By Colleen Anderson 
Those that Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward
Is it not the way of great thinkers and creators that what we imagine we can make real? Kyla Ward’s novella is a nightmare that weaves reality into the imagined. Wander is a young woman plagued since childhood with lucid nightmares and something sinister that hunts her when she sleeps. She knows that if it pursues her into the waking world, there will be no escape. Phobetor, the Greek god of Nightmares, has a name that conjures fear, and it wants access to the waking world. It hasn’t pursued her in a long time because she takes precautions, but that doesn’t mean living a normal life.
When she dreams, Wander jumps through contrived landscapes, and lucid dream constructions to fool Phobetor. These dreamscapes shift and reform as does she when she envisions new doorways or portals. Most people have experienced those nightmares where you fall, that sickening scoop hollowing your stomach and lungs, or of being chased by an unfathomable something—you run but it’s slow motion and the reaching doom is just behind. It’s said you’ll die if you fall and hit the ground. That falling is a desperate ploy of escape when Phobetor gets too close to the daytime world.
Ward weaves wonderfully malleable dreamscapes on the edge of darkness, and full of foreboding. Wander, at the urging of her artist partner Roscoe, sees the counsellor, Dr. Madeline Diamonde. Madeleine sees Phobetor as a symbolic representation of something Wander is avoiding and possibly hiding from an abusive past.
Madeleine and Wander have powerful dreams: Madeleine believes her brother drowned, which has affected her throughout her life. Wander and Madeleine dream in the present, but their waking lives are told in past tense, a form that works well in giving more impact to Wander’s lucid dreaming and allowing the surreal to paint an up close and visceral canvas.
The Shallows are the dreams we have of everyday things. They protect the dreamer before they step over the border into the Deep Dream, and only a few have the skills to move through the nightmare realm. Roscoe and Wander use a form of B&D to bring her out of the Dreaming and anchor her when Phobetor draws too near. She reveals her techniques to Madeleine during counselling sessions, and then worries that she has said too much that will endanger the woman.
Wander withdraws from Madeleine’s counsel and goes into deep hiding with Roscoe. Madeleine’s girlfriend notices her obsession with her client but also see changes infecting the nighttime world of Paris. The more Madeleine deals with her own nightmares and the loss of her brother—was anyone at fault—the more she turns toward dreams and loses touch with her partner who leaves her. Madeleine taps into Wander’s nightmare scape, which pulls Wander out of hiding. As the children of Paris experience night terrors, Madeleine makes it her goal to save the ones that Phobetor has touched.
Ward’s deft skills balance the surreal and the real until the waking world is slowly saturated, like a frog sitting in boiling water. The awe full and the awful infect people, especially children. This gothic tapestry, as Wander recedes to the underground to hide in all senses from Phobetor, reflects a mindscape of a woman who lives more in dream than reality. Its rich tapestry is vivid and populated with strange creations.
One cannot help but see a connection to Morpheus, the Lord of Dream from the Sandman series. Whereas the Sandman deals with immortal gods and their dilemmas when relating to the mortal world, Those That Pursue Us Yet looks at identity and what we perceive as real. This is not a descent into madness tale, for madness walks arm in arm with Phobetor from the beginning. It is not a tale that ends with “it was all a dream”. Kyla Ward’s skill at dancing madly between the borders of trauma and the powers of darkness and nightmares stops this story from ever falling into truly familiar territory.
Like a Peter Greenaway film, Ward’s novella has subtext in subtext. It’s a well calculated journey into two women’s beliefs and perspectives, and like dreams, it’s difficult to tell where one person’s dreams shift into another person’s nightmare, or reality.
