The Wailings

A Horror Novella

By: B.G. Craig

Narrated by: Carroll Herring

When Madam limped toward her, Rei didn’t look up.

She couldn’t look up.

Because she only knew one thing for certain.

Don’t look her in the eyes.

Rei’s memories slip through her fingers. Every ninth night, another child is adopted, and each time, she can’t recall their face…or their name. Just a blurry, featureless head.

Only a few more cranes until she gets her wish.

Will she ever be adopted?

Is…anyone ever adopted?

Why can’t she remember?

©2023 Briana Craig (P)2023 Briana Craig

A hair-raising tale!

This was an exceptional horror novella about an orphanage that may or may not actually be an orphanage, and I loved every second of it.

B.G. Craig does a phenomenal job at building the spooky atmosphere in this novella. From the creepy character Madam to the mysteriously missing memories to the scratching noises on the door, Craig tickles every sense to create a truly hair-raising tale you’ll want to devour in one sitting.

To top it off, the narrator was an excellent choice and did an awesome job portraying the spooky vibes of the story.

I can’t wait to get more from this author!

A powerhouse combo of narrator and author

Relying on tension building through a unique setting and unsettling descriptions vs. cheap scares or gore, this book is a masterclass in how to create an immersive story, all while demonstrating true technical prowess by showing the events out of chronological order. This approach heightens the unease, as we (the audience) often end up knowing information that the protagonist has either forgotten or has yet to learn. A very enjoyable story from an up and coming author that is perfectly complemented by the narrator.

A Gripping thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat!

This novella delivers the right level of suspense, horror and thrill, and between the excellent writing and fantastic narration, I found myself listening to the whole thing in one sitting. BG Craig’s characters manage to come across with depth and feeling through the telling of vignette’s across the main characters time at the orphanage, which has the reader holding their breath every step of the way as the mystery is unraveled and the horror confronted. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a short horror story as they take their next road trip or looking for something engaging to listen to.

An eerie and vividly descriptive horror novella

An eerie and vividly descriptive horror novella that ruminates on loss - of memory, people, freedom. The use of the number of paper cranes folded (as the protagonist worked her way to the 1,000 folded paper cranes that would grant her a wish) to mark time was unique and creative. This non-linear timeline helped the reader empathize with the protagonist's confusion as she tried to piece together her fleeting memories. The author intentionally placed clues to help the reader slowly reconstruct a full picture as Rei does.

Specific, descriptive prose built an engaging dystopian world (“A voice cracked the eggshell silence.”, Madam cooed/scolded/growled) with hints of hope and beauty that attest to resilience ("rosy pink ink", “sweet promise of applesauce”, “This was the hour to practice placing joy on her tongue and letting it melt there like a divine dessert”).

Carroll Herring's narration lent additional depth to the audiobook. Madam's voice was especially spot on - dripping with saccharine sweetness and creepy as hell.

I really appreciated the twist at the end. This novella left enough questions unanswered that it encouraged the reader's imagination and varied interpretations. Will definitely be reading more by this author.