Francis by Georgina Morales

Four Stars
"Don't mess with your neighbors!"

This short story by Georgina Morales is taken from a collection titled "Isolation: An Anthology of New Horror Fiction." The story takes place in the town of Saybrook, which - based on other information in the book - is apparently located in U.S. Northeast. Francis, the main character, is an obese man who lives alone in his parents' old house. Rarely going outside and becoming something of a hoarder, Francis is visited by one of the town's deputies, who informs him that his residence must be cleaned of all its unnecessary junk. Failing to see how this can be enforced, Francis sets up a private meeting with the deputy and the town Sheriff. When pleading his case, Francis gives a reason as to why his house is in its current condition. Trust me when I say you'll never guess his excuse. Anyway, the two officers refuse to budge, and Francis is given a date for when he must comply. I can't disclose any further details, but I found the premise of this story - and the eventual climax - to be very interesting. While there is room for improvement when it comes to editing, Georgina succeeds in entertaining the reader, as well as in her execution of the story. There was even a point when I had to put my e-reader down, and I was eager to get back to the story to see what would transpire next.

http://www.amazon.com/Isolation-ebook/dp/B004HD66TA/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1339265955&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.amazon.com/Georgina-Morales/e/B004L93XQE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_7