We Never Left
Matthew Hollis Damon
Independently Published, 2023
Print book, 114 ppg.
ISBN-13: 979-8335929585
NOTE: This review is based on the 2023 print copy I bought from the author. The cover pictured is of the book I purchased.
TRIGGER WARNING: This story includes a rape scene as well as the use of the “N” word (the one related to racism).
Starting a new ghost story book is always full of anticipation. There’s the excitement over reading a spooky story, the chance to experience another author’s take on a ghost story and the wonder of how a story is told. Matthew Hollis Damon checked off all of those boxes when he wrote his YA supernatural horror novella We Never Left and the scares even lingered long after I finished reading this book.
** SPOILERS BELOW **
For a YA story, it definitely met my expectations. The teen characters were fleshed out and realistic. I liked how one of the teens in the group, Naria, is a sensitive, and none of her friends mocked or acted weird about her abilities. There was just total support and encouragement.
The other character, Rowan, has dreams of stardom. He wants to make strides in the paranormal investigation TV show field, and he thinks filming an investigation at the very haunted Daughrity House is his golden ticket to TV fame. The other group members are not as motivated as he is, but they do share an interest in the paranormal, so they pretty much agree to participate in this investigation.
As I read the story, I wondered, what was it that attracted Rowan’s interest in this particular haunted location? Sure, it’s a location of mediocre fame in the haunt community, but what was it that made him decide that, yes, they were going to investigate this particular haunted house?
I started to wonder that even more when I learned of Rowan and Naria’s connection to that house. It’s scary that something like this was happening to the characters? I do believe in reincarnation, so I could see how it is possible, but for it to happen so strongly and so many times really added more scares to the story.
Another very frightening aspect of this story is how Naria is constantly pulled into the past as it happened at that house, and suddenly transformed into an historical role. This particular scene really had me on the edge of my seat:
“A gust of air blew through the house, making her sage stick brighten momentarily. Naria turned, holding the lantern out protectively and expecting something terrible behind her. But there was nothing there, just the empty hallway couched in shadow. To the right she could see kitchen counters, but to the left something had changed. Where the parlor furniture had been covered with white sheets before, she could now see an old-fashioned couch with ornate wood and cushions that looked like red velvet.
She approached slowly, her lantern forming a giant black shadow wall inside the room. As she approached the entry frame, the shadows slowly spit more of the room and furniture into view. There were no covers on the furniture or on the floor, or anywhere in sight. Everything looked so antique, the type of stuff no one owned anymore. None of it even looked comfortable, just stiff-postured chairs and hard wooden arm rests.
The bookshelves were full, but she hurried across this room to the opening in the next wall, beyond which she could see the front door. “Fuck this house,” she muttered, waving her sage around like a maniac, because in her mind the sage was going to stop anything bad from happening.
“I need to leave,” she mumbled, grabbing the door handle and yanking. It didn’t budge. She found no locks, just a large keyhole on this side of the door. “Please let me leave,” she said to whoever might be listening.
Laughter filled the air behind her, and she looked up the stairwell, longer and wider than anything a normal house would have, but nothing like what you’d expect in a mansion of this size. Walking up the stairs were two men in old fashioned coattails, one in tan and the other in black.
“Hello?” she said, and both men swung around.
“Who’s there?” a familiar voice asked.
“Brody?” she asked.
Brody stepped down the stairs until his face came into the light. “Yes?” he said. His eyes registered distaste when he saw her. “What is it?”
“The other man stepped into the light beside Brody, and she saw it was Eric wearing the black suit and silly-looking hat.
“Eric! Oh, thank God—” she took a step toward them, and they both recoiled.
“It’s that new servant girl,” Eric whispered.
Brody nodded in recognition. “Ahh yes, so it is.” He smiled in a way that seemed unfriendly. “Come here, girl. Let’s take a look at you.”
“Knock it off,” Naria said, her voice edging toward hysterical. “Brody and Eric—I’m so scared.”
“What’s wrong, girl?” Eric said imperiously.
“Come and look in the ballroom!”
“She addresses us as if we were her equals—friends, even,” Brody remarked.
“We are friends,” Naria said.
“Friends,” Eric said with a laugh. “We’re certainly going to be.”
Brody’s voice was cold and deadly. “You presume a lot.” He lunged furiously down the stairs, and she stumbled back from the violence in his demeanor.” (Ppg. 46-49)
That’s not the end of that scene but I don’t want to spoil what happened next. All I will say is, Yikes! I was gripping the book as I read that scene, holding my breath as chills raced down my spine. It was really scary!
There are lots more frightening scenes in this book which I am sure readers will enjoy. Note the trigger warnings above; these two things in the story made me uncomfortable but I enjoyed reading the rest of the story. (And, no, that scene quoted above does not include the rape scene.)
We Never Left is a chilling story of past connections pulling us out of the present and how history will sometimes refuse to stay buried. A short story full of tense plot twists, horrifying surprises and shocking revelations, this novella is sure to creep out fans of ghost stories and leave a lingering sense of anxiety and dread al the way to the very last page.
Five stars
Disclaimer: I purchased this book from the author and this review is completely voluntary
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