The Skipton Horrors: A Collection of Short Stories
The Skipton Horrors:
A Collection of Short Stories
By Andrew John Bell
The Sexton’s musings (spoilers a plenty):
Opening thoughts: So it states on the blurb on the back of the print version of this book that this is a novel…but it’s not…it’s a succession of short stories which is also stated on the back of the book in the blurb. That is confusing and concerning for a reader deciding if they want to read and especially purchase a book. This said with my discontent and disappointment on how the second book ended hopefully I can gain some closure to that as it states that this is the conclusion to the series. We shall see my little Ghoulies…
Rise of the Red Ribbon Witch
An interesting first story. This is the tale of how Baal and Sabina met and became bonded through desperation, deception and hatred. The most interesting part is that it is told in first person by Baal. Honestly I’m not sure that I understand his particular obsession and attachment to her. It seems romantic in nature and the fact that he chooses to give her his powers makes me think that perhaps there maybe repercussions for him with his boss. My first impression is that all of the happenings in the first and second book are all because of Baal and his corruption of her soul. Oh and Baal mentions “his own soul” but I’ve always been under the impression that angels and demons don’t have souls per se. I’m no expert in religion but that has always been my understanding. Perhaps I am incorrect.
Appleton Manor
So this is a rather unfortunate story. I agree that the men of this family were the type that deserved to be vanquished. Money means nothing in the void so why focus solely on it while donning a meat suit? Money is a necessary evil in our world unfortunately and it does turn people into monsters. Money, power and sex (in their most corrupt forms). The unholy trinity. The hubris of Appleton and his sons makes me glad that Sybil did what she did. The fact that Eva was upset that they were dispatched to the environment most suited to them, Hell, is upsetting to me. They absolutely got with they deserved and Eva stating that they didn’t is ridiculous! You know and I know that Appleton killed his wife because she defied her husband. For the first time since being forced to marry the worthless sod she stood up to him. All for the sake of her daughter. You know the funny thing is, I feel like he didn’t tell anyone about the deal he made to marry off his daughter because he knew it was slimy, but the financial gains were just too good not to. I mean if he were the true panicle of masculinity, master of all he surveyed then why did he feel the need to keep it from his wife and daughter? Yes he would be met potentially, with some defiance but ultimately if he is the unquestionable leader of his family then why be so secretive? Because he’s a pussy! He’s a coward of the worst kind and he was teaching his sons to be exactly like him. Not to mention that it’s highly likely that his wealth was gained by nothing more than his amazing business acumen and not making deals with other worldly things. All in all I smiled when Baal was on the attack however that was sort lived when he decided that he was going to break an agreement Sabina made with Eva and make Fred and Eva perish in the swamp on their way out. I mean that’s bullshit. Pull up your big boy panties Baal and take solace in the carnage that you wreaked.
Death Comes at Eleven-Thirty
This story is essentially about Baal playing games with a starving vagrant ex-soldier names Patrick. Sabina’s part in all of this was such that she acted like she was attempting to help the man but as we all know she hates men to her very core so I’m not sure that the answers or actions of Patrick would have satisfied her that he was actually a decent bloke. Most soldiers do things in times of war that are atrocious. That is the nature of war. That is also why many of them come back broken in one way or another. It was obvious to me that this man had not only survivor’s guilt but also had remorse for the things that he did while he was fighting. The death of an innocent is mentioned and it seems to me that even if he had killed her intentionally at the time, now he was so remorseful that he had convinced himself that it was an accident just to maintain some small peace of mind. It is my humble opinion that Baal and Sabina should not even bother giving these people hope. Their intensions are always to do what eventually ends up being done so ultimately the hope is just part of their cruel game. So they are still childish cunts. One thing of note: there are references to the previous story so it is my recommendation that you read these stories in order. I get the impression that they build on one another.
The Boy and the Soldier
It think that this is an interesting tale in that it takes place near the end of WWII and that a Nazi POW escapes and makes friends with a lesser demon he calls “Dennis”. Wanting to protect his mother and sister, ten year old Robert goes along with the Nazi’s plan to provide him and his buddy “Dennis” with provisions. Nothing extravagant mind you. Which he does. And of course Baal has to get involved, the dickhead that he is, and exerts his will over the Nazi and “Dennis” and then threatens Robert’s family. And once again for whatever reason these people don’t want the abusive worthless father of the family to come to a horrible end. I just don’t understand it at all. I guess these characters a better people than I because I think the piece of shit gets off easy. The animals on the other had did not need to suffer that kind of death. But I suppose the destruction of innocence is dickhead, whiney Baal’s thing so I suppose it was not avoidable. Now the real kicker of this particular story is that we finally get to meet Eliza in her spiritual form and learn that she is a protector, one that gives Baal a run for his money.
