Pieces by Damian Crosse

FOUR TERRIFYING STORIES
Delve into the darkest depths of the human psyche with PIECES, a chilling anthology of existential dread and psychological horror. From malicious otherworldly forces and twisted realities, to haunting introspections, each tale will tug at the fragile threads of sanity and force you to confront your deepest fears in a journey where the line between reality and nightmare ceases to exist.

PRINCESS
Change is scary. For Macrina, moving to a new town means having to make all new friends…something she doesn’t believe she’ll be able to do. Fortunately for her, the previous owners of her new house left behind a very special gift: a closet full of stuffed animals for her to play with. The best of these, the crowning jewel, a giant teddy bear she names King Teddy. Friendly toys to keep a lonely little girl company. But is that all they are?

THE GIRL AT THE WINDOW
He sees her at his window every night. She’s beautiful. She’s angelic. She’s perfect. In his waking life, he doesn’t know her, but in his dreams…in his dreams, he confronts a deeper truth. She makes him happy. His own guardian angel; the only force of light in his mundane and futile life. All is well, until another woman—the seductive and illustrious Carol—invades his world and promises forbidden answers to his most haunting questions…at the cost of forsaking his angel at the window. Who are these women? Who can he trust?

THE PAPER BOY
Nick Daniels feels as though his life is falling apart. He’s worked hard to be where he is—an up-and-coming professor at a prestigious university—but with a divorce looming on the horizon, and a disappointed family back home, he can’t help but wonder if the strife of the last ten years has all been for naught. This doubt only solidifies when Nick begins to experience nightmares of a strange entity watching over him…and when he awakens one morning to discover a literal piece of himself missing.

4AM
Frank Cooper used to be a runner in high school. During his five-year tour in Vietnam, he came to be known as “The Rabbit” by his platoonfor his superior speed and agility. Now, over two decades later, Frank hopes to recover that lost legacy and reclaim his meandering life by forcing himself to run at four AM every morning. He’ll soon discover, however, that the past has a long memory…and its ghosts might not be so easy to outrun.