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Let Go
Widowed and with retirement drawing near, Everett Hart believes he has already lost everything - until the dead begin to rise.
Trapped in a cheap restaurant with a small band of other elderly survivors, Everett is forced to decide if he’ll fight for whatever scraps of a future remain, or if he will simply… let go.
LET GO is a short story of approximately 10,000 words.
Trapped in a cheap restaurant with a small band of other elderly survivors, Everett is forced to decide if he’ll fight for whatever scraps of a future remain, or if he will simply… let go.
LET GO is a short story of approximately 10,000 words.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
46 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2016
50 people want to read
About the author
Michael Patrick Hicks
38 books501 followersMichael Patrick Hicks is the author of several horror books, including the Salem Hawley series and Friday Night Massacre. His debut novel, Convergence, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist in science fiction, and his short stories have appeared in more than a dozen anthologies.
You can find Michael’s books on Amazon in print, ebook, and audiobook at http://viewauthor.at/MichaelPatrickHicks.
Connect with Michael at:
Website: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelpatri...
You can find Michael’s books on Amazon in print, ebook, and audiobook at http://viewauthor.at/MichaelPatrickHicks.
Connect with Michael at:
Website: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelpatri...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 30, 2019
To all new writers out there - read this short story and you may learn something about character development.
It's not really a zombie story, they are merely the background. But I thought it was very good.
It's not really a zombie story, they are merely the background. But I thought it was very good.
April 27, 2016
A solid short. When the zombie apocalypse comes, I hope that I am in a Fish & Chip diner. Seriously. I'm not kidding.
April 16, 2016
I know this is going to sound strange, but LET GO is a poignant zombie story. Everett is a widower, visiting he and his deceased wife's favorite fish and chips spot for possibly one last meal. He's a melancholic man who misses his soulmate, on the verge of retirement and unsure if he wants to live a life of leisure or be reunited with his wife. Outside the diner, chaos erupts. You guessed it, hordes of zombies abound! A couple of young survivors rush in and lock the doors. From then on, it's a matter of waiting for the inevitable. But what will Everett choose to do?
I really felt Everett's pain. The imagery of hungry zombie faces pressed against the glass, eager to get inside, was chilling. LET GO is an excellent addition to the zombie genre, a study not in bloodthirsty hordes but the internal struggles of one lonely, old man. Very well written and the cover is dynamite. I'll be reading his sci fi novels next!
I really felt Everett's pain. The imagery of hungry zombie faces pressed against the glass, eager to get inside, was chilling. LET GO is an excellent addition to the zombie genre, a study not in bloodthirsty hordes but the internal struggles of one lonely, old man. Very well written and the cover is dynamite. I'll be reading his sci fi novels next!
December 27, 2017
This is a 4.5 star read.
A haunting short story that packs an emotional punch that could knock you out! The zombie novel where the zombies are merely a backdrop, this book explores the themes of grief, depression, suicide and how letting go can be either a negative or very positive action. The story is very character driven although the good old zombies do get the last word (or bite) in. Highly, highly recommended read.
A haunting short story that packs an emotional punch that could knock you out! The zombie novel where the zombies are merely a backdrop, this book explores the themes of grief, depression, suicide and how letting go can be either a negative or very positive action. The story is very character driven although the good old zombies do get the last word (or bite) in. Highly, highly recommended read.
April 25, 2016
Zombies invade a diner, and as you might expect, that doesn’t go well for the customers. Everett is there alone, dining there for the first time since the death of his wife. Bad timing, you’d think, if this story was about the zombies. It’s not, though.
It’s about Everett’s emotional turmoil, so well described that it’s profoundly sad to read it. He’s isolated from others – even his son - by loneliness and depression. His trip to the diner is for the memories more than the food. The zombies would have found him elsewhere, and he would have missed the people that held out a hand and connected with him for a few moments. Perhaps his timing was exactly right.
There’s a great deal of emotion packed into this short story, and the ending made me teary-eyed. Excellent reading.
It’s about Everett’s emotional turmoil, so well described that it’s profoundly sad to read it. He’s isolated from others – even his son - by loneliness and depression. His trip to the diner is for the memories more than the food. The zombies would have found him elsewhere, and he would have missed the people that held out a hand and connected with him for a few moments. Perhaps his timing was exactly right.
There’s a great deal of emotion packed into this short story, and the ending made me teary-eyed. Excellent reading.