Beyond the Crimson Trees
You know the one thing about this story is that there is no surprise that politicians are involved in the killing of animals and the abduction of children. If there is power to be had they are willing to do anything it takes. Too bad Sabina can’t see through their bullshit and instead of stealing other people’s children, causing the same torment and pain that she herself has experienced, and taking down the real evil. But she’s always been a dumb, pathetic worthless bitch, blinded by her hatred and focusing it on the wrong people. It’s just so frustrating that she is made out to be this strong woman and she can’t even see the reality that is right in front of her fucking face. This is a common theme with this character. It just goes to prove her daughter correct. She cares nothing for the fact that she is not only a hypocrite of the worst kind but that her daughter thinks she’s a piece of shit. She just can’t seem to come to terms with this very obvious fact. There have been three incidents now that Eliza has intervened and stopped them from what they are doing. This is not a game show unfortunately where perhaps Sabina could buy a clue! It’s the most frustrating thing ever. I’m not sure I’ve had this much distain for a character, other than those in Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House for a really good clip….or ever maybe. Well there was that lady in Stephen King’s The Mist that just made me homicidal, but that was just one story. We didn’t have to endure three books worth of her whining ass. So while the story was intriguing up to the point where Sabina made it known that she had indoctrinated the kidnapped children, that part just ruined the whole thing. I understand that this is the nature of these stories but I just want her to go away. I suppose that means I need to stop reading this book then huh?
Hidden Within the Catacombs
First off this story had an unfortunate error that reared its head throughout. The main character Samantha was also called Julie for some reason in places. As I am not one to complain about grammatical, spelling and the occasional oopsey I was able to fill in the blanks easily enough however this is not something that some readers are willing to overlook and I have seen reviews where this is all they talk about. Forget the story and the characters….the author missed a comma in the third chapter and in ruined my reading experience completely…come on! Now, this said, the name of someone’s characters needs to be pretty concrete. So it makes me wonder what happened with this one. Because it’s not just once but at least a half a dozen times. So just keep that in mind. NOW, once again we have this witch that has such a problem with men that she is willing to sacrifice the lives of two young people who have not even had a chance to become asshole adults. I think it’s laughable that Samantha’s parents think that she is going to be okay with them choosing a suitable boy for her. This story takes place in relative recent days. I was not aware that the regular standard citizen of the UK was in the habit of arraigned marriages. It’s no wonder Sam is rebelling. I would too! And then they act like it’s going to be decades before they are even going to do that….so what she’s 15 now so what you’ll chose a suitable partner for her when she’s 40? Does that seem old enough for her to start dating? (head shake)
Sabina is still calling people who are not Eliza, Eliza. And for once we have a girl who stands up to her and says I am not Eliza, Eliza and you are dead. She says she is not Eliza a few times but all it manages to do is make Sabina mad and more defiant. The bitch is completely delusional. And I just can’t with this bullshit “love story” between Baal and Sabina. For some reason this relationship just does not work for me. Especially considering Sabina’s complete and total hatred of all things male. I mean she hated a ten year old boy in the second book for crying out loud! So I’m supposed to believe that she everything is smooth rolling with this who “he’s my master” thing with Sabina. She could have taken care of those monks on her own and she should have. All she had to do was be smarter about it. But instead she chose to align herself with Baal…and in the case of these stories Baal’s pronouns are he/him. That and the end of this story…I just can’t. All of a sudden Sam is bonded to Sabina. Fin! SMH!
A Demonic Wager
Baal really is a fool. This is the second story in this collection that is told from his point of view. The fact that he is wanting and indeed planning to overthrow Lucifer is a fool’s errand. I can understand why they were butt hurt about no longer being daddy’s favorite but come on dude! It’s obvious that Lucifer is questioning what he is up to. And I really don’t think that Lucifer is going to buy the report that is brought back to him and Baal is a fool to think that Lucifer would be that naïve. The way that Baal is acting is very much like a human, childish, self-centered and pathetic. To a certain degree it’s amusing and to another it is annoying.
A Festival to Remember
While I can appreciate taking care of the asshole that was bullying Nikki, I think he got what he deserved, I’m not happy about the fact that the witch bitch used her body to do it. I understand that Sabina does not know the laws of this new society but she had to know that Nikki would get in trouble for it. I mean even in her time things like that did not go unpunished. So now Nikki is locked up in a mental hospital for essentially doing nothing. You know this witch gets it wrong over and over again. And pleases tell me why no one came to Nikki’s aid when the asshole was bullying her. I mean there had to be some adults there, security, someone. Not to mention her worthless “friends”. Shit Nikki didn’t even want to be at the carnival in the first place. I am glad that Sabina was telling the truth regarding the murder of her parents though. Hell of a coincidence though.
