IN A DARK PLACE WITH NOTHING BUT A DRABBLE FOR A SHIELD: DARK DRABBLES VOL. 1

by Gerhard Jason Geick

In a Dark Place shines a light into the deep, holds your hand as you gasp, allows you to laugh, and leads the way back home. If you squirm, good. If you’re shocked, even better. This isn't for those that are easily offended. If this world were a safe place, you wouldn't need a Drabble for a Shield. A Drabble is a short work of writing of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the Drabble is brevity, testing the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space. This book’s description is a Drabble. IN A DARK PLACE WITH NOTHING BUT A DRABBLE FOR A SHIELD contains graphic content and is intended for a mature audience. A Boy on the Cusp A man on the run. He turns a corner, dashes down an alley, and tosses his piece through an open window. Hours later, an angsty adolescent comes home from school. He finds the handgun on the floor by his bed. He picks it up, feels its weight, checks the chamber, and hides it under his mattress next to a stolen Playboy magazine. He knows nothing about where the weapon has been or what it has done. He has no reason to wonder about the many times it has been abandoned and lost, or what it will inspire him to do. Love Like a Beatles Song I am tied down, naked; spread-eagle. The rope digs into my wrists and ankles. Still, I struggle pointlessly. She sits on my chest, but I cannot scream, not with a sock stuffed in my mouth. A razor blade crosses my chest, and lines of blood run down my sides. My head spins. My mind screams, "Stop!" The moment's perfect, though, and I love her. I love that she never stops, no matter how much I bleed or squirm. I love that I am able to give her everything that she needs, so that she doesn't have to hurt anyone else. From a Bridge, Looking Down He's pacing back and forth along the side of the road. Talking to himself. Thinking about talking himself down. He looks down at the rocks below. The waves crash against them. Beautiful in their own way; the destructive force is. He thinks – It would really suck to live. As a paraplegic. He wonders how long it'd take for people to notice he's gone, who'd find him, and if it'd be messy. "Would anyone care?" He sighs. Resigns himself to the inevitable. Inches forward. His hands grip the railing. A car passes. Honks. Waves. He inches back and decides to live.

89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2021

About the author

Gerhard is the author of NOSOPHOBIA, The Childhood Apocalypse of Saint Yahea, I Eat Babies, and The Geriatric Juice Box (with Todd Love). Gerhard lives in Canada, The Great White North, with his wife, two daughters, and grand baby. You can find his works at Godless.com.

Gerhard has been writing and self-publishing for 25 years, and over the past fifteen years he has published thirteen short stories, five collections of short fiction and drabbles, and two collections of essays.

Gerhard has been a fan of horror for over thirty years. His journey began in grade seven, when he picked Pet Semetary off the shelf in his school’s library. From King, he transitioned to authors like Richard Laymon, Bentley Little, and Edward Lee. Recently, he discovered Independent Horror, Splatterpunk, Bizzarro, and Godless.com. NOSOPHOBIA was his first attempt at Splatterpunk, and it wasn’t his last. NOSOPHOBIA became a number one Godless bestseller within twelve hours of its release and has remained a Top Ten Bestseller for over three years.

Gerhard’s other influences include John Steinbeck, Ray Bradbury, Ayn Rand, John Wyndham, Michael Crichton, Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, William Golding, J.D. Salinger, Philip K. Dick, Jim Thompson, Matt Shaw, Kevin Sweeny, Rayne Havok, Simon McHardy, Carlton Mellick the 3rd, and Daniel Volpe, to name a few.

Gerhard’s writing is dark, satirical, and full of twists, and even if what you are reading is only 100 words long (a Drabble), you won't see the wall until you hit it.

When Gerhard is not writing or reading, he can often be found editing. Gerhard has been an editor for over ten years. He has edited and co-written/ghost written over sixty novels. He has also edited and developed educational scripts, pamphlets, manuals, Interactive Stories, and designed educational web sites. Gerhard is currently accepting solicitations from independent authors. For more information: BookPredator.com

Reviews

[Negan88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First Dive Into Drabbles

Gerhard is a very talented author, and it was a fantastic experience to read this book of Drabbles. This book punches you right in the heart with some of the gut wrenching drabbles, but after I finished the complete book I actually felt rather refreshed and uplifted. After diving deeper into the meanings behind the drabbles I concluded that Gerhard’s book is five stars out of five stars!

[Todd Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of drabbles. I hope Gerhard continues to publish this short fiction. I am a huge fan of drabbles! Definitely worth a buy, read, and review. Check out Gerhard’s other work on godless.com.

[Robbie Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In A Dark Place" sets a few different tones, most of them being quite thought provoking and also entertaining at the same time. Some of the stories didn't quite inspire any sort of emotional or psychological response, however, most did. Writing stories in 100 words can be extremely difficult but this pulls it off pretty nicely. While the passages are hit and miss, the misses aren't even that bad and the hits are all grand slams!

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is a Drabble you ask?? A Drabble is a short work of writing of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the Drabble is brevity, testing the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space.

And Gerhard nailed it!! This is my first introduction to Drabbles and I am in love. More please. I need more Drabbles.

Happy Reading and Splatter On.....