'Offline' - Kealan Patrick Burke (Free Reading!)

Internet trolls are disgusting creatures but they still have their uses from time to time, seriously.

While waiting for Hope to go back to sleep, I like to have a peek on Twitter and see what one particular troll is up to (no names here, the fun lies in watching him get taken down, not having him appear here). Kealan Burke's name was mentioned, in one conversation,and this led to me finding 'Offline' as a free read on Smashwords (via Honey BoomSlang, best blog name ever...)

Welcome to the digital age.

Cell phones and text messaging allows us to keep in touch with each other no matter where we are...

Instant messaging has brought us closer together...

Social networking allows anyone not only to contact you whenever they want, but to learn everything they need to know about you too.

When it's the right person, it can be wonderful.

When it isn't, it can be murder.

'Offline' is only 19 pages long which makes it very difficult to say anything meaningful without totally spoiling it. What I will say is that it is an incredibly creepy read that had me wanting Mandy to just turn her computer off and stop talking to the strange guy at the other end. She doesn't though and I had a sick feeling in my stomach as the almost palpable sense of horror compelled me to keep reading. And just when I thought that I had a handle on what was going on, Burke threw in a really nasty surprise that I never saw coming and even had time to offer up a little social commentary as well. All in nineteen pages.

'Offline' is a nasty little slice of horror that wants you to read it and say, 'Oh god... no!' right at the end. And you will.

Not sure how long 'Offline' is a free read so I would click on that link now if I were you.