What do you think?
Rate this book
Laura's Smile: Anthology of Horror Stories
Savor some bite-sized horror stories along with your candy this Halloween.
This collection contains six haunting tales of witches, monsters, magical tunes, and black cats—everything a person needs to sit back and enjoy the Halloween spirit.
Laura’s Smile—A prisoner about to get parole contemplates his bloody crimes. He’s ready to move on, but is his victim?
Imaginary— The teen years are a time to leave the past behind. But some things refuse to be forgotten.
After The Piper—When the piper’s song takes the world’s children, all that’s left for the rest of humanity is empty spaces. One man, haunted by dreams of death, takes matters into his own hands.
What Starts with a Black Cat… — A grieving scientist tries to avenge the death of her cat. But meddling in matters of life and death can bring unexpected consequences.
Witch—Some monsters follow us from childhood. The witch under a woman’s bed followed her… and in their stalemate, the woman may be the one to change.
Miles to Go—The house in the country was supposed to be her sanctuary from the prying eyes of the city. But one night when her husband is away, a surprise visitor disrupts her peace.
Read this collection of dark, disturbing, and delightful tales… if you dare!
This collection contains six haunting tales of witches, monsters, magical tunes, and black cats—everything a person needs to sit back and enjoy the Halloween spirit.
Laura’s Smile—A prisoner about to get parole contemplates his bloody crimes. He’s ready to move on, but is his victim?
Imaginary— The teen years are a time to leave the past behind. But some things refuse to be forgotten.
After The Piper—When the piper’s song takes the world’s children, all that’s left for the rest of humanity is empty spaces. One man, haunted by dreams of death, takes matters into his own hands.
What Starts with a Black Cat… — A grieving scientist tries to avenge the death of her cat. But meddling in matters of life and death can bring unexpected consequences.
Witch—Some monsters follow us from childhood. The witch under a woman’s bed followed her… and in their stalemate, the woman may be the one to change.
Miles to Go—The house in the country was supposed to be her sanctuary from the prying eyes of the city. But one night when her husband is away, a surprise visitor disrupts her peace.
Read this collection of dark, disturbing, and delightful tales… if you dare!
- GenresHorror
49 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2022
11 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Sprague
34 books50 followersHi. My name is Jesse and I’m a compulsive writer
I can’t help it. I write prolifically. I write because I must! And luckily for you, my dear reader, the stories never stop.
What do I write?
I write fantasy because the world we live in can feel like a trap.
I write sci-fi because I like to toy with worlds, universes, and cultures. I like to play god. I write horror as a kind of decadence. I mean, who doesn’t like writing that bleeds?
Regardless of what type of speculative fiction I write, you can expect that it will be dark. Whether my inspiration comes from a shiver crawling up my spine while darting across a dark parking lot, a fascination with Gothic heroines and their delightful kidnappability, or a desire to build a world to suit a spiffy MMO character, that dark undercurrent of fear makes me feel alive.
So, if you enjoy science fiction and fantasy with an eye to horror, join my readers group.
I’d love to have you along for special sneak-peeks, cover reveals, free stories, and more! Just to show how special you are to me, I’ll start you off with an exclusive short story!
I can’t help it. I write prolifically. I write because I must! And luckily for you, my dear reader, the stories never stop.
What do I write?
I write fantasy because the world we live in can feel like a trap.
I write sci-fi because I like to toy with worlds, universes, and cultures. I like to play god. I write horror as a kind of decadence. I mean, who doesn’t like writing that bleeds?
Regardless of what type of speculative fiction I write, you can expect that it will be dark. Whether my inspiration comes from a shiver crawling up my spine while darting across a dark parking lot, a fascination with Gothic heroines and their delightful kidnappability, or a desire to build a world to suit a spiffy MMO character, that dark undercurrent of fear makes me feel alive.
So, if you enjoy science fiction and fantasy with an eye to horror, join my readers group.
I’d love to have you along for special sneak-peeks, cover reveals, free stories, and more! Just to show how special you are to me, I’ll start you off with an exclusive short story!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2024
Average rating: 2.8/5 🌟
Individual ratings:
3/5 🌟 Laura's Smile: an inmate is haunted by his past
2/5 🌟 Imaginary: in which the 'imaginary friend' gets upset
4/5 🌟 After the Piper: a post-apocalyptic scenario where a drug test for immortality goes wrong
4/5 🌟 What Starts with a Black Cat...: Let's test out this portal we made, shall we?
