The Erl King’s Promise: A Short Horror Story

Though they seem familiar and even comforting with their warm reminders of youth, the true roots of many fairy tales are sprouted from darker soil. The original versions of some of the tales are far more sinister than we imagine. Even those we know and love, when examined in the cold light of day, run with a malevolent undercurrent of violence, menace and terror.

Yet when we encounter someone who says they like fairy tales, we expect a certain type of person. A certain type of girl. We’d rather have the clean, sanitised version, both of the stories and their readers. Unfortunately, the thin veneer that separates us from the darkness beneath, sometimes comes away and sometimes what we find lingering under the surface, is far from a happy ending.