We
Never Left
Matthew
Hollis Damon
Independently
Published, 2023
Print
book, 114 ppg.
ISBN-13:
979-8335929585
Buy link
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
