🕯️ Supernatural

Walking Backwards 12 Times Around the Witch's Grave at 3 AM

✍️ Paul Counelis
Reader Score
4.4
(1 review)
$8.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Four supernatural short stories by Paul Counelis exploring seasonal horror and ancient lore.

The collection examines specific moments of supernatural intrusion during significant holidays. A seance on Halloween night spirals out of control, demonstrating the dangers of ritualistic practices. An unlikely narrator recounts events from Christmas Eve, offering a unique perspective on holiday horror. The narrative shifts to a cursed vessel where travelers face an infernal cat and mouse game. This segment highlights themes of entrapment and predatory intent. Another tale involves a parlor game in a cemetery with deep historical roots. These stories rely on atmosphere and traditional horror elements rather than complex plot twists. The author uses established genre conventions to create tension. Each story operates independently, allowing readers to experience varied supernatural scenarios. The work does not provide resolution for all mysteries but focuses on the immediate fear of the unknown.

Key Themes
Halloween seances cursed vessels ancient cemetery lore
Literary Context

This book sits within the tradition of American horror fiction, drawing on seasonal holidays like Halloween and Christmas. It references publications such as Rue Morgue and Lords of October, placing it in a specific literary circle focused on supernatural and gothic themes.

Difficulty
● Easy
Recommended For Fans Of
Shirley Jackson · M.R. James · Daphne du Maurier · Robert Aickman
🕯️
Supernatural
🏛 Lulu Press 📅 2020 📖 54 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781678175061

📝 Description: Walking Backwards 12 Times Around the Witch's Grave at 3 AM

Paul Counelis presents four distinct narratives in Walking Backwards 12 Times Around the Witch's Grave at 3 AM. The collection draws upon supernatural fiction traditions, featuring tales that range from Halloween seances to Christmas Eve accounts by unusual beings. One story follows travelers on a cursed vessel engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Another explores a parlor game within a cemetery holding ancient lore. Counelis has previously contributed to Rue Morgue, Lords of October, and Halloween Machine. His work appeals to readers who enjoy short-form horror with supernatural elements. Those seeking long novels or non-fiction may find this format less suitable. The book is organized as a series of standalone stories rather than a continuous narrative. It does not offer historical analysis but focuses on fictional scenarios. The tone remains consistent with the genre, offering eerie and compelling plots. Readers interested in seasonal horror tropes will find familiar ground here. The collection avoids modern technological scares, relying instead on traditional supernatural threats. This volume is published by Lulu Press and carries the ISBN 9781678175061. It stands as a compact entry in the author's bibliography for fans of the genre.

💎 Our verdict on Walking Backwards 12 Times Around the Witch's Grave at 3 AM

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Walking Backwards 12 Times Around the Witch's Grave at 3 AM excels in establishing an unsettling atmosphere through traditional supernatural elements. Counelis effectively utilizes seasonal settings to heighten the sense of dread, particularly in tales involving ritualistic practices and historical curses. The collection avoids modern technological scares, relying instead on classic tropes like seances and parlor games to create tension. This approach makes it highly suitable for purists of gothic horror who value mood over intricate plot mechanics. While the stories lack definitive resolutions, they succeed in delivering immediate fear of the unknown. It is a solid choice for enthusiasts of short-form supernatural fiction who enjoy exploring ancient lore and eerie, standalone scenarios within the horror genre.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the slow-burn tension of traditional supernatural fiction will find this collection deeply satisfying. Paul Counelis delivers four standalone narratives that prioritize atmosphere and eerie mood over complex plotting or resolution. Fans of seasonal horror tropes, particularly those involving Halloween seances, Christmas Eve anomalies, and cursed vessels, will enjoy the familiar yet compelling scenarios presented here. The book is ideal for those who prefer short-form horror that relies on established genre conventions and ancient lore rather than modern twists. It offers a consistent tone of dread suitable for readers seeking compact, standalone tales of the unknown without the commitment of a long novel or the dryness of non-fiction analysis.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.4
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Walking Backwards 12 Times Around the Witch's Grave at 3 AM excels in establishing an unsettling atmosphere through traditional supernatural elements. Counelis effectively utilizes seasonal settings to heighten the sense of dread, particularly in tales involving ritualistic practices and historical curses. The collection avoids modern technological scares, relying instead on classic tropes like seances and parlor games to create tension. This approach makes it highly suitable for purists of gothic horror who value mood over intricate plot mechanics. While the stories lack definitive resolutions, they succeed in delivering immediate fear of the unknown. It is a solid choice for enthusiasts of short-form supernatural fiction who enjoy exploring ancient lore and eerie, standalone scenarios within the horror genre.

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