When Two Souls Collide
This is the most interesting and thoughtful tale thus far. Dare I say that out of all the things I read by this author this is by far the best story. Yes it’s short but it’s actually extremely intelligent and makes you think. Honestly I don’t really have a lot to say about it other than what I have said. Okay well one thing….I kept waiting for Charlie to get killed because that would be on par with everything I have read but it never happened. For that I am thankful.
The Tragedy of Sid Lockewood
I do feel that this particular story is one that all that have read the two proceeding novels is going to want to read. And I can see why Sid is so bitter and nasty. However there are a couple of continuity issues that I have with this story. The first is that this story states that he was an accountant for a firm that was conducting illegal financial actions (that Sid knew about) and ends up being shuttered leaving Sid without a job. Now it was my understanding from the second book The Skipton Haunting: Curse of the Red Ribbon Witch that Sid had worked for the chemical plant and had managed to get himself shit canned. The other glaring continuity issue is that in the first book, The Skipton Haunting: Tale of the Red Ribbon Witch John works in a nursing home and in the first scene that we see him at work his boss and he talk about the loss of a patient. This patient is none other than Jill Lockewood, Sid’s mother. This story leads you to believe that she was never in a nursing facility and that she died at home under the care of her son Sid.
This is a huge change. While I like the authors attempt at giving us the background of a character that is, as we found out before, responsible for unleashing Sabina and Baal on the world but it falls short. Bell is not the first author to make the mistake of not considering what has been told previously and won’t be the last. I always recommend that if you are going to revisit areas in the story that have been visited before that you make sure you have all of your I’s dotted and T’s crossed. Visit what you wrote before. Or if these stories came first as part of character development and story development, which sometimes we see during the writing process, take a look back at your initial development of the story and make a decision on what direction you want to go. Then update accordingly. This Sid is made out to have some (a miniscule amount) redeeming qualities but this is not the Sid we have all come to despise. Honestly I could totally see Sid throwing his mother in a nursing home (or into on-coming traffic), taking over her house and summoning demons for his own greedy needs. It stands to reason that he at some point had a family and children but I can also see him ruining those relationships as he does not seem to be real good at the whole give and take thing. He is mostly on the side of take. There is part of me that seems to remember he mentioned to Chris in the second book that he had children at one point but that he had not spoken to the ungrateful bastards in many moons. I may not be remembering this correctly however. So ultimately I think that giving us the background of this character was a good idea I just wish that some care had been taken with making sure everything matched up throughout the series in its entirety.
Reviewed
Ah and here we find the illusive Julie from A Festival to Remember. I wonder if Bell was thinking on this story while writing the other. We have all done things like this in our lives but a smidge of editorial review prior to publish. I guarantee that he would have caught the mistake.
Now the story itself is just eh. I will say that I understand what it’s like to make the decision to quit a soul sucking job working for another person to pursue your own dreams. It’s a bitch though, especially if you have no help, i.e. a partner who supports you. It sounds to me like she had not been at it very long and these things take time. People think they are going to be a success overnight. Unfortunately that is not the reality. It does not help when you have bitches like that lady saying things right in front of you that pull down what you are working so hard toward. Personally I would have punched her. And really it’s not even what she said that was the problem, it’s how she did it, within earshot and then acting like Julie was the bitch for overhearing. That was done on purpose that way which is the “being a bitch” part of it. The kid on the other hand was actually polite and encouraging. Which is interesting considering what a bitch his mother is. Art is completely subjective. That’s the beautiful part about it. While one person may not see it as worth buying another person will disagree. It’s about patience and confidence. Both very difficult things.
I’m not sure why Lynn thought that having her snooty egotistical self-centered husband review her friend was going to be a good thing. I mean she should have known that he was going to be an asshole. Because he’s an asshole. So of course the review goes about as good as you think it’s going to. He’s extremely mean and disparaging just like we all knew he would be after we met him. A word of advice…if you feel in your gut that something is the wrong decision then don’t go through with it. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Julie and what tore her down to the point where Sabina was able to get her hooks into her.
I thought that Sabina was going to make Julie kidnap the new baby that Lynn gives birth to. I really did and was happy that this was not the case. Prior to the baby, Lynn goes to check on her friend as she has not been in communication with her for weeks and finds out that Julie has painted a picture depicting the horrors of Sabina’s last moments with her own blood and feces (wonder what that smelled like) Afraid Lynn asks her husband to come and look at the piece and the art critic loves it. He gives it a rave review. Only one problem with that…when Julie enacts her revenge on him by making him look like the asshole, bigot, racist fuck that he is over social media she also happens to take away the legitimacy of his reviews. So really she’s fucking herself here too. All in all it’s probably a good thing that Julie wraps herself around a tree at the end.
