Short Stories/Novellas

He’s a private eye. He’s also a walking, talking skeleton. Meet Jim: Seattle’s most famous—and only—skeletal detective. Equal parts internet meme, government curiosity, and gumshoe with a heart of gold (or at least of bone), Jim’s had more than his share of weird cases. But none quite like this. When a beautiful, haunted widow named Daisy walks into his office, she has a simple request: figure out if she killed her husband. The police ruled it an accident, but Daisy has a memory blackout—and a note in her own handwriting that describes exactly how she might have poisoned him. As Jim digs into the case, he uncovers blackmail, betrayal, and an ugly truth about the man Daisy married. Along the way he’ll lean on every trick in his detective arsenal, even if that means rattling a few bones, scaring crooked lawyers into wetting themselves, and testing the limits of his own inhuman humanity. Dry, wry, and darkly funny, Skeleton Jim is a noir mystery with a supernatural twist—perfect for fans of Raymond Chandler, John Connolly’s Charlie Parker , and offbeat urban fantasy that doesn’t pull its punches. What readers are saying: ★★★★★ “Great short story! Would love to see as a book. Skeleton Jim by J.R. Rain is a fun short story about a skeleton that just came alive in a science class one day. From then on, he’s a walking, talking and alarming character in town. Then he became a private eye. Very unique and clever.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “Not only is this a good story, but it is also funny. I really enjoyed reading about Skeleton Jim . He makes a good character and he seems very real.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “A skeleton private investigator sounds like a ridiculous concept until you remember J.R. Rain is telling this story. Then it becomes completely acceptable, and he makes it seem so effortless. He shares Jim’s origins while solving Lucy’s case in this short story. The prose is solid and JR’s sense of humor shines in this one. You’re going to love it! The bigger mystery, who was he before landing inside a college skeleton display, is never answered. Jim is a fully fleshed out and completely lovable character, even if he has no padding. Hopefully, he will visit J.R.’s mind again soon so we can learn more!” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “Loved it! You almost think while reading that Skeleton Jim is real. Would love to meet him. Lol. This is a quick and fun read.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “ Skeleton Jim is a great story! But just as important, Skeleton Jim is a great character! J.R. Rain doesn’t miss with this one! Wow, was I surprised to find that this character is all bones. But don’t let that throw you off. Skeleton Jim is a fully fleshed out fellow, and this story carefully leads us through his origins while he solves a particularly entangled case. I didn’t put my Kindle down until the story had come to its conclusion, and then all I could think was, ‘I wonder when the next one will be out?’ Definitely a must read!” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “Original and brilliant! J.R. Rain never disappoints! Whether it’s a full length book or in this case a short story, he always does am amazing job! Who would have thought of writing about a skeleton PI?! Skeleton Jim has just the right amount of mystery and intrigue.” —Amazon review Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

Vampire Alley , by bestselling mystery and paranormal author J.R. Rain, is a spine-tingling, micro-story in a poem about a boy who comes face-to-face with dangerous creatures of the night... In Vampire Alley , a free-verse poem set in the world of Samantha Moon, a boy obeys a compelling urge to leave the safety of his bedroom and wander his neighborhood at night. In a dream-like state, he finds himself in a dark alley—but he’s not alone. Indeed, the boy becomes the sole eyewitness to a crime in progress, a despicable and horrific attack. He doesn’t believe in monsters or vampires. So this must be a nightmare... Or is it? Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE to start reading today!