1/5 🌟 Witch: about some witch living under the bed? (I did not quite understand this one.)
3/5 🌟 Miles to Go: about relationship problems with a deadly twist
Individual ratings:
3/5 🌟 Laura's Smile: an inmate is haunted by his past
2/5 🌟 Imaginary: in which the 'imaginary friend' gets upset
4/5 🌟 After the Piper: a post-apocalyptic scenario where a drug test for immortality goes wrong
4/5 🌟 What Starts with a Black Cat...: Let's test out this portal we made, shall we?
1/5 🌟 Witch: about some witch living under the bed? (I did not quite understand this one.)
3/5 🌟 Miles to Go: about relationship problems with a deadly twist
November 30, 2024
I liked these short stories. They were creative and original. This was a great introduction to a new author for me and I will be looking for more of their work.
October 30, 2022
This was a quick, spooky read that drew me in with its awesome cover and kept me entertained throughout. There are six stories in all. Below I'll give a brief description of each and an individual rating. Overall, I enjoyed my first foray into Jesse Sprague's work and am excited to delve into more of her writing.
Laura's Smile-4 stars-The title story is told from the perspective of a man in prison as he remembers Laura, his lost love and the singular reason he hasn't given up on life. It starts sweet and ends rancid. There is a continuity error in the timeline, so it gets four stars instead of five.
Imaginary-5 stars-One of the more unique tales, this narrative comes to us from an imaginary friend that has followed a man into adulthood and promises to never leave. It is sad in its childlike outlook, but oddly lovely and creepy as well.
After the Piper-3.5 stars-I can't give much away about this one, but with that title you can expect a variation on the Pied Piper. The reason behind what happens here is the weakest element of the story, but the way the world reacts is accurate and horrifying in its implication.
What Starts With a Black Cat...-3.5 stars-Two scientists test a portal to send objects instantaneously elsewhere. Eventually, those trials are bound to include a living subject. Misguided revenge ensues.
Witch-5 stars-One of the shortest stories in the bunch, Witch is also my favorite. It is not horrific outright, but it is the only one I went back to reread. Haunting is the best word to describe it.
Miles to Go-3 stars-My least favorite of the bundle, this is also the closest to a classic horror setup. A woman who has recently lost her leg fears she is also losing her husband when they move to a new town to start over. The twist here is one that horror fans have seen many times, but only because it's a fun one.
Laura's Smile-4 stars-The title story is told from the perspective of a man in prison as he remembers Laura, his lost love and the singular reason he hasn't given up on life. It starts sweet and ends rancid. There is a continuity error in the timeline, so it gets four stars instead of five.
Imaginary-5 stars-One of the more unique tales, this narrative comes to us from an imaginary friend that has followed a man into adulthood and promises to never leave. It is sad in its childlike outlook, but oddly lovely and creepy as well.
After the Piper-3.5 stars-I can't give much away about this one, but with that title you can expect a variation on the Pied Piper. The reason behind what happens here is the weakest element of the story, but the way the world reacts is accurate and horrifying in its implication.
What Starts With a Black Cat...-3.5 stars-Two scientists test a portal to send objects instantaneously elsewhere. Eventually, those trials are bound to include a living subject. Misguided revenge ensues.
Witch-5 stars-One of the shortest stories in the bunch, Witch is also my favorite. It is not horrific outright, but it is the only one I went back to reread. Haunting is the best word to describe it.
Miles to Go-3 stars-My least favorite of the bundle, this is also the closest to a classic horror setup. A woman who has recently lost her leg fears she is also losing her husband when they move to a new town to start over. The twist here is one that horror fans have seen many times, but only because it's a fun one.
April 3, 2024
this anthology I really enjoyed, I used don’t enjoy short stories but this one was incredibly good! I am so glad I decided to give this a try. I find short stories lacking in character development or just a tedious glimpse into character’s lives. I found these stories fully fleshed out and incredibly enthralling. Really enjoyed. If you find yourself not an enjoyer of short stories you may want to give this a try.
September 14, 2023
Meh
You get what you pay for and I played two bucks. It's not terrible it's mostly mediocre. Not very scary,
You get what you pay for and I played two bucks. It's not terrible it's mostly mediocre. Not very scary,
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews