Copyright © 2019 by Sarah Read

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this collection are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-950305-05-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-950305-06-3 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019944108

First printing edition: November 1, 2019

Printed by Trepidatio Publishing in the United States of America.

Cover Design and Layout: Mikio Murakami

Interior Layout: Lori Michelle

Edited by Scarlett R. Algee

Trepidatio Publishing, an imprint of JournalStone Publishing

3205 Sassafras Trail

Carbondale, Illinois 62901

Trepidatio books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

or

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR OUT OF WATER

“Sarah Read’s short stories are wonderfully creepy, heartbreaking, scary, and delightful! Highly recommended!”

—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-Wars and Glimpse

“In Sarah Read’s Out of Water you will find monsters with human faces and humans with monstrous hearts. There are secrets dark and deep, and dreams darker and deeper still. And there are characters who stretch their hands from haunted shores in hopes of reaching a happier one. Read’s collection is filled with grim humour, heart-wrenching horror and, sometimes, dire hopes.”

—Angela Slatter, author of the World Fantasy Award-winning The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings

“Sarah Read is one of my very favorite voices in horror and dark fantasy, and I’ve been waiting a long time for her to release a collection. So let me say this loud and clear: that wait was absolutely worth it. Out of Water is a gorgeous, sinister, and incredibly lovely dive into all the darkness the horror genre has to offer. Sarah knows exactly how to draw the reader in and then send chills up their spine, all while breaking their hearts. Whatever you do, don’t miss this book.”

—Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award®-winning author of The Rust Maidens and The Invention of Ghosts

“Read’s stories left me emotionally wrought and viscerally disturbed. With unforgettable imagery and characters that come to life on the page, Out of Water is one of the best collections I’ve read this year.”

—Kaaron Warren, Aurealis and Australian Shadows award-winning author of Tide of Stone

For Sweet Grandma Lou, for the words in the first place.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION BY GEMMA FILES

ENDOSKELETAL

MAKING MONSTERS

DEAD MAN’S CURVE

IN TONGUES

THE EYES OF SALTON SEA

UNDERWATERTHING

TALL GRASS, SHALLOW WATER

INTERSECT

GRAVE MOTHER

THORN TONGUE

THROUGH GRAVEL