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| Short Story: “Orfeo the Damned” |
If the last story was the worst in the bunch, than this story is the best of the bunch (yes, even better than “The Collector”). Nancy Holder really knows how to weave an amazing Hellraiser story. Let’s read on for the rest of the review…
“Orfeo the Damned” is a hard story to describe without spoiling anything, although the name alone gives you an idea as to what it’s about. It mainly boils down to, a woman named Lindsay, who is depressed with her life, doesn’t really love her husband and depression is slowly setting in. On her birthday, she is gifted the Lament Configuration puzzle box from a friend, who claims it will transport her to a different place, a place where she can be happy. After a fight with her husband, she decides to open the box. What happens after that is a Hellraiser fans wet dream. The Cenobites described are grotesque sounding, but Holder knew how to describe them without going overboard with the gross sexuality (Mick Garris, please take note) and the story is just perfect. It gloriously falls into Hellraiser territory and grabs you by the skin and takes you along for the wild ride.
I don’t want to spoil anything else with this one. It’s a fantastic read and has made up for the bad apples in this collection. So far, this story alone has made the book worth buying.
Rating: A BIG 5/5!