March 21, 2017
A GREAT SHORT STORY
What a great short story by Michael Patrick Hicks. This is definitely a must read and something I believe everyone who reads it will like. My only wish was that it would have been longer, as this would have been an awesome book. I think it would be great to learn more about Everett, his family, Teeg and some of the others before this awful day. I hope many of you feel the same way as Everett could be anyone's grandfather his memories and thoughts bringing smiles and sadness. I will be checking out Michael's other completed books also watching for anything new he writes in the future.
What a great short story by Michael Patrick Hicks. This is definitely a must read and something I believe everyone who reads it will like. My only wish was that it would have been longer, as this would have been an awesome book. I think it would be great to learn more about Everett, his family, Teeg and some of the others before this awful day. I hope many of you feel the same way as Everett could be anyone's grandfather his memories and thoughts bringing smiles and sadness. I will be checking out Michael's other completed books also watching for anything new he writes in the future.
December 6, 2017
A great horror short story and even though it was brief, I felt like I got to know Everett, the main character, and I was rooting for him. This author has got a way with words; I'll definitely be trying more of his work.
July 27, 2016
Let Go is one of the best short stories I've read in a while. On the surface it's a zombie story, but in reality it's a human story and a poignant one at that. Highly recommended.
April 15, 2016
I’ve read all M P Hick’s stories (the stuff that’s published, that is) and this one stands out because it’s more about the human emotion than it is about the violence and the conflict. Okay, Revolver was somewhat like that too, and so was Convergence, but rather than have the camera pan nation or worldwide this time, it feels like it’s the end of the world for one man, and it’s more about the internal world of his thoughts that are winding (perhaps) towards their own end anyway.
Everett Hart is a sad person, that much is evident from page one, yet he’s not the character who just lies down and waits when the zombie apocalypse kicks off either - he’s a lens for seeing the behaviour of others and a man who offers a different perspective than you’d usually find in the average zombie romp. As a sympathetic character he’s highly effective because his musings go to such human places: the mourning of his wife, the relationship with his absent father, the way it’s affected what he thinks of himself as a parent and grandparent. His story feels somewhat inevitable in its conclusion, yet perhaps that’s the whole idea: this story is less like a suspense one and more like an unusual mix of zombie action with *gasp* a little human-literature. You may not see the average ‘serious’ lit author doing the human condition through a zombie invasion, but this story made me wonder why not.
The writing style from the DRMR novels, Revolver, and Consumption isn’t here this time; Let Go has a slower pace despite what’s happening and a feeling that’s slightly more Stephen King than the transgressive style of some of M P Hick’s other stuff - the American diner setting with the main character celebrating his birthday alone with a meal did make me think a little of a late scene in Breaking Bad, not that there’s any real connection there, but the mood is quite similar. All that said, there’s the familiar poking at the absurdity of certain things in modern America that I’ve come to find very much a staple of this author’s fiction.
Okay, so I still say ‘Read Revolver if you read nothing else,’ but this diversification of style and content points to M P Hicks being an author who may well have a much more diverse skill set to offer us yet.
A quick afterthought: I’ve just finished reading The Doomsday Chronicles anthology, and if you’ve also checked that out and liked it, this story should be right up your alley. It would have fitted in well alongside all those.
Everett Hart is a sad person, that much is evident from page one, yet he’s not the character who just lies down and waits when the zombie apocalypse kicks off either - he’s a lens for seeing the behaviour of others and a man who offers a different perspective than you’d usually find in the average zombie romp. As a sympathetic character he’s highly effective because his musings go to such human places: the mourning of his wife, the relationship with his absent father, the way it’s affected what he thinks of himself as a parent and grandparent. His story feels somewhat inevitable in its conclusion, yet perhaps that’s the whole idea: this story is less like a suspense one and more like an unusual mix of zombie action with *gasp* a little human-literature. You may not see the average ‘serious’ lit author doing the human condition through a zombie invasion, but this story made me wonder why not.
The writing style from the DRMR novels, Revolver, and Consumption isn’t here this time; Let Go has a slower pace despite what’s happening and a feeling that’s slightly more Stephen King than the transgressive style of some of M P Hick’s other stuff - the American diner setting with the main character celebrating his birthday alone with a meal did make me think a little of a late scene in Breaking Bad, not that there’s any real connection there, but the mood is quite similar. All that said, there’s the familiar poking at the absurdity of certain things in modern America that I’ve come to find very much a staple of this author’s fiction.
Okay, so I still say ‘Read Revolver if you read nothing else,’ but this diversification of style and content points to M P Hicks being an author who may well have a much more diverse skill set to offer us yet.
