Arnold Masterson had always been a bit of a hypochondriac, so when he woke up one morning with a strange and unexplainable ringing in his right ear, the first thought that entered his mind was that he must have a brain tumor.
Why not? Everything else in his life had gone south. His wife paid little to no attention to him anymore (in fact, he had a sneaking suspicion she was having an affair with Brian, one of her hunky coworkers), he had no real friends, and he absolutely hated his job. Tack on a now bulging gut and several randomly placed bald spots on his head that made him feel like a mangy dog, and the sound of a brain tumor didn’t really seem all that bad.
But, upon further investigation, Arnold quickly discovers that brain tumors aren’t the only thing that can cause this strange ringing in his ear…and in his case, the cause may just lead to a very unlikely friendship that turns out to be the solution to all of his other problems.
A Bad Case of Tinnitus, by Tony Evans
Tony Evans is a crafter of horror and dark fiction, father, wildlife biologist, and member of the Horror Writers Association. Originally from the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky, Tony grew up listening to stories of mountain monsters and holler witches, and his writing tends to reflect the culture and folk-tales of the area. While he sometimes enjoys what is termed 'quiet horror', Tony is much happier watching good old-fashioned slasher movies and reading about the boogeyman, demons, and anything else that may be hiding under the bed or in the closet.
His writing influences include: Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, and Ray Bradbury, whose early work and short fiction leaves him wondering where 'true horror' has gone. He currently lives in Bardstown, Kentucky where he spends his time with his wife and two young daughters - his favorite little monsters.