“Liz put her father-in-law in the lift, pushed the button, and watched as he was taken away.”

This is a great story from one of my closest friends; we’ve been in a fiction writing group together for over 10 years. I wouldn’t be writing fiction if it wasn’t for Dave inviting me to join what we call the ‘Gaslamp Writers’ (named for the iconic subterranean Manchester pub we used to meet in every month, often to the background noise a group of sword-dancers practising in the next room). Dave is a lovely person who can write surprisingly nasty stories – this is one with a particularly sharp set of teeth.

I love the way this story uses structure to let its momentum build and build, to reveal truths beneath truths about its characters. I’ll let you discover this terrible father-in-law and even more frightening lift for yourselves…

First published in Electric Literature, 2023, and available to read online here