by
CRAIG JONES

Rhodri wants his money back, a loan to his girlfriend’s brother, a loan gone bad. They need the money now, for the down payment on their dream house, to start their lives together, their future, their family, all gone now, unless Rhodri can convince the gangbanger brother to give it up. Fat chance of that happening, not in Rhodri’s cut-short lifetime, or even afterwards, but he’s still going to try.  

9,600 words

Review by Patrick O'Orazio "Tomes of Darkness"

Rhodri is a young man living with his girlfriend, and they have dreams of getting married and moving into their “forever house,” an expensive home next to a lake that has come on the market. They can afford the down payment with the amount of money they’ve saved as well as the monthly payments, by Rhodri’s calculations. The house represents everything that the couple could ever hope for. Alas, Rhodri’s girlfriend has been suckered into ‘loaning’ the money to her no-good brother, who is an intimidating gangster. Rhodri is advised by her as well as his closest friend not to make waves and give up on the dream of owning the house, rather than messing with the thuggish brother that is likely to squash him into oblivion if he stands up to him. But at some point in life, you have to make a stand, and do what’s right, despite the odds being stacked against you.

Of course, as you can probably surmise, things don’t go well for Rhodri, and the bulk of this tale deals with things…after they take a horrible turn for the worse.

This short story is a mix of a creepy zombie scares and a classic revenge story. The pacing is solid and I really was able to empathize with Rhodri, rooting for him even as he turns into more of a monster than the enemy he is facing (at least more of a monster on the outside). The story was fun and reminded me of an old episode of Tales From the Crypt, with just the right amount of twists and turns and splashed with plenty of gory fun to boot. The ending caused an devious grin to spread across my face. It, like the rest of story, was eminently satisfying.

***
Review by movie and book reviewer Stewart Kirby
  
Once in a while you read a short story that blows you away so hard, you have to tell the world. Philip K. Dick does that with "Imposter." Ditto Joe Hill with "Pop Art." And so does Craig Jones with "What Happened to Rhodri."

I knew immediately I was in good hands from the opening paragraph. If you like Stephen King, you'll love Craig Jones. I laughed out loud in sheer inappropriate delight with "Rhodri" in hand on my Kindle. I found myself entertained, amused, involved, surprised, and in overall awe of an eminently-readable kickass story.

Craig Jones knows how to write the hell out of a story. He's got a sure, punchy style and a riotously pulpy aesthetic in keeping with "Creepshow." As a pure tale of revenge, "What Happened to Rhodri" ranks with Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." Craig Jones is a writer worth taking a stab at!

There comes a time in a man’s life when he must fight for what he wants, even if the odds are stacked miserably against him.

Praise for "What Happened to Rhodri"