Marguerite Antonia Caludio grew up in the looming shadow of her mother, a beautiful, talented flamenco dancer. But Anastasia had been taken down by breast cancer when Marguerite was only 14, and Marguerite's grandparents succumbed to grief only scant months later.

Now, Marguerite lives along in the same three-bedroom apartment, maintaining the shrine to all which has been lost. But she knows she is cursed, and it is only a matter of time before the blackness takes her, as well....

My Mother's Watchful Gaze is a psychological horror suspense short story. My horror stories explore the frailty of the human psyche - how tenuous our grasp on reality can be. The delve into how alone each of us really is, as we navigate the short, brief flicker of life we are granted. My stories focus on the psychological aspects of fear and do not contain overt gore. They are suitable for teens and up.

This short story is part of my series: Lisa's Dark Gripping Short Tales. You can read the short stories one at a time if you wish - each is available as a stand-alone book. If you prefer, you can get the first nine short stories compiled together. The title of that compilation is, naturally enough, Lisa's Dark Gripping Short Tales. I am currently working on the second set of nine stories. I'd love to hear feedback on them as I work on them.