Down by the Bay is an emotional short story about dealing with the loss of a loved one and wrongful blame. It is the story of coming back home after a long time away and dealing with the past.
The characters in the story are carefully crafted and clearly defined in their beliefs, and they act strongly according to them. Although not all actions were equally believable, the dialogues were natural and did not feel forced. The story itself started out strong, with a distinct sense of mystery.
The mystery hinted in the blurb gets revealed not even halfway through the story. This was a bummer for me. I missed this element of suspense in the second half and kept on waiting for another reveal or plot twist that never came. Although fitting the genre, I did expect more.
I give Down by the Bay 4 out of 5 stars for a nicely written story that is easy to read. It is a good read for everyone who likes southern settings dealing with family and small-community relationships.
About the author
Rebecca Amiss has been writing since she was a teenager. Her debut short story “Down By the Bay” was published in The Write Launch in September 2019, which was a quarter-finalist in Screencraft’s Cinematic Short Story contest.
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