The Gatherings were supposed to bring world peace. What they brought was the apocalypse.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Gatherings were supposed to bring world peace. What they brought was the apocalypse.
On the day, September 21...
"We came here as individuals, we leave as one."
The author, Jeremy Ray asked me for my honest review of his short story, The Gatherings. Thank you so much! I sincerely enjoyed your story and I can't wait to read more of your work!
Starting September 22, 2020
It took me only a couple of hours to finish this beauty. I feel unnerved. I want more. I want to hear more from the other survivors. This was too short. This is my only complaint. There should have been more. We started, we got into it, we were told goodbye. Now I’m left standing here like “What! That’s it? That can’t be it!”
We started, we got into it, we were told goodbye. Now I’m left standing here like “What! That’s it? That can’t be it!”
From page one, I was immediately reminded of Stephen King’s short story, The Mist. They’re both written in the same style, the narrator writing down their story as they saw the end of the world. But more than that, several parts of this reminded me of The Mist beyond the writing style. However, both stories are widely unique, both depict a way that the world as we know it ended. These apocalyptic worlds happen abruptly, with this new fear of a forever changed world. The Mist had well the mist, that was filled with creatures, all sorts, and many we never saw. If you did see them, most likely you were about to die. But in The Gatherings, we have these vines and the creation of these vines is so immensely and inhumanely morbid. It’s an image that will haunt my inner thoughts and dreams for some time.
In The Gatherings, we have these vines and the creation of these vines is so immensely and inhumanely morbid. It’s an image that will haunt my inner thoughts and dreams for some time.
Speaking of which, the descriptions spread throughout this short story are incredibly written. Too well in some cases, but I’m not complaining, though there are some things that I will never be able to unsee. It really paints an illustration. I especially loved the illustration painted of these creatures the narrator calls digested nymphs. Honestly, that’s probably my favorite part of the whole story.
Overall, I thought this short story was well written. I wanted more than I got though. I would have loved to have heard more stories from the other survivors that the narrator mentions. The entire book flows really well, captivating me from the first page. As I mentioned, I finished this in just a short couple of hours. I think anyone who likes morbid horror will love this one. It will get under your skin.
Interested in reading The Gatherings? Tomorrow get yourself a copy of the eBook for only $1.99 on Amazon! This offer will only be available tomorrow, September 22, 2020.
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