Redi Thomas carries the past in her present in the form of ghosts that only she can see and hear. Her ghosts have an all too personal connection to her line of work. When one of these companions makes her an offer she can’t refuse, Redi may finally be liberated from what is burdening her. Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker award-winning author/poet Linda Addison spins the reader a shocking tale in “369 Gates of Hell”, a story from her collection HOW TO RECOGNIZE A DEMON HAS BECOME YOUR FRIEND published by Necon E-books.
Unburden yourself of that short story inside you by submitting it to the Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
The Plot
The story opens as Redi waits for her client, Ana Sanchez, to appear in the reception area of an office building. Redi is a bodyguard hired to protect this accountant to the powerful and wealthy, but she doesn’t wait alone. Apparitions followed her during her waking hours as well as in her dreams. Why wouldn’t they? These specters had a prior relationship with her having crossed her path during her time as an assassin. Ghost victims from her past are a constant presence and that day is no different. Until it is.
One evening, a particular ghost offers her respite from her constant companions but only if she would do one more assassination. Redi is given one day to think it over. Not only is she is haunted by her past profession but by the abuse she suffered at the hands of her deceased stepfather. Her body is a roadmap of scars and pain that drove her to the assassin’s life.
When the ghost returns, she agrees. He takes her on a journey to exercise her past trauma and deliver cathartic retribution to her stepfather in the afterlife. The liberation of her emotional distress, the shackles of her bitterness wash away. Now it is time for her to carry out her side of the bargain.
Her newest victim…is Ana Sanchez.
What Lies Underneath
Trauma can be a tricky subject to tackle without creating a binary outcome of ‘good vs. evil’ for the characters. In this case, the story walks a fine line between the two. It is a horror story, so the outcome is messy just like in real life. Redi’s ghosts of her victims could just as easily be a stand in for the ghosts of her past suffering—always constant, always comforting, always complex.
Emotional scars can linger and, in Redi’s case, can grow to be a huge part of her identity. Her stepfather’s abuse leaves her numb to the suffering of others in the same way that others ignored her misery. The kicker is that the ghost who facilitated Redi’s chance to restore compassion did so while simultaneously allowing her to torture her abuser then asks her to create a new pattern of suffering for someone else. It’s an interesting take on the cyclical nature of trauma very much like a snake eating its tail.
What Makes It Killer
Linda Addison uses folklore, horror, and emotion to bring Redi to life in a way that a reader can identify with her and therefore be even more horrified by her actions and what she will become. “369 Gates of Hell” leaves the reader wondering if compassionate awareness can be resurrected alongside a dull apathy for human life.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A DEMON HAS BECOME YOUR FRIEND is full to the brim with short stories and dark poetry that has meaning and underlying themes that are approachable and mesmerizing to any reader.
Short Story Title: “369 Gates of Hell”
Publisher: Necon E-Books
Linda’s other works include:
Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes
Linda’s Socials:
