Dark Celebrations by Calvin Demmer

Each year, people all over the world celebrate special festivals and days, shining light on what they wish to remember and revere. But sometimes, inhabitants of the dark arrive with the desire to disturb proceedings. Dark Celebrations is a collection of twelve short stories. And the holidays will never be the same.


Dark Celebrations is a collection of 12 dark horror tales from Calvin Demmer, the author of The Sea is a Fair Master which has become a classic! It was a joy to read all these great tales again which have been re-released in one collection!  

Calvin Demmer has a great imagination when you set off you never know where the tale will take you. Each tale is a dark journey. Are you ready fir it? You'll never look at holidays in the same way again. 


It's so hard to pick out favourites in this collection but I'd say Hungry Ghosts and Unidentified Fatherly Object were my faves!

Hungry Ghosts

Ten Tips For Surviving The Hungry Ghost Festival.

1.Do not interfere with any offerings. If done by accident, immediately apologise aloud

2.Do not open an umbrella indoors as ti may invite ghosts.

3.Do not marry, start a new business,or move home during ghost month.

4. Do not wander after midnight.

5.Chopsticks placed upright are a direct invitation for ghosts to partake in your meal.

6.Do not sleep facing a mirror or reflective surface. This may guide ghosts to you.

7.Do  not pat anyone's shoulder or forehead. It brings them bad luck and puts them at risk of being possessed.

8. Do not swim. Drowned evil ghosts seek victims for their rebirth.

9. Do not take photos,selfies or videos. Ghosts may appear.

10. Do not turn around if a voice calls you from behind.

Lara and Ray have just reach their hotel in China, their first holiday abroad. The trip of a lifetime and beyond! They have arrived during the Hungry Ghost Festival. The streets are adorned with lights and offerings to the dead who are both loved and revered. Upon reading the ten tips for survival Lara realises that Ray has already broken the first rule. 

In this action packed tale which takes you on a creepy and gruesome path Lara and her boyfriend, Ray, have gone on a once in a lifetime holiday to China. It's make or break. But instead of feeling madly in love she feels empty, wanting more than what Ray can give. After one argument too many Lara decides to take a walk into the wilderness at dusk. She's determined to enjoy herself and make the best of things. 

Secretly she is trying to make up her mind over whether they should stay together, she's looking for a way out and if she carries on, up that path she might find it. A cool little tale that warns of not taking local traditions seriously and how you should never act on impulse!

Labor Day Hunt

In this short tale Jared Rogers is already in trouble and has no idea of the downward spiral he's about to get himself into when he accepts the offer of two hundred dollars for just two hours work. That's a lot of money to anyone but to him it's a lifeline.

Orphaned when he was just twelve after his parents died in a car crash Jared was raised by his doting and loyal aunt and uncle, helping run their electrical hardware shop which is dying a slow death. After the tragic passing of his uncle he realises his aunt is on the verge of bankruptcy and answers the ad as a way of providing her with some means for survival.

And he too has dreams of his own, despite graduating from university he has never made it out of the small dead end town he grew up in and the chance to earn a bit of money to help him escape is too tempting...

In search of cash plucky Jared arranges to meet the mysterious Tim Lewis who put out the ad in an abandoned warehouse where he is doomed to find himself in the company of the Silverfields Nightlight Society- what could possibly go wrong?

Trick or Death

Barry Steiner s a young man who is desperate for popularity and will do anything to increase the number of subscribers on his youtube channel. He thinks he's come up with a brilliant idea; pranking. Except the joke is on him, he's blind to everything that goes on around him with devastating consequences.He has everything he wants in life, he just has to look past his nose, but sometimes these realisations come much too late.

A great little tale that blends humour with terror, full of tension and foreboding doom and of course there's a nice little twist at the end.

Thanks Sinning

"It all started with a glass shattering..."

Deshawn Williams sits in a dingy bar contemplating how his life took a wrong turn. The only source of excitement in his life was watching a heated exchange take place between a barmaid and customer.

The barmaid accused of being a homewrecker looks like trouble, one to be avoided but when she approaches Deshawn stuck in hs quiet life he is powerless to resist the danger that surrounds her. He's supposed to be going home to his mum for dinner for Thanks Giving. She takes him away and promises him a night of passion if he can do one thing for her.

But what she asks of him goes against everything he believes in. He takes a second look at her and realise she's not all she seems but can he show her that sin doesn't always win.

I really enjoyed reading this great little tale, highly original and a great ending. Did Deshawn conquer evil? Or has he just set it free. I loved the little touches in this tale such as the name of the bar maid!

Three Dead Men 

A young woman, Maiko Hayashi is left puzzled by the sudden disappearance of her beloved uncle, a highly respected professor who's dedicated his life to collecting strange and wonderful artefacts.

Despite it being Christmas Eve she is feeling alone and rather lost. She feels like she has no place in the world. Despite going off to college she is lonely finding it hard to make even friends, finding a boyfriend seems impossibly hard. Often she comes round to visit her uncle as a means to escape from her parents resentment and bitter disappointment in her. She wonders if she had been born a boy they might have felt differently towards her.

However when she arrives at her uncle's house on the very edge of town, all is dark and there is no sign of him. On closer inspection Maiko finds his car parked in the garage and inside someone has recently been bring lavender incense. She decides to go looking for him in his secret shed down at the bottom of the garden.

