In Bloom

This seems more like a prologue to a longer story.

This is story 4 of Amazon's short story collection Creature Feature. I love that these releases include the kindle and the audible version for each. 
Unfortunately, much like the many reviews I've already seen on it, I don't have much to say about this one. And what I do, is not really good. This short story is ultimately a flop for me. Characters are flimsy, the story boring. When I finished it, it actually thought, wait do I need to listen to that one again? But no, it's really just kind of that dull. 
I do like that this creature feature leans into more scifi, as I really enjoyed the short he did for the Forward Collection, but it just didn't amount to what I needed it too. Personally a 2.5/5*

Part of the Creature Feature Collection from Amazon.

This one was very like Ankle Snatcher in that it had a slightly too long build up for being so short, and then ended so abruptly it seemed unfinished. Perhaps that's the intent, to leave the reader just freaked out enough that their imagination does the rest, but I quite like at least a hint at an ending.

Environmental horror with a fun story and a tad bit of nostalgia. Sign me up!

Heidi is a Cape Cod journalist who is writing a story about a recent uptick in algae blooms in the area. A local named Jimmy has a story to tell Heidi that may seem too fantastical to believe. Back in the 80's, Jimmy witnessed something horrific at a baseball game that has haunted him for decades. Will Heidi believe what he has to say and publish the story? She may not have the opportunity to do so.

This short story was pretty exciting, but I really enjoy old monster movies such as The Blob, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, The Stuff, etc. All the campy stories where an experiment goes wrong and is released to the populous. I was surprised at how much nostalgia and backstory the author was able to pack into this short and where it ultimately ended up. The creature is multi-faceted and causes a unique array of ailments on its victims.

I enjoy how varied the creature feature collection is, and this one was a fun standout.

Ratings so far:
1. Best of Luck
2. It Waits in the Woods
3. In Bloom
4. The Pram
5. Ankle Snatcher