns.

But they are not alone. Something hungry lives in the snow, and it has their scent.

Read more

1. The Black Fog

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

The Black Fog was originally published self-published as a short story on Amazon, then later on in Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1.

Ah, The Black Fog. I had no idea what I was doing with Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1. It was my first collected works, and as a result, it had a raw, unpolished feel to it that gave it a certain intellectual honestly that you might not find in the later stories where I had learnt more about story structure. I’ve written over a hundred short stories now, so there is a lot of experience guiding me.

The Black Fog is set in a fictional town called Grimsdyke. The name comes from a road in the village I grew up in, and the setting was deeply influenced by Hastings. It’s an old coastal town with deep cave systems and a dark history of smugglers, pirates and murder.

Let me know what you think!

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Horror For the New Year: 25 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’, ‘The Black Fog’, ‘The Tattoo’.

New Year, New Terror: 42 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Books You Can’t Put Down: 130 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’ and ‘The Black Fog’.

The Macabre Codex

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

1. Leprechaun

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

After finding a leprechaun caught in a trap, three friends believe they’ve found the key to their fortune, only to discover that nothing in life is truly free.

Read more

1. Mind Games

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

After a devastating accident, Jeff is trapped in a cycle of insomnia and crushing depression. With his funds dwindling and future uncertain, a mysterious therapist offers him free sessions.

But as Jeff uncovers the true cost of this generous offer, he begins to understand that sometimes, in life, when things seem too good to be true, they really, really are.

Mind Games was originally published in Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3.

This was written at an interesting point in my life. I’d had a mental breakdown and was on medication that messed with my head. I was bouncing between therapists and, at the time, was in discussions over whether I was going to be committed to what is politely called, in the modern vernacular, a mental health ward, but is, in actual fact, an asylum.

Writing Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3 was the only thing that kept me sane. During the production of the book, I was finally able to kick the medication.

I made the decision to leave London and move to the country to restore my original, somewhat dubious levels of sanity.

I think the mental illness and hyperfocus were what made Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3 so experimental. I wrote it in six months. Usually, my books take nine. So it is a very different beast to its predecessors, volumes one and two.

Mind Games was loosely based on my experience and fears of therapy.

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Horror For the New Year: 17 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’, ‘The Black Fog’, ‘The Tattoo’.

New Year, New Terror: 26 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Books You Can’t Put Down: 67 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’ and ‘The Black Fog’.

The Macabre Codex

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

I trust you have all recovered from the seasonal sin of Christmas. The turkey meat sweats are fading, and the Brussels sprouts have ceased fighting back.

Did Santa come and visit? Or were you one of those naughty types who met Krampus instead?

I’m looking forward to sharing a ton of new horror short stories with you in 2026. Paid subscribers have already read three of them, but they will be released to free subscribers eventually as well, in March according to my release calendar.

Sweet screams,

Newt xx

Contents

1. 12 Minutes

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

A text message arrives triggering a terrifying countdown.

12 Minutes was originally published in Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2.

At the time of writing, the government was testing its text alerts for use in the event of nuclear war, as Russia was revealing its true colours through a full-blown invasion of Ukraine.

The story is a nihilistic exploration of the resilience of parents in the face of oblivion.

“Nobody acts braver when he’s frightened stiff, or happier when he’s miserable…He can have a Force Twelve nervous breakdown while he stands next to you in the bus queue and you may be his best friend but you’ll never be the wiser.”

- John Le Carré on English stoicism

Download ePub / PDF

Listen to a live reading from Newt

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Horror For the New Year: 17 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’, ‘The Black Fog’, ‘The Tattoo’.

New Year, New Terror: 26 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Books You Can’t Put Down: 67 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘What Came Down’, ‘The Spinster’ and ‘The Black Fog’.

The Macabre Codex

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

1. Terror from the Trash

2. Free Horror Stories

3. The Macabre Codex

   

Climate change breeds a new horror.

Intrepid wildlife presenter Gerald Patterson just wanted a BAFTA, but instead he uncovers a perilous monster from the depths.

Now it isn’t just his career. It’s his life on the line.

Download ePub / PDF

Greetings, my wicked, wicked darlings,

Cripes, this is an early one. One of the first stories I wrote for Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1, actually. This is from the wild old days when I didn’t outline or plot. I heavily stole the concept from the BBC News, which I read to avoid coping with my actual job, which at the time involved bullying fellow developers into working. Thankfully, it worked out, and after releasing Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1, I was able to become a full time writer.

Two articles inspired the basic premise:

How do you clean up the ocean’s biggest rubbish dump?

Why plastic is a deadly attraction for sea turtles

The main character was based on two people. Jeremy Clarkson and one of my oldest friends called (to protect Percy’s identity, I shall use a pseudonym) Crepy. I remember one particular flight with him when we were heading to Nepal and he was angrily complaining to the stewardess that only one of his complimentary headphone speakers was operational, a small child was kicking his seat, and his red wine was chilled rather than room temperature. It took several gin and tonics to get Crepy to calm down and accept that these were simply the consequences of flying coach.

Anyway,

In this delightful tale, the character based on him discovers that there are worse fates in life than being served chilled red wine.

Sweet screams,

Newt xx

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Yuletide Terror: 33 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Respect’, ‘Justice is Unleaded’, ‘Blade of the Blood God’, and ‘Shadow of the Wolf’.

Tales of Terror: 57 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.

This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Available to order on AMAZON.

Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.

Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.

Visit my website

Contents

1. Horror Story Compilations

2. Buried

FREE Horror Story Compilations

FREE Yuletide Terror: 33 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Respect’, ‘Justice is Unleaded’, ‘Blade of the Blood God’, and ‘Shadow of the Wolf’.

Tales of Terror: 57 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Buried

By Newton Webb

John C. Lee Institute, London, 14 November 2027

Read more

Contents

1. Horror Story Compilations

2. Free eBook: Faster On The Way Down

Subscribe now

FREE Horror Story Compilations

Tales of Terror: 41 FREE horror stories, including: ‘Respect’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’

Midnight Whispers: 54 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’ and ‘Tales of the Macabre: Books 1-4’.

Originally published for paid subscribers on 10 December last year, Faster on the Way Down was heavily inspired by the works of Robert Bloch and Alfred Hitchcock. The location in my fictional town of Grimsdyke is based on the Fairlight Cliffs in Hastings. Much of Grimsdyke is based on Hastings. My matriarchal family originated in Hastings, and we spent many holidays down there.

This is my first attempt at ungating the paid content, so please howl at me if you are a free subscriber and can’t access the story. You should be able to enjoy the full piece!

Sweet Screams,

Newt xx

Faster on the Way Down

By Newton Webb

27th May, 2019. Grimsdyke

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