Horror told through the eyes of those who suffer us.
For those who enjoy works by Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson, and stories where the real monster is what suffering leaves behind.
In this haunting five-story collection, the animals we cherish become witnesses, victims… and sometimes, something far more dangerous. Five tales in the POV of those who suffer us.
THE HOUSE IS SICK: A cat watches as something festers inside the walls of a family home. The humans can’t see it. They can’t hear it. But the cat can. And when the house begins to feed, it won’t stop until everyone is gone. Told through unblinking eyes, this is a story of decay, madness, and the silence that comes after the screaming.
UNLEASHED: He was a good boy. He loved his family. He would never hurt them. But something buried in the dirt crawls into his blood and begins to change him from the inside out. As hunger turns feral and instinct turns violent, a loyal dog fights a losing battle against the thing growing behind his eyes.
RAGE: A mouse lives in the walls and listens. It remembers patterns. It remembers loss. And when another family moves in—laughing, loving, unaware—the mouse remembers something else: fire. Grief simmers into something calculated and patient in this slow-burn tale of vengeance from the smallest creature in the house.
PRETTY BIRD: A parrot learns by listening. It repeats what it hears. It memorizes screams. When a captive woman is brought downstairs, the bird becomes the only witness to unspeakable cruelty. But voices can be powerful things—and sometimes the smallest sound can shatter everything.
PREY NO MORE: A rabbit kept in a cage learns the rhythm of cruel hands. It learns fear. A brutal story of captivity, survival, and what happens when something soft decides it will no longer be prey.
WE DON’T DESERVE THEM is horror with teeth and claws—stories of loyalty twisted, innocence corrupted, and the quiet creatures who see more than we ever realize. Sometimes…the ones in cages are the ones paying the most attention.
Praise for WE DON’T DESERVE THEM:
”If you’re looking for a completely new perspective on horror, Amanda Ruzsa’s WE DON’T DESERVE THEM fits the bill perfectly. Five short, staccato blasts of creepiness that will linger long after the last page. You’ll never look at your pets – or the animals in your yard – the same again!”
— Brian Asman, author of MAN, F*CK THIS HOUSE (AND OTHER DISASTERS) and GOOD DOGS
“Amanda Ruzsa has mastered the art of short fiction with heart. The pace and rhythm of each short story adds to the tension and dread as you are taken someplace that only wants to rip your heart out.”
—Mike Salt, author of NO ONE WAS EVER REALLY IN THIS PLACE
“Sometimes I wished I could close my eyes while reading this to turn off the “movie in my head.” This is the hallmark of a stellar horror read. Haunting, disturbing, and painfully beautiful..that leaves a piece of me with it when I close the book.”
—Kate Minyard, Book Reviewer
