ATMOSPHERE. Short story, perfect atmosphere. ( )

Jordan Castillo Price doesn't hang around in this short story - Martin, and his best friend Dave are sketched in swiftly and deftly before we're plunged into the creepy landscape of a Halloween haunted house.

Price is masterful, summoning up evocative and convincing moments inside the house, so that the reader is as on edge as if they were the ones creeping through a haunted house waiting for something to jump out at them. This only serves to make the encounter at the core of this story that much more compelling. The writing puts you right into the moment, in Martin's shoes as someone - the Voice - creeps up behind him, and keeps you there for everything that happens next.

I don't think it's just because I'm someone who "preferred horror flicks to action flicks" that I think this brief encounter is so erotic - I think it's because Price so completely convinces you of Martin's feelings.

The dissonance with 'real life' as Martin leaves the haunted house, and the wash of unanswered questions - was that an actor? Or something supernatural? - is deftly handled, the reader's abrupt return to reality mirroring the characters'.

Short, hot, and a little disorienting - The Voice packs a lot into a small package. ( )