When Shelly's dad comes home from a stint in jail, he brings with him an unlikely talisman to make sure that everything in the family's life will be sweetness and light from now on. Or else. From Monstrous Affections, this tale is part of Stoker Award-winner David Nickle' s collection of short fiction about love in all its horrific proportions.

ChiZine Publications (CZP) curates the best of the bizarre, bringing you the most excitingly weird, subtle, dark, and disturbing literary fiction. Look for more titles in the ChiZine short stories collection to build your digital library.