Witness

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The mind is a fragile thing. One slip and the shattered pieces are so innumerable that reconstruction is impossible.

One such Theodore Chatwood is unfortunately very familiar with that sentiment. From a young age, frequent visions of horrid, incomprehensible beings plagued his mind, and it only became worse with time.

They speak in colors, whispering in ageless language... They wait in corners, watching intently. The world harbors much more than meets the blind eye.

Do not fret, though. Simply take the syringe. Hold your breath. Close your eyes. It will all be finished soon...

Cover by:Tentacles and Teeth

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2021
Author: Admiralmonkeyman

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 4
Views: 5,483

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

ArcherSQARoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This book is amazing!! Had me asking so many questions, and on my toes the whole time!! You know you're reading a great book when you find yourself right in the characters shoes, feeling their confusion, and putting the puzzle together at their pace. In my opinion the ending was perfect for Theodore, and definitely unexpected.
Blorgh the muppetRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Where to begin?
the writing is often stilted, the characters not fully fleshed out and the setting generic.
No at the heart of this story is the feeling you get, not creepy, not even horror or terror. No what you feel is a deep unnerving concern. And it is glorious. Im not one for the horror genre and yet i heartily recommend it anyways.
The first chapter sets the generic problems, the second the generic setting. the third lures you in with something different, by the 4th any attempt at subtlety is forgone and you *will* notice something is really really off.
The author didnt try to revolutionise the genre no, his/her focus lies in the execution. And trust me, the shadows in your home will grow when reading it.
Also the mafugger managed to invent jumpscares into writing, its why i avoid horror movies dude, why you gotta do this to me man? Im impressed as im horrified. Just keep in mind, if a sentence is off, or something doesnt add up, you missed something, critical. sleep tight :)
Kamikadza13Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The beginning was very mesmerizing. The first half was scary. But the further you go, the flimsier the work seems. The story with the mother starts to put so much pressure.
Ending spoiler.
SPOILER: but the end is already close and it's too bright. I honestly love happy endings, but the end is too silly for a confrontation of this scale. The main character is just trying to not go crazy, survive, and suddenly he outwits almost a god. The ending would have been more authentic if there had been an epilogue in which the other members of the group started going crazy again after about five years. It would have implied that all human determination is insignificant in the face of eternity and does not last long. This would have been a dark ending that I do not like, but it would have been logical.
KarthoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm going to be honest, I'm loving Witness. The whole story is so Eire and draining, that the 'hallucinations' themselves are starting to feel warm and cozy. Enough gushing, lets get this review in gear!
Style: The style is incredible, with effective and insidious tone setting working into every word. The environment, the people, a seemingly innocent coat, everything sends slow tendrils down your spine. I had trouble clicking the button to go to the next chapter, the mood and theme are so well integrated.
Story: Set in the days before humanity cast its scientific light onto the unknown, set in the dreariest and historically grim London with a diagnosed Schizophrenic narrator, you are in for a ride. The action is seamless, with carefully built tension rising and falling organically to keep you on the edge of your seat. While we haven't yet hit the meat of the tale I'm sure, steady progression and smooth transitions keep you interested and immersed. I am eager to see what happens next.
Grammar: I was introduced to Witness from Headcase, which AdmiralMonkeyMan beta reads. Given the excellent grammar there, I was not surprised to see that Witness maintains a similar level of writing.
Character: All of the characters are unique, consistent, and feel well rounded and believable within the context of the story. I even like a few.
Lolali ARoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The ending was a bit painful (*T^T) however I did enjoy it, a bit sad but a sweet lesson all in all. I don't really ever see good bittersweet endings. Only either a bad or full on happy ending.
Why is there a 50 letter or word minimum requirement aghhhh...
Natasha Velkirk (Zach or Zach)Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I cannot say that I am the bravest, nor do I consume large amounts of horror content. What I can say, is that despite this I have nothing but intense respect for the horrors that the author has quite brutally subjected me to. By my own fault of course, but still. Good horror isn't exactly common, but where it can be found, it is easily amongst the highest quality work to be created by man.
This story manages to chill my bones, while making every abnormality in my vision and knowledge stand out. As I write I feel as though something is touching my back, slowly carresing it. As I focus on it, it slowly moves down my spine, and I see the tiniest flash of light, and feel like its an eye, and by the gods this novel is responsible.
So, if you are into good horror, than I suggest that you wait until 11 at night or so, make sure the room is dim but not completely dark, and then feel the fear settle in right next to you.
I may return to read Witness again, but this time it will likely be in class, or some equally boring and mundane area. Otherwise I may be too afraid to sleep.
SobekhotepRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm not the biggest fan of horror, but I can appreciate the story if I stumble upon a good one, and this definitely was a great one. Reminded me a lot of Lovecraft's works, at least in the first half.
Some say that the setting and the characters aren't well developed here, but I would actually disagree. I found most characters to be pretty well written and have unique and interesting personalities, so I have no issues on this front (other than the
comically evil cliche doctor, and the others in line with him).
I also really enjoyed the setting, that being London in the midst of the industrial revolution in the 1870s, and the various historical details scattered throughout. I'm glad it wasn't some randomly generated unnamed place or a modern day one, as I think some flavour would have been lost then.
The story itself was really good, at least until the last fourth or so, which is where my only issue is. The mystery mostly dissapeared by then and it became more of an action based story, but even then it still had some very good scenes. The ending also felt rather goofy, but I suppose any ending would be kinda underwhelming after building up such a mystery for the entire story, so I can understand it.
Overall, this is a great work, would really recommend reading it.
Coockman27Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story is very simple, even lightweight. No words are wasted on things like, world or character development.
But that's what makes it great.
A crystal clear focus on the horror aspect of the story. If something doesn't add to the scare factor or the eldritch atmosphere, then the author doesn't write about it. The length very well reflects this, not quite short story but not long enough to be called a “proper” book, while managing to fit so much scary shit in. Glorious.
No character development apart from the MC and even that is just enough for the story to function. That's the only thing I can think of that made the story better. Everything else would feel like filler when done in sync with the pacing and general flow, almost like an interruption until the good stuff begins again.
Gruesome_GarryRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A very interesting story that would be at home next to any of the lovecraftian stories considered apart of H.P.'s lore. The characters are both human and inhuman at times with the dash of dark insanity that makes the world feel like there's something in every shadow. My only complaint is that there isn't more to read.
Insert Pseudonym HereRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
probably one of the best I've read on RR. only complaints are that there isn't an epilogue and the pacing is kind of slow, but it's a fairly short story so it makes up for it in that regard.
Constantly gives me the creeps. definitely wss not a good idea to read at 10 pm. very good characters, and extraordinarily descriptive text.