FimFiction Link - Short ID: 498580/tall-grass
Published: Jul '21
'Tall Grass' is a one thousand and eight hundred-word horror oneshot, clearly inspired by Stephen King's 'In the Tall Grass.' Time Turner travels with train one night, when the vehicle suddenly stops. Overtaken by the need for fresh air, he leaves for a walk, despite the conductor's protests. He suddenly spots faint lights in the grass and hears whispers, which lure him deep into the field, where he loses track of the train. He's far less alone than he thought and the lights aren't as benign as they seemed.
Compared to the author's other work, this one flows miles better, perhaps due to being based on an already existing story. The setup, the suspense, the tension and finally the payoff all feel like they got the proper fraction of the story. The monsters, while not super original, are unnerving and pose a significant threat. I also like how the story dangles Turner dying in the reader's face until the end. This made the story unexpectedly tense and, while the author has much to learn, this was executed in a better way than many fics I've read.
The only two things that I can name as an issue is that regardless of how well the story flows, it felt a bit too short. More paranormal shenanigans could've happened before the finale. The other is how after the conductor heroically rescues Turner, the two just kind of shrug about the whole thing. It's not even bad, just very abrupt.
Overall: 6/10 It's a less than two thousand-word story. Don't expect to be shaken to your core, but otherwise it's a nice little horror fic and I recommend it.