Stories by R.A. Busby
"A Short, Happy Life"
Check out the December 30 issue of Creepy Podcast for my story "A Short, Happy Life"! During her first year at school, an English teacher's unsettling student becomes a dark omen of her future. |
When Doctor Eliot is asked about his most memorable patient, he tells the tale of an unusual--and horrifying--kiss.
Available in The One That Got Away by Kandisha Press (Upcoming) |
Coming Soon in the New Anthology from Kandisha Press!
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Stuck in her Vegas home with the kids, the dog, and a lot of time on her hands when the pandemic locks down her life, Shair is beyond relieved when the upscale open-air mall Cactusland finally reopens for business. When she sneaks out of the house to get a much-needed makeover, Shair finds she leaves with more than she bargained for.
Available at the website of 34 Orchard, Issue #2 |
When Darlene's husband Charles comes home unexpectedly one day from his job as a prison warden, she knows this man who looks exactly like her husband is definitely not the man she married. At all. Available at the website of Black Petals Magazine, Issue #93 |
"Bits"
Elementary schoolteacher Nadie Denneby is having a terrible day. Not only has her car been wrecked on the way to work, but she feels like she's falling apart―literally.
At first it's just a tooth. Then a finger. How many bits of herself can she lose? Available through Demain Publishing on Amazon.com as #43 in the Short Sharp Shocks! series. |
For such a short piece, “Bits” is a perfect little bite-sized bit of horror. The narrator, Mrs Denneby, is relatable and intriguing from the first, and her demure acceptance of her own physical disintegration is somehow both unsettling and totally real. The little details of Mrs Denneby’s life - from the irritating school secretary to the pattern on the bedsheets that Mrs Denneby envisions her decapitated head enjoying at the moment of her death - all help bring this quiet little horror story to life. It’s subtle and spooky, and the ending is empowering in an altogether unexpected way. Loved it. Definitely worth reading!
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When grieving college student Tim looks through Google Street View at his parents' old house, he sees more than he bargained for: a time machine giving him a peek into a past he can't bear to remember. Available through Lazy Adventurer Publishing in Collective Realms Magazine, Issue 002. |
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"I've always hated holes..."
When the pandemic hits, trypophobic Katherine finds her fear of holes has taken on new and disturbing dimensions. Viruses, after all, are so very small. Available on Amazon as part of Graveyard Smash: Women of Horror Anthology Volume 2 Review of "Holes" by the Ladies of Horror Fiction
"Holes" by R.A. Busby This one opens the collection and it is perfect. With a very simple and seemingly innocent premise, Busby pushes the envelope until we're left with something deadly. I see holes in everything now and I may be ruined for life. |