This is a prison. This story is a part of a collaborative project Tombstack here on Substack. Different people write a chapter a week about a prison where the prisoners wake up with all the guards gone and something supernatural roaming the halls.
I did intend the man with the ugly tattoo to be a nazi and the murder to be racially motivated. I'm glad it came through. I'm trying to work on word economy, and sentences that let the readers infer.
Whoa Inga! Haunting and beautifully written. Giving the prison a voice turns what could’ve been a straightforward tragedy into something layered and unsettling. Its feels so intimate and damning at once and forces you to see both the institutional rot and the human cost through one consciousness that can’t escape either 🥺
The tone is steady but heavy, like the slow decay it describes. I really really REALLY liked how the house/prison remembers its “glorious” beginning, full of false optimism, which mirrors how systems of punishment often start with moral intent before curdling into cruelty.
It feels like something Shirley Jackson or Carmen Maria Machado might have written about institutional despair 🫶💖✨
Oh wow! Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate you taking time to read and give such thoughtful comments. "Thank you" doesn't cover my gratitude for your level of engagement with my work.
You’re so welcome! I don’t get time to read everything you post, but when I do, it’s impossible not to respond. Your work deserves that kind of attention.
No pressure but I really enjoy coming across your stories and I often plan a quiet moment in my day or week to read them properly rather than “on-the-go”🫶✨
I read a wide range of things on Substack (stories, personal essays, thought pieces) because I love seeing different voices and styles. It always expands how I think about different genres. And I often read it on the go (during lunch or while getting ready for work).
When I want to unwind with a blanket and a glass of wine or tea, and sink into something that’s my preferred style and beautifully written, it’s your work I reach for (even your stories I’ve read several times).
There are only a couple writers whose posts I save for when I can read slowly and let the story linger. I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like, but when I do, I’m completely absorbed 🫶💖✨
Awesome stuff, inga. If you don’t mind me asking, was it a prison or just a house? I feel like the answer really makes a difference.
If it’s a prison I think my assumption was that the guy with the ugly tattoos was a neo-nazi, and the murder was race related
Would love to hear what you have to say abt this
Thank you!
This is a prison. This story is a part of a collaborative project Tombstack here on Substack. Different people write a chapter a week about a prison where the prisoners wake up with all the guards gone and something supernatural roaming the halls.
I did intend the man with the ugly tattoo to be a nazi and the murder to be racially motivated. I'm glad it came through. I'm trying to work on word economy, and sentences that let the readers infer.
Ahhh that’s so cool. Well beautiful job with that. Any idea where I can find the other tombstack responses?
https://tombstackweekly.substack.com/ this is the publication. Message https://substack.com/@adamtuhy? to join. Everyone is welcome to participate. He's also putting together a Christmas-themed horror collection from people.
Beautiful! The details about the guard taking a picture is so small, but packs a strong punch. Very well done!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you reading this story.
Whoa Inga! Haunting and beautifully written. Giving the prison a voice turns what could’ve been a straightforward tragedy into something layered and unsettling. Its feels so intimate and damning at once and forces you to see both the institutional rot and the human cost through one consciousness that can’t escape either 🥺
The tone is steady but heavy, like the slow decay it describes. I really really REALLY liked how the house/prison remembers its “glorious” beginning, full of false optimism, which mirrors how systems of punishment often start with moral intent before curdling into cruelty.
It feels like something Shirley Jackson or Carmen Maria Machado might have written about institutional despair 🫶💖✨
Oh wow! Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate you taking time to read and give such thoughtful comments. "Thank you" doesn't cover my gratitude for your level of engagement with my work.
You’re so welcome! I don’t get time to read everything you post, but when I do, it’s impossible not to respond. Your work deserves that kind of attention.
No pressure but I really enjoy coming across your stories and I often plan a quiet moment in my day or week to read them properly rather than “on-the-go”🫶✨
Oh wow. That is an incredible compliment (finding a proper moment to read my work). You've just given me fuel for tonight's writing sprint.
I read a wide range of things on Substack (stories, personal essays, thought pieces) because I love seeing different voices and styles. It always expands how I think about different genres. And I often read it on the go (during lunch or while getting ready for work).
When I want to unwind with a blanket and a glass of wine or tea, and sink into something that’s my preferred style and beautifully written, it’s your work I reach for (even your stories I’ve read several times).
There are only a couple writers whose posts I save for when I can read slowly and let the story linger. I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like, but when I do, I’m completely absorbed 🫶💖✨
You have absolutely made my whole month!
Love that! You got me with “The Slap”…I knew right away I’d keep reading your work!
So much darkness seems to be born from despair. You capture that very well!
Thank you so much!