A quick afterthought: I’ve just finished reading The Doomsday Chronicles anthology, and if you’ve also checked that out and liked it, this story should be right up your alley. It would have fitted in well alongside all those.
June 18, 2019
Michael Patrick Hicks has gotten into my brain once again. I'm shook.
Will review this great shorty soon.
OK, I'm better...
It has been quite a while since I got shivers down my spine after reading a short story’s final page. But here it happened. This compact, excellent short story is so much more than an average Zombie story. The sense of loss Everett feels, the memories he holds and recounts, everything about this story was perfect as far as I’m concerned. I’ve always loved the word “poignant,” just saying it makes my eyes and nose give me the “You might be about to cry” warning. This was poignant. And for me, perfect.
Will review this great shorty soon.
OK, I'm better...
It has been quite a while since I got shivers down my spine after reading a short story’s final page. But here it happened. This compact, excellent short story is so much more than an average Zombie story. The sense of loss Everett feels, the memories he holds and recounts, everything about this story was perfect as far as I’m concerned. I’ve always loved the word “poignant,” just saying it makes my eyes and nose give me the “You might be about to cry” warning. This was poignant. And for me, perfect.
April 14, 2016
I've been a fan of Michael Patrick Hicks since reading his amazing short story Revolver, so this was a no brainer (sort of pun intended).
We are used to getting zombie stories featuring hunky over prepared military types and plunky heroes, but it is fascinating to explore what a zombie apocalypse would look like from the perspective of an older man with not much left in life.
I do wish some of the story was a bit less predictable, but nevertheless, this was a very entertaining read.
We are used to getting zombie stories featuring hunky over prepared military types and plunky heroes, but it is fascinating to explore what a zombie apocalypse would look like from the perspective of an older man with not much left in life.
I do wish some of the story was a bit less predictable, but nevertheless, this was a very entertaining read.
April 24, 2016
Yes, this is a obviously a zombie story - isn't the cover self-explanatory? But Everett will reach out and grab your heart from the first page. This short story is less about zombies and more about a man coming to terms with certain aspects of his life and I have to admit - I wasn't expecting such an emotional read. Powerful imagery with outstanding characterization.
September 24, 2016
A Really enjoyable bitter sweet little short story, fits perfectly into the season. Touches on themes of loneliness, old age, love and sacrifice and does it all very well while still managing to bring in zombies! Not much to say its a very short little book and well worth the 20 minutes it takes to read.
April 17, 2016
Zombi apocalypse with pensioners in a fish 'n' chips shop.... Now that is new!
A great quick read & immensely enjoyable too.
A great quick read & immensely enjoyable too.
April 17, 2016
This is a really good story. The development of the main character was very well done and shows well what it is like growing older and reaching the end of life.
December 5, 2017
A short story about the zombie apocalypse, not really in to zombie books but I kinda liked this one.
October 15, 2019
A terrific short story about an old man who finds the weight of daily life more crushing than the zombie apocalypse happening around him. Well worth 30 minutes of your time.
December 31, 2024
LET GO – A Horror Short – by Michael Patrick Hicks
My Heart—Highly Recommend!
Source – Free eBook provided by the Author when I signed up to receive his newsletter.
My Heart—Highly Recommend!
Source – Free eBook provided by the Author when I signed up to receive his newsletter.
April 17, 2016
In general, I really love Hicks' work. I think he's got a great handle on pacing, and I always find my heart racing with adrenaline after reading his books.
This story just didn't do it for me. On the plus side, Everett is a fantastic character, and I *loved* seeing the sweet side of Hicks' ability.
But the zombie aspect and the inevitable ending were both a little bit rushed for me. I would have liked to have seen this as a longer novella, with more development. I think the ending could have been more powerful if there had been some measure of hope that it was ever going to end differently.
All in all, three stars for a unique take on the zombie hero; a character that was deftly written; and, in general, a great writing voice. Check it out if you want to have your imagination opened up to ideas about what the zombie apocalypse would have looked like to the Regular Joe.
This story just didn't do it for me. On the plus side, Everett is a fantastic character, and I *loved* seeing the sweet side of Hicks' ability.
But the zombie aspect and the inevitable ending were both a little bit rushed for me. I would have liked to have seen this as a longer novella, with more development. I think the ending could have been more powerful if there had been some measure of hope that it was ever going to end differently.
All in all, three stars for a unique take on the zombie hero; a character that was deftly written; and, in general, a great writing voice. Check it out if you want to have your imagination opened up to ideas about what the zombie apocalypse would have looked like to the Regular Joe.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews