Story Spotlight: “The Only Thing Left” by Shannon Lawrence
In “The Only Thing Left,” Shannon Lawrence delivers a furious, grief-soaked survival story set in a decaying Victorian mansion—where one woman fights back against the ghosts that refuse to let her rebuild her life.
Sydney thought restoring a crumbling estate would help her reclaim her life after divorce and devastating loss. The house feels like it chose her—but its ghosts have other ideas. As metaphysical barriers close in, Sydney must confront spectral violence, lingering pain, and the brutal choice between surrender and survival. A haunting about resilience, rage, and finding strength when there’s nothing left to lose.
The closet door slammed shut, darkness rushing over her.
Sydney stumbled to the door, hands held out in front of her. She found the handle, grasped it, and attempted to turn it, but it stayed firmly in place. Placing her ear against it, she strained to hear any sound that might indicate someone on the other side: footsteps, a breath. When she didn’t hear anything, she called out, “Hello? Is someone out there?”
She didn’t expect an answer, so she didn’t wait for one. Instead, panic-fueled, she dropped the bat and pounded on the door with her fists as hard as she could. She pushed and pulled, maneuvered herself every way she could think of to get it to shift. She even threw her body against it, hoping to break it open.
The icy draft returned, tingling its way up her back and into her hair. It stroked once more along her cheek, beckoning her down the hidden stairwell. She stilled, feeling that she should reach out, try to grab whatever it was that touched her, but she was afraid. Instead, she shook her head, moving away from the sensation. “Don’t!” burst from between her lips.
About the Author
A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her short stories can be found in over sixty anthologies and magazines in addition to her four collections. Her nonfiction title, The Business of Short Stories, and debut urban fantasy novel, Myth Stalker: Wendigo Nights, are available now. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem and a columnist for Rocky Mountain Reader. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there’s always a place to hide a body or birth a monster.
Find Shannon at: thewarriormuse.com
What Lingers After the Last Line
This story simmers with grief and rage, fusing emotional horror with physical haunting. It’s a tale of agency—hard-won and defiant—and of what it means to stand your ground when even the walls are against you.
Read the Story
“The Only Thing Left” appears in Haunted Places, available now from Blackbird Publishing.
📚 Buy the book from your favorite store
If you liked…
- The Invited by Jennifer McMahon—for home renovation horror and generational haunting
- Home Before Dark by Riley Sager—for its claustrophobic dread and haunted house unraveling
…then you’ll enjoy “The Only Thing Left”—a fierce, ghost-ridden tale of loss, rage, and standing your ground when everything wants you gone.
📘 Also featured in Haunted Places: “At Water’s Edge” by Rebecca M. Senese, another emotionally charged haunting where the past clings like mist and refuses to stay buried.