Tom Orrell
'Not Alone Out Here' is a good old-fashioned ghost story. This fictional tale is told primarily in a first person narrative style. A young widower, John Clark, moves his family away from Richmond out to the rural Virginia countryside to start his life over. Initially he feels comfortable there in Madison County, as it is the same area where he grew up as a boy. He is an independent building contractor and the tragic accidental death of his beloved wife, Abby, from the previous year has scarred him deeply. He is also haunted by a recurring mysterious nightmare that began in his youth. This is instrumental in the d?j? vu theme that runs throughout the story. John’s young family consists of two young children, Reese and Kelly, and a small dog, Boo-Boo. He buys an old farmhouse and settles down, quickly fixing up the old place and starting his small home repair and renovation business. It doesn’t take too long before some strange occurrences commence, and these gradually build as the story progresses. John and the children seem especially susceptible to witness these alarming paranormal events. John is a skeptic by nature and it’s not long before he begins to revise his views on such matters. He eventually meets some very strange local characters and becomes fully engaged with these beings of the afterlife. He researches and reads all he can to try and gain an understanding of what is going on, and more importantly - why these things are happening. The fear is very real and one can feel the dreaded apprehension growing. More than once John understandably begins to question his own sanity. He finally is able to get some professional help to solve his problem and uncover the secret origin of all the trouble. We come to admire John in his struggles, and he emerges as a hero of sorts. The story progresses and builds to a surprising climax that will both surprise and satisfy the reader. Again, remember the theme of d?j? vu is instrumental to the story. This story illustrates
