Shattered Illusions
What Haunts the House Hill?
Brona lives with her husband Liam in an isolated house on the cliff’s overlooking the sea. She arrives home to find the door ajar when she knows she had locked it. She can’t find her sister, who is staying with her while her husband is out of town.
Blood stained floors appear and disappear, low whispering voices greet her and the storm outside rages, causing the lights to flicker. Brona must put her fears behind her and unravel the mystery that haunts the house before it’s too late.
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Excerpt
The fierce wind shrilled as blue arms of rain reached down from the clouds, drenching everything in its path. Brona shivered as she fought her way up the walk and away from the crashing waves that threatened to flood the beach. Lightning cracked the sky apart, illuminating the house with an eerie back drop. She pulled her windbreaker tighter around her.
She berated herself for her stupidity. She had noticed the threatening storm clouds when she started out this afternoon. “Oh, but you had to ignore them,” she sarcastically spit out not caring in the least that she was talking to herself. “You had to walk along the cliffs as if you’ve never seen the ocean before today. Soaked to the skin, you are and looking like an eegit for the effort.” She knew her dark strands were plastered to her head and her makeup all but washed away. It was good thing she hadn’t put on mascara this morning or she’d have streaks of black running down her face.
She hurried up the porch steps and to some remnant of cover. She needed to collect the firewood and light the fireplace or the house wouldn’t be warm tonight. She wished her husband would hurry home. “I miss you, Liam.” He had been called away on business and she didn’t expect him home until the end of the week. She sighed. “Ah Liam, a welcoming hug and your warm lips on mine, is what I be needing this night.” Instead, she had her sister, Tara for company. She loved her sister and they would probably talk into the wee hours of the night, but it wasn’t the same as having her husband there to keep her warm. She liked to snuggle near the fire with him on nights like this. They would sip hot chocolate with marshmallows as they talked about their dreams for the future.
She glanced up as the lightning shot across the sky. She hoped she wouldn’t lose electricity as they had the many times before with lesser storms. She shook some of the water off of her and walked over to the front door. Her hands were frozen and she fumbled with the key, only to realize the door stood slightly ajar. Brona hesitated at the threshold, listening, but the only sound she heard was the bawling winds and the rumble of thunder behind her.
Her sister, Tara was napping when she left the house. That’s why she had taken her keys to lock the door. Her brows furrowed. Did I forget to lock it in my haste to be near the sea? It wouldn’t surprise her if she had. How many times had Liam come home to find the door unlocked and she nowhere to be found?
Their rugged house stood hidden in a lush forest near the edge of a cliff. From the porch they could see the ocean meet the horizon, an endless view of blue and green water. A hike down the cliff brought them to a private beach with areas she had yet to explore. She sighed. On a clear night the sunsets were breathtaking. She loved that they lived far off the beaten path. They didn’t have much traffic up here, but Liam was from the city and insisted that locks were placed. She looked at the open door. Now he had her paranoid that someone had broken in while she’d been gone. “Don’t be silly. I forgot to lock the door is all there is to it.”
“Tara,” she called as she entered the house. She flipped on the living room light. “Tara, I’m back and cold to the bone.” Her chuckle died in her throat. A confusing rush of anticipation and dread whirled inside of her. Why wasn’t her sister answering? No sounds came from within as if she entered a tomb. Goose flesh moved up her spine, making her shiver.
Lightning crackled in the sky and thunder shook the windows, causing Brona to jump. She whirled around to shut and locked the door behind her. She headed for the stairs with a thought: What if she had locked the intruder in with her? She stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the inky blackness waiting for her.
She had to go up there. She had to make sure Tara was okay.
She’d only taken a step when a guttural cry of terror rose above the storm’s violence. “Oh my God, Tara!”
Professional Reviews
Book Wenches
Rating: 4.25
Reviewed by: BD Whitney
Cold and wet after having been caught in a thunderstorm during her usual walk along the cliffs, Brona returns to her home to find her sister missing and evidence that someone has intruded inside. Convinced something terrible has happened, she creeps through the house until she hears voices. It is with relief that she notices that the voices are those of her beloved husband, who must be home early from his business trip, and her sister Tara.
Brona’s joy in welcoming Liam home is shattered, however, when she witnesses her husband kiss her sister. But even as she suffers an agony of betrayal, Brona realizes that something is not quite right. Why does Liam wear such an expression of grief? Why can neither of them see her when she is standing right next to them, and why can she not shake the feeling that there is still an intruder in the house?
Karen M. Nutt’s Shattered Illusions might be short, but it packs quite an impact into these few pages. This somewhat eerie story of love, loss, and realization combines mystery and the paranormal as a woman finds out that her life is not quite what she had believed it to be.
I found this story to be a pretty compelling read. It swept me along with Brona as she cycles through fear, joy, betrayal, and ultimately acceptance and peace. Her adoration for her husband shines through the narrative, making it a very poignant love story. Even when she feels angry and betrayed, Brona can’t deny her feelings, and when she finally acknowledges the truth of the situation, her devotion to her husband leads her to realize what she must do to bring him peace.
The setting for Shattered Illusions is perfect for a ghost story. Ms. Nutt sets the stage carefully: a stormy windswept night along Irish cliffs, lightning and thunder, darkness and silence within the house, accompanied with the unsettling feeling that one is not alone. It is chilling enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck.
While the moment of truth is not entirely a surprise, Ms. Nutt does a good job leading up to it. She builds the tension gradually until it comes to a head in the shattering of Rona’s beloved mirror. And while that image may be a little heavy-handed, it is a very effective tool for delivering the climax.
If you’re in the mood for a bit of a chill as well as a love story, you could do worse than reach for Shattered Illusions. I’m glad read it, and I’ll probably be seeking out more of Ms. Nutt’s stories in the future.
–Bobby
PNR Paranormal Reviews
“A Hauntingly Chilling Tale with a Twist”
This is my second paranormal horror read by Ms. Nutt, and I enjoyed this one every bit as much as the first! From page one, Ms. Nutt leaves you clues as to what is going on, and I still did not get them. I was surprised by the end, for it was the one thing I did not guess! Shattered Illusions was well written and thoughtfully plotted out, to a satisfying end. Well done, I can only seeing Ms. Nutt’s game getting better, can’t wait for more!
Reviewed by Missy Brown
Posted July 16, 2009
Coffee Time Romance Reviews
Rating: 4 Cups
Shattered Illusions is a good read for when you want a quick read that is enjoyable. It has its surprises and mystery. It mystery right until the very end.
Matilda
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Ghost Writers Literary Reviews
This is a haunting story in every sense of the word. I’d love to see it expanded into a fuller version. Great Job!
Reviewed by Summer
Swamp Dwellers Review
Rating: 4 Chills
Reviewer: Dianne Pearson
While Shattered Illusions isn’t a real horror story, it’s definitely got some tense moments and a very creepy atmosphere. The main character, Brona, is terrified of the voices she keeps hearing in her house, and the disappearing pool of blood. At first, she fears someone have broken in and hurt her sister, Tara, but upon further investigation, she recognizes the voices as Tara’s and her husband’s. Are they having an affair? What secrets are they keeping from her?
Ms.Nutt’s vivid descriptions and firm characterization bring this ghost story to life. While the twist isn’t entirely unpredictable, Ms. Nutt pulls it off very well. Shattered Illusion is a great read for those dark, lonely nights!
