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Copyright
1995-2006
Darryl Riser

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Little Evil Things
come in odd packages

"I picked up your mail," my wife said as she breezed past my desk. "You got a package from Weird Jimmy's."

"From who?" I asked, trying to remember if I knew anyone named Weird Jimmy.

"Weird Jimmy or Mojo Sam or somebody like that," she replied. "One of those weird friends of yours."

The small, brown envelope seemed normal enough except for the return mailing label with the words "Little Evil Things" discreetly printed, apparently in blood, in the corner of the package.

By this time a couple of my co-workers were paying attention. Sliding the package across the desk to the newspaper's religion editor, I raised my eyebrows.

"I don't think so," he said, sliding it back.

I looked at the paper's chief photographer. "Jim?" I asked handing it to him.

"Right," he laughed. "Something'll swarm out of there and get me. I know how these things work."

"The blood's dry," I said, rubbing my finger over the mailing label. Not that I really thought it was blood, mind you. But it was an odd little package.

Taking a deep breath, I tore open the envelope and peeked inside to find a cassette tape. Slipping it in my shirt pocket, I promptly forgot all about it until later that night when I sat down at my computer to catch up my e-mail. Shrugging, I popped it into the stereo.

Bathed in the eerie glow of the monitor, I found myself listening to the anguished cries of a man becoming a werewolf, his pain apparent as the cartilage crackled with the change. Turning off the computer, I leaned back in my chair and listened in darkness as the transformation continued.

Before the hour ended, I was treated to five bite-sized pieces of pure horror as a cast of actors performed the stories to a backdrop of music custom-written for the project. It was somewhere in the fourth story -- the tale of man being chased through his dreams by a nameless horror -- that I felt the need to turn on the desk lamp ... just to be on the safe side. It's not the kind of stuff you want to fall asleep listening to.

The stories on "Little Evil Things" were written by Frank Macchia and Tracy London, who also narrated them along with actor Jim McDonnell. Macchia composed the ever-present music which lurks in the background of each tale like an all-knowing presence.

What sets "Little Evil Things" apart from the average book on tape is its ability to deliver up short, edgy stories in which narration blends seamlessly with the music.

Whether you're an old-timer who grew up with the radio shows of the 1940s or a youngster fresh from hearing his first ghost story in the glow of a campfire, "Little Evil Things" will leave you breathless ... and wanting more.

Macchia and London's first effort in the area of audio dramas proves without a doubt that big scares often come in small, oddly marked packages.

To learn more about "Little Evil Things" check out their web site at www.littleevilthings.com or call them toll-free at (877) LIL-EVIL. The 56-minute collection of stories is available on CD or cassette.