Beneath
Eldritch
City Shorts
Book
1
Robin
Heggelund Hansen
Genre:
Crime/Horror
Date
of Publication: March 21st, 2015ASIN: B00V0R5QYW
Number of pages: 15
Word Count: 5100
Book
Description:
Nine
years have passed since the tragic and mysterious deaths of Mr.
Phillips and his daughter. A new clue surfaces, one which the lead
investigator will follow to the brink of insanity.
Available
at Amazon
Excerpt:
To
whoever reads this: I feel that I must apologize if what you find on
these pieces of paper appears to be nothing more than a collection of
near-indecipherable words. I can assure you that I have tried
everything I can think of, and yet I cannot keep my hands from
trembling. This, however, is only a symptom of my much greater
problems.
I
cannot eat, or sleep, or even close my eyes for longer than the
briefest of moments. I feel as if I’m about to lose my mind, but
I’m clear enough to realize that I have to get this story off my
chest, before it consumes whatever sanity I have left. Unfortunately,
the only recipient I can trust with a story as bizarre and horrible
as this are the same pieces of paper upon which these words are
written.
For
officers of the Eldritch City Police Department, no two days are
alike. Even with this in mind, yesterday morning would still single
itself out as peculiar. As I entered the precinct to begin my shift,
I met a man who I realized was from out of town. It was clear that he
was uncomfortable since he was constantly scratching his arm and
shifting his gaze. It was as if he was trying to view the entire room
at once.
There
are many things that can be said of Eldritch City, but the one thing
people always remember is the air. It’s not that it has a
particular smell, but it has a way of sticking to your skin, like wet
clothes on a rainy day. Us locals usually say that it is due to the
humidity that comes with being in a warm coastal city, but humid air
does not leave you with a feeling of being watched, or that something
terrible is about to happen. Given time, one learns to hide this
discomfort. People from out of town, however, usually haven’t
learnt the knack.
The
man introduced himself as Deputy Swanson of the Heartbrook Sheriff’s
office. Upon learning my name, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“It would seem I am in luck,” he said. “It is in fact you that
I have come here to see.”
Before
continuing the conversation, I invited Swanson back to my desk — I
have yet to earn my own office — and offered him a choice of coffee
or tea, of which he chose the latter. When we were both sitting
comfortably, I asked what had brought him all the way here from
Heartbrook. To this he responded by handing me a newspaper article,
dating back nine years. The article was an interview with a younger
me regarding a murder case out by Mirkwood. I knew the article well,
not just because I was the subject of the interview, but also because
the case in question had been troubling me ever since I had been
assigned to it.
Nine
years earlier, for their summer-break, the Phillips family had gone
out to their newly built cabin in Mirkwood, on the outskirts of the
city. Only a day into their vacation, Mr. Phillips and his daughter,
Julia, were brutally murdered. Their bodies had been mutilated to the
point of being barely recognizable — large portions of flesh were
missing. It was almost as if something had fed on them. The coroner
couldn’t rule out an animal attack, but thought it unlikely since
the wounds were inconsistent with the bite of any species known to be
living in Mirkwood.
About
the Author:
Robin
was born on a cold winter night in Oslo, Norway, 1989. Growing up, he
was always fond of telling stories, leading people to wonder when,
not if, he would move on to writing stories of his own. Inspired by
the works of H.P. Lovecraft, he wrote his first short story,
'Beneath', in 2015.
Interview
- Where are you from?
Oslo, the capitol of Norway.
- Tell us your latest news?
My next short story, The Account of
Matthew Brighton, should be out any day now. I’m also making great progress on
my third short story, which I hope to have out sometime in mid-May.
- When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can
remember. I’ve always liked reading books and comics, but I usually find something
I feel I want to improve, or perhaps explore that universe some more. I wrote
some fan fiction during my youth, as well as some detective stories. It’s only
now that I’ve created my own universe that I’m proud enough to show the world
- When did you first consider yourself a
writer?
I still don’t. For me, you’re not a
writer before you have written a novel. Something I haven’t done. Yet.
- What inspired you to write your first
book?
I started working on ‘Beneath’ after
having read a lot of stories by Lovecraft. There was one story, The Lurking
Fear, that really excited me, and I wanted to see if I could write something
that could trigger that kind of emotion.
- Do you have a specific writing style?
I tend to write in the first person, I
feel it makes the story more immersive.
- How did you come up with the title?
I can’t really say that without spoiling
the story. But I think anyone who read’s the story will find that it speaks for
itself.
- Is there a message in your novel that
you want readers to grasp?
Not really, no. With ‘Beneath’ I wanted
to introduce the readers to the world of Eldritch City, and of course to
excite. I might introduce hidden messages or meanings in later stories, but my
first priority is always to entertain.
- How much of the book is realistic?
The entire crime investigation bit is, I
think, pretty realistic. The book does however include some elements which
could only have happened in Eldritch City.
- Are experiences based on someone you
know, or events in your own life?
There was a forrest close to where I
lived in my youth. We played there often as kids, but I remember it being a
horrifying place at night. Forests in general are horrifying places, especially
when you can’t see too well what is there, and the sounds of insects and
animals surround you. At least you hope that its insects and animals.
- What books have most influenced your
life most?
Can’t think of any in particular. For me,
books, as well as film and games, has mostly been about escaping the boring, or
harsh, realities of the world that we live in. Sometimes you just want a real
adventure to keep your mind off whatever you’re tired of thinking of.
- If you had to choose, which writer
would you consider a mentor?
If I had to choose, I guess it would be
Lovecraft, who has had a large impact on the genre and the style that I write
in. Don’t think I would like him if I had met him while he was alive though.
Kind of an odd ball from I gather.
- What book are you reading now?
The Trial by Kafka. It’s important to
read the classics.
- Are there any new authors that have
grasped your interest?
While the author isn’t new by any
definition, I’ve just recently started reading the works of Clive Barker.
Brilliant stuff, even though I think «what the hell?» every couple of pages.
- What are your current projects?
I’m currently working on more short
stories in the Eldritch City universe. I’m planning a total of six short
stories, then I’ll start working on a novel set in the same world, at about the
same time. Because of this there will be crossovers between the short stories
and the novel.
- What would you like my readers to know?
First off all I would like to thank those
who have read this through. It’s been great to have the chance to introduce
Eldritch City to a group of interested readers. If any of you have read my
books, I would love some feedback, or even more questions. You can start a conversation
with me on Goodreads, and if you’d like to read more, more is coming. Thank
you.
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