Today’s post features another horror story, this time written by my friend Cesar Cruz.  You may remember him as the director of Dark Passages or from the interview I did with him not so long ago.    Cesar’s branching out and has started a new blog called Into the Abyss, which will feature horror related stories and art.  I know some of you guys also are horror writers (or just appreciate a good horror story) and Cesar asked if I’d take a look at this one and give it a review so here goes….

There’s horror in the form of serial killers and ghosts and then there’s horror of a realer variety. “Love Me or Die” is a brutal look at the horror of domestic violence.  The story opens with Nicholas waking up strapped to a chair in a strange room with an even stranger woman, who is both beautiful and deadly.  Nicholas quickly realizes he’s trapped and then we head back in time to a few hours earlier….Nicholas it seems isn’t so friendly with his wife.  In fact, he’s a downright bastard.  When she arrives home from work that day, things quickly escalate until we’re back in the room with Nicholas strapped to the chair and from there…well..let’s just say things get a little messy.

I’m not going to put any spoilers here because I really do think it’s an excellent story that you should all read (HERE BTW).  I will say this though – the story is brutal so if you’re sensitive to real-life brutality, avoid it.  If you’ve ever been a victim of domestic violence, you may want to avoid it also and I’ll use this as an example:

“Cold rain poured down on Lauren Sanders as she stood outside the door to her small, suburban home. The rain soaked her black business clothes and plastered her dirty blond hair to her face. She stood, quietly, in the rain for 15 minutes before getting the courage to enter. This was becoming a nightly ritual for her. She never knew what waited on the other side of that door. Isn’t the home supposed to be a place of comfort and love? At least that’s what Lauren once believed.”  ~I remember all too well this feeling when I lived with someone who was abusive.  I dreaded coming home, I worked late to put off the inevitable. This really struck close to home for me and it was upsetting.  But I also feel it’s a story that portrays domestic violence realistically (I got sick to my stomach in a few places because it reminded me too much of The Devil, as he’s called) and I think that’s a good thing.  Everybody knows domestic violence isn’t pretty but I think sometimes people don’t realize just how bad it can actually be or how many forms it comes in.  And I think this story does that a justice.  Plus the end is pretty wicked cool and leaves the reader to form their own opinion of what exactly is going on, which I love.

So yeah, if you like horror stories check it out. 🙂

*And if you or someone you know is being abused, please, please, please say something, step forward.  It DOES get better, no matter how much you think it can’t.*