Present Scars
Okay so here we meet Moloch a demon more formally. He’s really not that much different from Baal in that he spews the same boring rhetoric that Baal does about being malice, vengeance, blah blah blah. I will say that he had a creative streak when dispatching lives however. It seems to me that Moloch was keeping an eye on Baal for Lucifer. I mean let’s face it this whole love, lust, desire thing that Baal has for Sabina is ridiculous. And we know that he is delusional about the way he feels about her. Actually he is very human in his feelings for her which if I were Lucifer I would want to nip in the bud sooner rather than later. A demon that falls for a meat suit is not a demon I want on my payroll. Now Moloch does get bested by Baal but finds a way to escape by possessing some poor fool. Moloch also seems to be the end of our friend Sid. Finally someone does something about that fool. I mean for crying out loud, Sabina made it very clear to him once she had taken over Amy Joyce that she had no regard for him. She tried to kill him by throwing him down a flight of stairs. She was unsuccessful unfortunately but we all knew that he would eventually get what was coming to him. Bloody waster! I don’t know why Glyn lets Moloch in but at least he gets to kill his pedophile uncle who abused him as a child. Always a silver lining. He also gets to see his daughter one more time and I feel like she does forgive him in the end even though it seems she is upset about him killing her waster friends. Probably did the girl a favor. But by killing Sid, the door to Baal and Sabina was left wide open allowing for an exterminator to come in a take care of the problem.
The Mother
Somehow when I saw the name of this chapter I figured we would be revisiting Amy/Sabina and Olivia who now is 6 and thinks her name is Eliza. They are living on the street and starving (so much better than living with a man who loves and thinks the world of you huh Sabina? Bloody dumb bitch). Oliva has befriended “Luther” who eventually convinces Sabina to help them. Albeit with some reluctance. Now as readers we all know that this “Luther” is Lucifer and honestly this particular version is not bad. He is actually targeting the correct entities. This story sees the end of Sabina! THANK ALL THAT IS GOOD!!!! Lucifer severs her bond with Amy, freeing Amy from her prison. And finally we have an Amy that is making sense. One that wants to go back to her husband and son, one that is finally calling her daughter by her real name (the child is confused because she thinks her name is Eliza and her mother’s name is Sabina but I think she’ll be okay, seems like a smart strong kid, must get that from her father that she’s never known) and one that realizes that she was weak and pathetic and wants to make it right, take responsibility. We have some redemption in our mist! There are only two stories left and hopefully all of the suffering endured reading about these people will be sort of worth it.
Reunion
My feelings about Baal have been reinforced. He’s a fool and a pathetic excuse of a demon. I just can’t with him. His pathetic attachment to Sabina the meat suit is annoying. This story is once again told in his voice. I think it’s funny that he thinks the story is going to be different for himself and Sabina this go around. It’s like a horrific version of Ground Hog Day that I just can’t endure. So closing thoughts…Baal is a fool, Sabina is a bitch and I hate them both. Lucifer is kind of a fool here too. I mean why is he being so merciful? Baal is lost. Period! There is no redemption for him. He is a broken demon controlled by a meat suit. He should have just torn him asunder and let pathetic demons lie.
Insight
This last story is from actual events that the author experienced as a child. It was his initial introduction to Baal through a dream the he briefly mentions in the first novel. I feel like this dream was the mind of in intuitive child, even if he didn’t realize it, knowing that his parents were going though times in their relationship. Knowing somewhere in the recesses of his sub concise that they would eventually split and he would have to choose which parent he would stay with. This is a terrifying realization for any child. This is not to say that I don’t believe in the paranormal, supernatural, oddities of the natural world. Perhaps it was a premonition of things to come. The mind is a crazy mystical thing that we don’t understand. An interesting way to close. I have to admit, I did wonder what the afore mentioned dream was so I got my answer.
This ends the series. I will say that I am glad that Amy was rid of the parasite that rode her. It’s sad that it took 4 plus years for it to happen, BUT at least it did, so glad on that front. I don’t however feel that Baal and Sabina have been dealt with and punished sufficiently enough for all the shit that they did. I’ll tell ya, Bell’s version of Lucifer is far more merciful than me. One additional question that I have was the possession of John by Baal at the end of the second novel. It did not appear to me that this was a thing come this final chapter. I know that the ever present “once connected, can never a bond be broken” thing is how all this ends but I do not believe that John was ever bound to Baal. Not as a child and not as an adult. At least not in the way that the characters were bound in the stories. So the possession at the end is really a wasted epilogue. Which I hate epilogues that do this kind of stuff anyway so I say chuck it! Biggest recommendation: Read them in order!