This short story is an experimental parody in the modern ghost genre. It uses irony and an unreliable narrator in the tradition of Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.
The narrator, Dr Eric Swell is an entirely fictional character and all of his views are tongue-in-cheek. The irony of his point of view becomes apparent later in the story.
This is story which simply asks the question: 'What if?'.
What if there were mysteries in this world which shouldn't be experimented with?
Readers of a sensitive disposition and younger readers are advised to read the story with caution... after all, look at what happens to the good Dr Swell.
Nick White (1972-) was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He is a writer, qualified journalist and graduate based in the UK.
He writes news and feature articles, fiction and poetry. His first published fiction was a short story written for a children's anthology (An Advent Calendar of Stories, Bridge House Publishing, 2009).
Destiny and Dynasty is his first novel, published in December 2014. It is a literary novel which explores themes of love, forgiveness and fate.
His other short stories are titled 'The Hollow Statue' and 'Stranded in Eternity', published by Bridge House in the sci-fi anthology Otherwhere and Elsewhen.
He also wrote 'Compliance is Futile' - a poetry anthology written in 2011. And in 2014 he published a satirical short story titled 'The Owl Flies At Night' as an ebook.
'Irony' is his first venture into non-fiction and was published in 2017.
In 2018 he published a selection of his short stories in a book called 'Parables'.
His website is www.nickwhitewriting.com