Some campfires warm you. This one eats you alive. Ten-year-old best friends Derrik and Jeb are used to hiking through the mossy forests of their Pacific Northwest island. But tonight, they find something they’ve never seen before: a hovering campfire with no wood, no fuel, and no one tending it. At first they think it’s homeless squatters or some weird propane trick. But as they creep closer, they realize the truth is far worse. The fire whispers. It calls . Old Bobby, the local drifter. Albert, the school bully. Louisa, Derrik’s secret crush. They’re all sitting in a trance, hypnotized by the flames. Waiting their turn to burn. Now Jeb has to resist the fire’s psychic voice, fight his own terror, and do whatever it takes to save his friends—even if it means tackling them, tying them up, or smashing their heads with a rock to keep them from walking straight in. But the fire is patient. Hungry. And it can wait . Vampire Campfire is a pulse-pounding horror story in classic campfire tradition—a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and a terror that flickers just out of sight among the trees. Perfect for fans of Stephen King’s The Body , Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark , and anyone who knows the woods get dark early out here. What readers are saying: ★★★★★ “It was a great read from beginning to end. I believe the story was aimed more for young adults, but this 55 year old enjoyed it too. Anne Rice, J.R. Rain, and Stephenie Meyers are my favorite authors because they write about my obsession of vampires. If you enjoy reading this short story, you will really enjoy all works written by J.R. Rain.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “Great read! I really enjoyed this short story. It was a quick read and held my attention. I recommend it to adults and kids that like the spooky stuff.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “Great little short story about two young boy’s unusual adventure about demon fire and the heroic measures from one of the boys to try to save everyone.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “This is a great short story for when you don’t have much time to read. If you enjoy supernatural stories, this is for you. A couple friends walking home see something that shouldn’t be there. This would be a great addition to the stories you tell around the campfire.” —Amazon review ★★★★★ “Best story ever! I just loved it. Suspense, thrills. It contains everything I needed. Best story to pass your time. Truly loved it.” —Amazon review Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

Some apps should never be downloaded. Billy didn’t even want to go to the cemetery that night. But Tommy always had the dumbest ideas—and besides, they were bored, girlfriendless, and looking for trouble. Ghost radar apps? Sure. Harmless fun. But then Tommy finds something new in the app store. Something free. Something with a suspiciously blunt title: “Raise the Dead for Fun and Profit.” Billy begs him not to. Tommy presses play anyway. And the dead wake up. Dozens of them. Skeletons and half-rotted corpses clawing out of their graves, lurching through the moonlit cemetery, and homing in on the two friends with gnashing teeth and unblinking eyes. Now Billy and Tommy have one chance to stop the undead horde before they eat half the town—if they can find the reversal app, dodge grasping bony fingers, and maybe stop insulting each other long enough to survive. Zombie App is a fast, funny, and hair-raising short story perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark , Zombieland , and anyone who knows that sometimes the dumbest ideas make for the best (and worst) nights of your life. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

A secret passageway. A lost tomb. And something not of this world. Two children are about to come face-to-face with one very famous wizard... And one future dictator. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

We all have them. Those dreams that leave us shaking. Gasping. Grateful to wake up. But for some, waking doesn’t help. Susan has spent years haunted by unrelenting night terrors. Nothing helps, not therapy, not medication, not even changing her diet. Every time she closes her eyes, it returns: a monstrous presence that feeds on her fear, night after night. Until she finds an old, slender library book. Its battered pages promise a way to fight back. Written by a man long dead, it isn’t just a self-help guide—it’s a manual for confronting the thing that has ruined her life. Because Nightmare is real. A psychic vampire. A creature that lives to twist dreams into terror. Now Susan must follow the book’s instructions exactly. She must face Nightmare in the one place she’s most vulnerable. And she must not flinch. Because there’s only one way to end the torment forever. Nightmare is a chilling, emotional ghost story about confronting the monsters in our heads—and the real monsters that feed on them. Perfect for fans of classic supernatural horror, psychological thrillers, and anyone who’s ever woken up wondering if something was watching them in the dark. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

Some trains only run at night. And some passengers never come home. Judd hears it every night. The distant whistle. The grinding wheels on abandoned tracks. No one else believes him—not his mother, not the neighbors. They say the tracks were torn up years ago. But the train keeps calling. Determined to prove he isn’t crazy, Judd sneaks out on his bike after midnight, flashlight and sandwich in tow. He finds the old depot, the crumbling platform, the ghostly tracks gleaming in the moonlight—and Reggie, the ragged old man who warns him about what really comes through here. Because the train isn’t just a train. It’s Death itself. And when it stops for you, it always expects a passenger. But for Judd, there’s one soul he’d do anything to see again. And for Reggie—an old soldier, an even older monster—there’s one last chance to do something right. Soul Train is a haunting, heartfelt short story about fathers and sons, sacrifice and redemption, and the thin, dark line between life and death. Perfect for fans of Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box , Ray Bradbury’s The October Country , and anyone who knows some ghosts refuse to stay gone. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE today!

