Lessons IV: The Dead Carnival and Other Morbid Drabbles

By Michael Crane

We’ve been expecting you...

The morbid 100-word shorts of chaos and pure, sinister evil are back in LESSONS IV: The Dead Carnival and Other Morbid Drabbles. In his latest installment of twenty-nine horrifying and darkly humorous stories, author Michael Crane takes you on a trip to the carnival you’ll never forget (and a trip you may not survive). Oh, there will be games that cheat you out of something far more valuable than money. Rides will break down, but not necessarily by accident. Nobody leaves happy. In fact, nobody leaves at all.

Welcome to the Dead Carnival... a place that truly lives up to its name.

Features bonus drabbles/shorts by authors Daniel Pyle, Robert J. Duperre, Jason Letts, Daniel Arenson, J.L. Bryan, M.S. Verish, and M.P. McDonald.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Crane
• Release date: Mar 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476324524

Michael Crane

Michael Crane is an indie author and short story writer. Switching between slice-of-life fiction and horror stories, he is the author of In Decline (stories), Giggles (a novella), and a number of drabble collections (Lessons and Other Morbid Drabbles, Lessons II: Another Morbid Drabble Collection, Lessons III: Demonic Dolls and Other Morbid Drabbles, Lessons IV: The Dead Carnival and Other Morbid Drabbles, Lessons V: The Terrible Town and Other Morbid Drabbles). He currently lives in Illinois with his wife.

Book preview

THE DEAD CARNIVAL

Step right up, folks! This is a ride you’ll never forget! The one and only Coaster of Dread is sure to be the talk of your town for years to come.

Feeling brave? Take a seat and strap in for one of the darkest nightmares ever!

I know you’ll have questions at the very end. Is that blood on your shirt real? Was that psychotic clown an actual murderer? Is the decapitated head in your lap a prop?

Yes to the first two! As for the third, shame on you.

I thought for sure you’d recognize your own wife’s head.

TRY YOUR LUCK

Billy stepped forward with the sledgehammer in his hands. His eyes stared up at the very top of the pole, and he noticed the words, Unlucky Winner.

What’s that mean? he asked.

The guy who ran the game shrugged. You’ll have to find out.

Curiosity got the best of him. He raised the hammer and swung it down as hard as he could. The little metal ball shot up all the way to the top of the pole.

Too bad, the guy said.

Clammy hands grabbed onto Billy’s shoulders. "But… I won!" he cried.

We don’t let winners leave alive.

BUMMER

It’ll be fun, you said. Don’t be such a buzz kill!

I told you that I didn’t want to go. I loathe roller coasters and I despise carnivals. Yet, you kept on insisting that we go there on our second