Call Me Son

“This is a story of a man named George,
George, George, George,
He thought he had the perfect life
A great son, teenage daughter, and the perfect wife
But George grew bored, you see
And restless like a bitch in heat
So he hopped on an app to find a new toy
And discovered a cute teenage boy
Chasten was his name, and he loved to play
So the two decided to meet one day....”

This was not my first time experiencing the realm of extreme horror, known for testing the boundaries of shock and gore, trigger warnings galore, and nauseating, chilling pieces of fiction that stick with the psyche for extended periods of time. It's not unheard of for authors of this genre to cater to the gratuitous need for shock, or leaving permanent stains upon the souls of their readers, an imprint that haunts them, never to be forgotten. From Jack Ketchum's “Girl Next Door” to Sam West's “Home Intruder” and Edward Lee's “Bighead,” there is a variety of a palette to choose from, each catering to the taste of those curious readers looking for the next big scare or gross out moment.

Mique Watson's “Call Me Son” offers a disturbing look at human desires, the risks of exploring one's inner demons and fantasies, and the consequences that come with them. It delves into the life of George, a seemingly successful family man, living the picturesque life with his devoted and loving wife, Evelyn, and teenage children, Ron and Jennie. However, when Ron, driven by restless need for novelty, embarks on a dangerous online liaison, he finds himself entwined in a series of horrific and violent events that, in the depths of all this bloodshed, could have been prevented.

Had he never downloaded the hookup app to his phone to begin with.

Beneath the facade of success and domesticity, George harbors dark and horrendous cravings, a growing dissatisfaction with his mundane existence, and seeks solace and excitement in an online relationship with sixteen-year-old Chasten, a choice that sets him and his family on a wild rollercoaster of violence, bloodshed, torture, all that irrevocably alter their lives together.

My first impression with Mique Watson's work, the novella is short, twenty chapters, completed in a combined three hours spread out over the course of three days. It presents a compelling premise, creatively twisting a theme and plot line that has been done a thousand times over. Yet it also falls short in its execution.

The writing style itself poses inconsistencies throughout the story, oscillating between moments of brilliant literary prose, beautiful wording to describe a sunrise or the appearance of the seemingly innocent and cute character, Chasten, then shifts to passages that border on juvenile fanfiction, (an experience I know well of, and not my proudest of years in my life). This can be jarring, detracting from the overall reading experience.

The character development in itself is uneven. I can understand and forgive the shortcomings of this being on the short length of the novella, but I've seen other authors utilize their skills and tools to depict compelling and likable characters in the same novella length. An example of this is in George's internal struggles portrayed with some depth, while it is as a storm, which is trite and overused, but it was still used poetically and beautifully, while other characters remain underdeveloped, forgettable, and I mean this on the literal bases (I forgot the name of the daughter, for instance, as she is mentioned infrequently throughout the story, but there is no real interaction between her and the main cast of characters). A multitude of individuals are introduced, new ones seemingly brought every chapter or so, that serve little purpose in advancing the plot, or contributing to the theme. There is a lack of focus, weakening the narrative and the impact it has on the reader.

The plot suffers from the same, a lack of cohesion, where plot points are introduced but never fully fleshed out or resolved, loose ends left that both confused and frustrated me. The transitions between scenes are abrupt, disjointed, disrupting the flow, with some characters standing in a bathrobe one moment then in their car the next with no mention of what is happening in between. Or a character still being depicted on their knees, then in the first sentence of the next paragraph they are stabbing another character, who was standing, in the neck, with no mention of them standing up, approaching, nothing.

Yet despite all this, “Call Me Son” offers moments of genuine suspense and horror. The exploration of both George's and Chasten's inner turmoil, their history, their demons, neither without fault or sin in their pasts, and the destructive paths they are drawn to, intertwining their fates together. Taboo subjects are explored, (some more horrifying than others) and are unflinching in their portrayal, not just the acts themselves, but in the consequences of those actions.

Intermingled in all of this were references or sections that felt like call-outs to either true crime or popular media. A scene that I took particular note of was when Evelyn is out with her friends. A conversation takes place that reads as though taken word for word from an episode of Sex and the City. The conclusion of the novella felt way too similar to the ending of A Serbian Film. And when a character is first introduced, I had to pause to wonder if Mique inserted a copy of Liezyl Margallo, (if you know, you know, and yes, you may need therapy).

In conclusion, “Call Me Son” is a flawed but intriguing entry into the extreme horror genre, with this being an interesting first impression of Mique Watson's ability to explore the darkness in human desires and its destructive power. The only drawbacks being the inconsistent writing style, underdeveloped characters, and disjointed plot held this novella back from reaching its full potential, though it will not prevent me from seeing what else Mique may have up his sleeve. I look forward to seeing more from him and how his talent and skills will develop.