Horror, Short Story

Gonna Make You Burn

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Today’s Writing Practice #19
where we’re given today’s prompt.
Here’s where the prompt took me.

The Prompt: The curse of the black dog in Appalachian folklore warns that encountering a spectral black dog described as an unusually large dog with glowing red eyes; is a powerful omen of death or misfortune. Write a story about someone who encounters the Black Dog.
I am taking a slightly different approach. It was Winston Churchill who used the term “Black Dog” to describe his struggles with depression. In my story, the black dog is used as a metaphor for the feelings of sadness, hopelessness and lack of motivation.  

© Reddit


Jacob Greeley was a man who lived deep within the Appalachian mountain region. For many years he was haunted by a darkness that consumed him from within. His days were filled with a heavy fog of despair, and his nights were tormented by vivid nightmares that left him gasping for air.

But it was not just his own mind that tormented Jacob. One night as he was out collecting firewood, a chilling howl pierced the silence. Jacob turned to see a big wolf-like black dog with scraggly fur and glowing red eyes standing before him. Its eyes bore into his soul, filled with a malevolence that sent shivers down his spine.

From that moment on, the black dog became a constant presence in Jacob’s life. It would appear at the edge of his vision, lurking in the shadows, its red eyes glowing with a sinister light. Whenever Jacob tried to escape, the dog would always find him, its haunting howls echoing in his ears.

As the days passed, Jacob’s grip on reality began to slip. The black dog’s presence grew stronger, its poisonous energy seeping into his very being. It whispered dark thoughts into Jacob’s mind, feeding his depression and despair until he could no longer distinguish between reality and his nightmares.

One night, Jacob found himself standing on the edge of a cliff, the black dog at his side, its red eyes flickering with the fire of malice. As he stared into the abyss below, a voice whispered in his ear, urging him to take the final step into the darkness.

With a heart heavy with sorrow, Jacob closed his eyes and let himself fall, the howls of the black dog echoing in his ears as he descended into the depths of despair.

And in the darkness, the black dog watched, its red eyes burning brighter than ever and its scraggly fur bristling with venomous glee, knowing that it had claimed another soul to haunt for eternity.

NAR©2025

This is “Black Dog” by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

Today’s Writing Practice #19

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

41 thoughts on “Gonna Make You Burn”

    1. Yes, I seem to be writing with black ink today but I am fine and not at all in a black mood. We write what we see. As I said to Clive, in the real world, tragedy strikes and we can’t give every story a happy ending.

      Very different version of a favorite Doors song; I heard a similar version recently live from the Whiskey A Go Go. Small world, indeed. 🌎🎶🌏

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      1. I’m glad you don’t write too many of these stories … my world of reality is still floating around on cloud nine, up somewhere near “The End” … 🌏📖📘💕🥰

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