Unfortunately Maiko finds not just her uncle in terrible danger, but her too. Can Maiko, a mere girl, in her parents eyes rise to the challenge of saving herself and her uncle?

Despite the horror and gore this is a sweet uplifting story about female empowerment and how we all have the power to take control of our lives.

Happy Dark Year

Cody Wheeler has had one stressful year and wants nothing more than to relax, forget about his problems, meet up with his buddies  for a beer or two. He can't wait to wave out  the old year and welcome in the new.

However all his problems seem to be following him, such as his long term girlfriend Kendall Simpson, things haven't been right lately, he just can't put his finger on where it's all going wrong. He tries his best to be the perfect boyfriend but everything he does winds her up. He's beginning to question whether she's worth all the effort and against his better judgement after one argument too many he decides to leave her at the roadside and go to the party alone...

This tale by Calvin Demmer is a great dark story guaranteed to counter-act the sweetness of the festive season for all you horror fans out there. In this, Calvin Demmer takes something very old and makes it new for the 21st century.

Dying Valentine

It's Valentine's Night and this is a n extra special one for Daniel, he's meeting Julia's parents for the first time tonight and he's anxious for it to go well. He's been seeing his girlfriend for six months but he really loves her and wants to be accepted into the family fold.

However he forgets the roses and chocolates in his haste to get there on time and decides he must return to his house for them. He can not arrive empty handed even if he arrives late.

But then in his panic he revs up his speed and knocks over a mysterious young woman with long black hair in a deathly pale dress. She puts him in an impossible situation in which he has no choice but to help her, even at his own cost as he's a nice guy. Long live the nice guys!

All Daniel wants to do is to get round to his girlfriend's house and enjoy this special night with the woman he loves.

Spring Outbreak

Gwen has her whole life ahead of her, she's done brilliantly in her first year at college yet all she can think about is her most recent heartbreak. Her friend Haley suggests getting away for Spring Break and takes her off on an extraordinary adventure to Mexico. Even her parents reluctantly agree it is a good idea.

Yet Gwen is still finding it hard to forget and move on and look forwards to the next chapter in her life. Haley drags her to the beach for a sun-blessed day but that's when her problems really start.

After a nap she wakes up only to find her friend disappeared.

I really enjoyed this tale. I really felt I was inside Gwen's head and the characterisation was really good. There was a lot of depth despite it being a short story. There was a lot of twists and turns which really keep hold of you throughout.

She Will Rise

In this tale we are introduced to Luna Mendes who has returned home for Easter to care for her sick mother.

Luna is tortured with loneliness, death has not been a stranger to her but she is determined to make the best of things by living her life by Isabella's five tips for a kick-ass life.

She soon diverts attention form her own suffering to that of her mother, Selma whilst trying to avoid her alcoholic step-father who is beyond useless. She soon suspects that he is keeping secrets and as she follows Isabella's five tips she gets to the truth with horrifying consequences.

Can Luna save not just her mother, but herself? Will she ever find out the fifth and final tip for everlasting happiness?

A surprisingly touching tale not often found in horror, I really like I had gone on a emotional journey with Luna and I really felt myself rooting for her.

Prom Screams

In Prom Screams we follow the tale of William Carson who has recently been dumped and heartbroken by his girlfriend just days before the biggest night of his life - Prom Night. He wants to prove to his ex love and all his best friends that he's not the loser they all think him to be and what better way than to hire a beautiful girl to hang on his arms and he waves good-bye to adolescence and hello to the rest of his life.

Except that the beautiful girl he's hired isn't available, he starts to panic he's paid a lot of money and has so much to prove not just to his peers but to himself. Instead he is given Fay a girl so unimaginably beautiful and enchanting. 

A dark tale that screams with the desperation of heartbreak and youth. I really enjoyed this little tale, it kept me guessing  til the end and I'll never look at redheads in the same way again!

But he must treat her well in the manner she is accustomed to and she must be returned by midnight. Will this be a night to remember and cherish forever? Will he be able to get her back in time?

Unidentified Fatherly Object

In Unidentified Fatherly Object we meet Fred Garcia a young man in the throes of bereavement but what he needs most are answers. His father passed away in mysterious circumstances, an accident at work in a top secret military bunker.

His aunt and uncle tell him to leave it alone, to accept what has happened and move on with his life, surely that's what his father would have wanted for him?

But Fred just can't let things lie, he has to know, he has suspicions that just won't go away. One night he decides to go out into the desert and see for himself the strictly prohibited  area in which his father died. Will he find his answers? Will he be able to handle the truth?

Another great story from Calvin Demmer. I don't want to give too much away but the ending is particularly gruesome. Calvin has a unique ability to make his readers squirm with dread. I'm so happy I'm not one of his characters! There's a some very clever references to his past tales included within which I thought was a great touch. 

Independence Denied

We're introduced to Brad Marshall, just another regular guy looking forward to celebrating Independence Day.

But suddenly all hell breaks loose, there's multiple reports of earthquakes, tsunami's striking all four corners of the world. Brad Marshall just wants to bury his head in the sand than watch of the devastating news reports. Instead he focuses on work, on helping his boss, Professor Masterson studying shark behaviour, but that doesn't help matters.

He uncovers a vital piece of information which sheds light on recent events. How can he use it? Who can he trust?