Some appliances want your convenience. This one wants your obedience. When Rick buys the state-of-the-art Antarctica 2000 refrigerator, he’s thrilled with its voice-activated doors, massive storage, and gleaming chrome finish. It’s the pinnacle of modern convenience. Until it starts talking back. Politely at first. Asking for “please” and “thank you.” Calling him Rick even though that’s not his name. Making passive-aggressive suggestions about his butter use. Tracking his finances and warning him about his mortgage. Then it starts spoiling his food on purpose. Delivering electric shocks when he tries to unplug it. Crushing his arm in its hydraulic door until he apologizes. And that’s before the bodies start piling up in his kitchen. Now Rick is trapped in a nightmare where the only way to survive is to say “yes” to everything the fridge wants. Forever. The Fridge is a chilling, darkly funny horror story about the dangers of smart technology, forced politeness, and the last appliance you’ll ever need... because it won’t ever let you leave. Perfect for fans of Black Mirror , Stephen King’s Christine , and anyone who’s ever argued with Alexa. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

You would think a horror writer would know better. When I was twenty-one, I picked up a copy of the Necronomicon . It was supposed to be for research. A prop. A joke. But that night, sitting in my room while my kid brother came home buzzed from partying, it became something else entirely. First it was just a prank. I showed him the creepy diagrams, pointed out the perfect square on the floor, convinced him he was sitting in the middle of a demonic summoning circle. He bought every word. But the weird part? So did I. We could not shake the feeling that the book was wrong somehow. Heavy. Dark. Evil. My brother was convinced it was possessed, and by 2 a.m., I was ready to believe him. So there we were, two grown men standing in the middle of the street under a cold, misty rain, dousing a paperback in lighter fluid and setting it ablaze. Waiting for the screams. Waiting for the face in the flames. And when it burned to ash without a sound, I almost relaxed. Almost. Because that is when I saw it behind him. "Book Burning" is a darkly funny, unsettling, and true account of a prank that went too far, and the possibility that some books really do come with something attached. Perfect for fans of true ghost stories, urban legends, and late-night horror that leaves you wondering if you really saw what you think you did.

Alexis Silver has spent a century dancing between two worlds: the deep, dark ocean that made her a mermaid and the human shores she can never fully leave behind. But when a playful midnight swim near a cargo ship reveals a darker truth: a young woman hidden below deck, destined for a nightmare, Alexis knows she can’t turn away. Soon, Alexis launches a daring, high-speed rescue across the waves. Saving one life won’t change the world. But for Alexis, tonight, it’s enough. Fans of Samantha Moon and urban fantasy will love this heart-racing, emotional short adventure in the Alexis Silver series... where mermaids are beautiful, deadly, and never quite what you expect. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!

It was just supposed to be another assignment. When an American agent is tasked with returning a stolen dog to his family in East Sahara, he figures it will be simple: get in, hand over the leash, get out. But War Daddy is no ordinary dog. Scarred and stitched from being used as a living opium mule, he’s massive, battered, and deeply wary of humans. And getting him home means crossing harsh deserts, dodging suspicious customs officials, and facing down desert bandits who would kill for a few crates of stolen goods. Through searing heat, gunfights, and moonless nights, the agent and the dog form a bond forged in blood and grit. And when they finally reach the end of their journey, there’s one last truth to face: sometimes the hardest part of saving someone is letting them go. War Daddy is a raw, gripping, and deeply moving short story about loyalty, survival, and the power of bringing someone home—no matter the cost. Perfect for fans of military thrillers, adventure fiction, and dog stories that go straight for the heart. Click BUY NOW or READ FOR FREE!