Putridarium

Paolo Di Orazio, recognized as a pioneer of Italian Splatterpunk, presents this award-winning novella. The story centers on Angie, a novice who has been in her order for only three months. She finds herself confined in the Putridarium, a dark and foul-smelling chamber perched atop a convent tower overlooking the sea. This place is feared by the cloistered sisters as a site for penance where escape is uncertain. Angie believes she has committed no sins warranting such punishment. Yet, the isolation brings more than hunger and thirst. She senses threatening presences behind her without daring to look. The air grows heavy with an ineffable suffocation. As time stretches out, marked by the rhythm of the waves below, her nightmares take shape. The boundary between sleep and waking blurs under the weight of pain and solitude. The narrative reveals an unsuspecting truth hidden within this crescendo of suffering. The work features cover illustration by Pierluigi Abbondanza. It appeals to readers who enjoy psychological horror rooted in religious settings and gothic atmosphere. Those seeking lighthearted supernatural tales or fast-paced action may find the slow, oppressive tone difficult to endure.