Derailed

By Erica Summers and Rusty Ogre Publishing

A horrific car accident leaves me broken, partially sightless, and trapped in my childhood home under the questionable supervision of my mentally ill mother.

This is when the real trouble starts.

Derailed is a wild, short, horror story about a mother's descent into schizophrenic madness and the vicious toll that it quickly takes on her eldest adult child.
Warning: Depictions of mental illness (heavy), gaslighting, violence, & profanity.


PRAISE FOR DERAILED
******************************
"I just finished Erica Summers new short Derailed, and I'm just in awe of her expertise in the wielding of words. Such beautiful prose, inter-cut with truly heart wrenching scenes of metal illness and Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. It's in the dark corners of the world where fiction like this is given license to torment the thoughts of someone from a well-adjusted home and give them a glimpse into Hell. Erica Summers is a diamond in the rough and with each new release, her talent shines brighter and brighter."
-- Otis Bateman, author of Dino-Gore, Medusa's Son, & Ensuring Your Place in Hell

"I felt really, really intimidated when I read this story. This author oozes talent. Brilliantly written. Highly recommend it to horror fans. 5 STARS."
- Mort Stone, reviewer for The Mort Report and author of All the Sand and Tears a Monkey Can Buy

"This story careens from one horror to another as the tension ratchets up and up. The worst part is that every moment of this story could happen, so it connects emotionally, far beyond comfort. The writing is strong, the imagery is vivid, and the ending is just... wrong. Bravo to Summers for a truly incisive story that won't leave my brain any time soon."
- Ruth Anna Evans, Author and Editor of Ooze: Little Bursts of Body Horror

"I loved it! The ending was perfect!"
- J. Boote, author of They Are All Monsters

"This felt real, powerful. The characters are alive and I want more of them. This one stayed with me. There aren't many writers out right now like Erica Summers."
- Chisto Healy, author of Two of a Kind and The World Beneath

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rusty Ogre Publishing
• Release date: Jan 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224120918

Book preview

Derailed

A Short Horror Story

Erica Summers

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Rusty Ogre Publishing

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Praise for Derailed

I just finished Erica Summers new short Derailed, and I’m just in awe of her expertise in the wielding of words. Such beautiful prose, intercut with truly heart wrenching scenes of metal illness and Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. It’s in the dark corners of the world where fiction like this is given license to torment the thoughts of someone from a well-adjusted home and give them a glimpse into Hell. Erica Summers is a diamond in the rough and with each new release, her talent shines brighter and brighter.

-- Otis Bateman, author of Dino-Gore, Medusa's Son, & Ensuring Your Place in Hell

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This story careens from one horror to another as the tension ratchets up and up. The worst part is that every moment of this story could happen, so it connects emotionally, far beyond comfort. The writing is strong, the imagery is vivid, and the ending is just... wrong. Bravo to Summers for a truly incisive story that won’t leave my brain any time soon.

- Ruth Anna Evans, Author and Editor of Ooze: Little Bursts of Body Horror

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I loved it! The ending was perfect! - J. Boote, author of They Are All Monsters

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This felt real, powerful. The characters are alive and I want more of them. This one stayed with me. There aren't many writers out right now like Erica Summers. - Chisto Healy, author of Two of a Kind and The World Beneath

Copyright © 2023 by Erica Summers

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission by the author(s) and or publisher, except for the use of a brief quotation in a book review.

www.EricaSummers.com

West Haven, Connecticut, United States

Edited by Mark Anthony.

Ebook cover art by Erica Summers

This book is a work of