The Caretaker

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY: Caregiver for elderly husband urgently needed. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY. If interested, please contact: carnswel54@aol.com
As a down on her luck college grad saddled with a disturbing amount of debt, Macy Mullins can't say why the Craigslist posting grabbed her attention - it had all the flare of a fisherman's lure, barbed hook and all.
But after an endless string of failed job interviews, Macy is not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay and a younger sister to provide for. Unable to turn down a paycheck, she takes the job . . . and quickly discovers that her responsibilities have stakes far greater - and more dangerous - than she ever could have imagined.
Follow the Rites . . . Follow the Rites . . . Follow the Rites . . .
Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

Marcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. His debut novel We Used to Live Here began life as a serialized short story on Reddit, where it won the Scariest Story of 2021 Award on the NoSleep forum (eighteen million members). Film rights were snapped up by Netflix, and it was acquired for publication even before it had been extended into a full-length novel. His second novel, The Caretaker, is coming in Spring 2026. Marcus Kliewer lives in Vancouver, Canada.