Best of 2013 - Blood or Black Tears
Novelty is always welcome, so we were particularly excited to see Blood or Black Tears, by Jennifer Loring, appear in our submissions pile. Even though horror stories have covered just about every kind of monster, malevolent being, and creepy crawly, it's still fairly rare to see a story about the South American legend of La Llorona, or the Weeping Woman. But that's not all there is to like about this tale.
We picked Blood or Black Tears as one of the best stories of 2013 because it's a good mix of traditional horror and psychological horror. There are still a few jump scares and gruesome sights, but they are only there to support the part of the story where we watch the protagonist wade through a life of terror. It keeps each of the elements from overwhelming one another, but still manages to be icky in all the right ways.
Stay tuned as we revisit our favorite stories from 2013, and get ready to cast your vote in the biggest Reader’s Choice poll this side of whatever convenient landmark you are near.