- Recommended Age Range: 12 and up
- Formats: E-Book
- Approx. Length: 9,027 Words
A delightfully skewed series of disasters as an Ear Demon hops from head to head, leaving chaos and twisted lives in its wake.
Two happy-go-lucky friends and a young woman with a cat will encounter their worst nightmare when one of the buddies brings an evil Jinn back from the jungle. As the demon hops ear to ear, bizarre behavior and insane events follow. A short story from the collection Out-Of-Mind-Experiences, part of the Horror Sampler Chocolate-Covered Eyes by Lori R. Lopez, “Bedeviled” is an edgy and horrific walk on the funny side of the street. Cover your ears or you might be next!
This short story is currently being enhanced for a new E-Book version!
Samples
“The ear jinn mined deep wax deposits to nourish physical cravings. But there was more he coveted.”
As the gnome savored infamy, accustomed to sly anonymous acts, a careless choice fought with the valor of a lion and would not submit. Impatient, seldom mistaken about mennish nature, the fairy-troll sniffed a substitute host whose virtue was weak, ripe for plucking, and steered his errant vessel into range.
~ from Bedeviled
THE JUNGLE STEAMED with pungent humidity like a kettle of herbal tea. Damion Wong slapped his neck, bursting a bloated mosquito, and dreamed of home where the most common danger was falling asleep at the wheel during Rush Hour. Soggy textiles chafed. Air suffocated, delivering the weight of an avalanche.
He had been foolish enough to believe a jaunt through this tropical bug blitz might serve as adventure, the remedy for his doldrums. Get out and see the world. Discover an unknown species. Publish an award-winning paper. “This is not one of your best ideas,” he acridly noted, smacking his cheek, gazing grimly at skeeter shards.
“What’s wong?” joked his annoyingly unrumpled companion, a ponytailed jester named Geo Pitz who talked him into the journey.
“Nothing a hot shower and some rest wouldn’t cure,” Damion muttered. “I miss the comfort of my lab.” The Asian biologist’s mottled flesh boasted welts the size of measles. Inflated feet had been scraped raw by stiff hiking boots. And his spine ached under the ballast of an over-stuffed knapsack.
“We’re banned, remember? What part of shredding our access cards don’t you comprehend? Stay alert or you’ll never spot a new type of insect to make us rich and famous,” urged Geo.
“The problem is, there are too many old types of insects spotting me!” griped the frazzled entomologist, abrading his bite marks. “I have very little blood to spare.”
Praise
“DISTURBINGLY SCARY – RIOTOUSLY FUNNY: Two ne’er do well buddies set off on the ultimate trip of exploration little realizing the adventure what awaits them on their return home.”
“This is the story of an ear demon. Two insect researchers go to Africa to try and find an undiscovered bug. Unbeknownst to themselves, one of them brings back a demon lodged in his ear. Chaos and confusion then ensue.
This was quite a funny little story but it made you think as well. It has a sort of ‘what if?’ feel about it. I don’t necessarily mean what if about ear demons but bugs lodged in ears etc. George underwent seven shades of hell trying to dislodge the demon and the chaos that was caused in the meantime was hilarious. I like stories like this. You can see what the outcome will be in your mind’s eye but are powerless to do anything about it. Fantastic, and darn funny to boot.”
Kim Tomsett-Fowler
WISTFULSKIMMIES BOOK REVIEWS; Amazon and Goodreads Reviews
♥
“MUCH better the 2nd time, which seems to be how to read Lori’s work… you get sooooo much more the next time, you wonder how you missed it! (I did find the constant descriptions of characters instead of their names a bit confusing!) Not your usual horror stuff but I dare you not to sleep with ear plugs in after this little tale! [Y]ou do feel a little icky after this tale! (extended review for Lori’s collection Chocolate Covered Eyes)”
Vix Kirkpatrick
THE FLUFFY RED FOX REVIEWS; Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Goodreads Reviews
♥
“This is a short story involving a delightfully devious diminutive demon dwelling deep inside your ear canal. Yes, you read that right! He lives. In your. HEAD!
Few things are more unsettling than the thought of any creature living in our heads. Just take a look at short story horror through the ages. We’ve all heard the variations of the story describing the horror of a spider laying eggs in a girl’s ear while she slept. There are similar tales involving roaches and various other creepy crawlies. Ms. Lopez has found a new way to prey upon an old fear — now the thing putting down roots deep in our ear is not a mindless insect but a fully sentient evil little man! What lengths would you go to in order to dislodge such a creature? What extreme havoc do you think he could wreak? I guarantee whatever you can imagine doesn’t hold a candle to the events in this story!”
Tiffiny Sarradet
Amazon Review
♥
“(From a review of Chocolate-Covered Eyes): BEDEVILED is just plain scary. We all fear catching a ‘bug’. Careful, what you fear may be real-er than you think!
*****
DISTURBINGLY SCARY – RIOTOUSLY FUNNY: Two ne’er do well buddies set off on the ultimate trip of exploration little realizing the adventure what awaits them on their return home. Ear demons indeed! You’ll cringe when you realize what has happened to one of them and laugh til tears roll down your cheeks as you follow these bumbling buddies to the calamatous conclusion of their story.”
Geri Graham
Smashwords; Barnes & Noble Reviews
♥
“BEDEVILED strides two worlds as well — that of the cats and that of the humans, at once ordinary pets and owners, and witch and familiar. In the author’s words, “‘You cannot forget the sun that departs but is always there.’ Lonely and sad, the boy repeated this often to wring some droplet of wisdom which could heal his sorrow. The words tattered, dulled, lost all significance. He remembered darkness — shared only by insects and spiders. A friend taught him to look between the shadows.” The time trap of magic realism here lies in the exaggeration of time as represented by the sunrise and sunset, and all time in between. The horror comes from the “ear goblin” that resides in dark madness. It is real in a surreal narrative. Where does the dark begin and the light begin?”
(From a review for CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES)
Anthony Servante
THE BLACK GLOVE; SERVANTE OF DARKNESS
♥
“Cover your ears not your eyes: Ms Lopez once again treats us with a romp into her mind. Pay attention carefully as you read this tale of an evil ear jinn, you don’t want to miss Lori’s devilish wit. Watch as Balewic hops from host to host bringing them woe and misfortune. Trust me , if you pick something up in the jungle, leave it there. And always wear ill-fitting gloves.”
Jerry W. McKinney
Amazon Review
♥
“I immediately thought of Scott Sigler’s book, Infected. The story is not flashy, but it is engrossing. It is a fast read and my second favorite in the collection. Be warned, if you get the heeby-jeebies watching insect documentaries…stuff cotton in your ears before engaging yourself with this tale.”
(From a review for CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES)
TW Brown
MAY-DECEMBER PUBLICATIONS; Smashwords and Amazon Reviews
♥
“Bedeviled: A good story and fast read. My second favorite in the collection. Warning: contains insects! *shudder*”
