The room was dark, and the smell of incense overpowering. Slowly, as our eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, we could discern a small mattress on the floor upon which was a creature that looked hideously deformed. She... or it... had her back towards us.She laughed, a high, shrill, cackling laugh that went on and on and on, higher than any human voice I've heard.
Dark, visceral and highly entertaining, these stories will grip you by the throat and not let go till you've finished reading.
Mario Coelho is a writer of children's stories, who forays occasionally into the sinister and macabre. A lyricist and singer, he has taken part in various plays produced by The Mustard Seed Company, an English theatre group based in Goa. His first book, comprising ten short stories of murder and intrigue set in Goa, Moonlight and Shadow---Unsettling Tales, was published in 2024. Another book, title withheld presently, will be brought out shortly by Harper Collins. Mario lives in Goa, with his wife, daughter and Shih Tzu, Mishti
Contents
Acknowledgements 4
1. I Don’t Believe in Ghosts 6
2. The Banyan Tree 13
3. The Vanished 29
4. The Twisted Child 35
5. The House at the End of the Lane 47
6. This is MY House 59
7. The Coconut Plucker 69
8. Naked... or Dead 79
9. Child’s Play 91
10. Shadow of the Vampire 99
11. To Kill a Vampire 153
12. Wolf at the Door 168
ISBN 978-93-95795-75-3 FICTION COVER ART AND DESIGN: Wynzel Rebello
