You Will Never Sell This House

by Scott Alexander Hess

A family curse. A lusty midnight visitor. A terror awakened.


Still grieving the death of his lover, Colm returns to the family estate on Christmas Eve to prepare to sell the house. An unexpected visit from Sebastian Lore, his brutish yet handsome neighbor, leads to fireside drinks.


As things heat up between them, Sebastian shares a long-buried secret that sheds a terrifying light on Colm’s father’s prophetic You will never sell this house.

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2019

About the author

Scott Alexander Hess is the author of nine novels, including Drought which won the 2026 Publishing Triangle Ferro-Grumley Award for Best LGBTQ+ Fiction. Other novels include Skyscraper, a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, and The Butcher’s Sons, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015. His writing has appeared in HuffPost, Genre Magazine, The Fix, Thema Literary Review, and elsewhere. Hess co-wrote "Tom in America," an award-winning short film, starring Sally Kirkland and Burt Young. He teaches fiction writing at Gotham Writers Workshop and curates Hot Lit, an LGBTQ+ themed monthly newsletter. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Hess lives in New York City with his husband.

Reviews

[Chase Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect little gem of a macabre story. Read it on a rainy day.

[Kazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written short novella that is gothic and supernatural in nature. I can always count on Scott Alexander Hess to write something different and engrossing.

[Stephanie Grubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful character

Not realizing this was a short story, I was in deep, ready for the plot to thicken and then...it ended.

[Deeze · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was weird, not what I was expecting and I'm sorry to say I feel like I wasted my time. Sorry just not for me.