Unlike stories that separate reality from dreamscape or gamescape, where the protagonist gets to escape the terror, Wander pulls everyone into her world. Wander and Madeleine—W and M—letters that mirror each other. Yet, Wander and Madeleine are not perfect mirrors of each other but perhaps fragments. Madeleine becomes a warrior (as her brother once was) trying to save Wander, and Wander just might be the unwitting antagonist. Like the Deep Dream, it goes beyond the every day, full of wonder and terror and an inescapable destiny that pulls Wander and Madeleine into the powerful subconscious of our psyches.
Those That Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward
Parisian psychologist Madeline Diomande has known her share of peculiar and demanding clients. But Wander Paxton is something more. Wander has lived in seven countries and speaks four languages, and claims a dreamlife even more exotic. There, an entity she equates with Phobetor, the Roman god of nightmares, pursues her through a landscape of archetype and wild fantasy.
As her efforts to help Wander draw them closer together, Madeline’s own old nightmares resurface. But strange things are happening in Paris. As the incidence of night terrors in children reaches plague proportions, adults become violent and suicidal. By the time she realises the truth of Phobetor’s connection to her patient, it may be too late to save anyone.
Cover art by Alessandro Amoruso
“Kyla Lee Ward’s utterly original, powerful voice courses through this stunning book. I was held mesmerized by the language and by the story.
–Kaaron Warren, multi-award-winning author of Slights, The Grief Hole and Sky.
“Kyla Lee Ward is one of the most exciting authors of dark and weird fiction writing today. Her knowledge of myths and legends, archetypes and ancient history is dazzling, and her work as action-packed and exciting as it is beautifully written. Those That Pursue Us Yet follows hot on the heels of Kyla’s stunning short story collection This Attraction Now Open Till Late, and will delight seasoned fans of Kyla’s wondrous tales and new readers alike.”
–Anna Taborska, author of Bloody Britain and For Those Who Dream Monsters
“A glorious gothic maelstrom of bondage and discipline, of deep psychology and dream logic, of present day Paris and ancient malevolence. Those That Pursue Us Yet is a heart-pounding nightmare, a lucid dreamscape of cosmic terrors that bleed from the page into the waking world.”
–Joseph Ashley-Smith, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author of The Measure of Sorrow.
Kyla Lee Ward
Based in Sydney, Australia, Kyla produces fiction, articles and poetry, including Stoker and Rhysling nominees, and is co-author of the Aurealis Award-winning novel Prismatic. She is a founding member of Deadhouse Productions and a guide with the Rocks Ghost Tours. Her interests include history, occultism and scaring innocent bystanders.
Further Reading –
Colleen Anderson
Colleen Anderson has been widely published across seven countries, with works appearing in publications such as Weird Tales, Cemetery Dance, Amazing, and Shadow Atlas. Rhysling Award winner for “Machine (r)Evolution” and a two-time winner of the SFPA’s dwarf poetry contest.
She has been nominated for Pushcart, Elgin, Rhysling, and Dwarf Stars Awards. She is a Canada Council, BC Arts Council and Ladies of Horror Fiction grant recipient. Her poetry collections include The Lore of Inscrutable Dreams, I Dreamed a World, Weird Worlds, and Vellum Leaves and Lettered Skins as well as fiction collections A Body of Work and Embers Amongst the Fallen. Colleen freelances as an editor, and has served on the SFPA executive, as well as British Fantasy Award and Stoker juries. She lives in Vancouver, BC where she searches for mermaids. www.colleenanderson.wordpress.com
Horror Book Reviews on Ginger Nuts of Horror
For dedicated horror fans seeking their next chilling read, Ginger Nuts of Horror has established itself as a must-visit destination. Driven by a passion for the genre, the website offers more than just standard reviews, providing a deep dive into the world of dark fiction that keeps a global community of readers coming back for more.
A genuine, infectious enthusiasm for horror fuels Ginger Nuts of Horror. Founded by Jim Mcleod, the site has grown from a personal project into a significant resource. The site’s unique appeal stems from its “sense of fun” and the evident “joy for horror“. This passion translates into thoughtful coverage that explores the emotional and thematic depths of horror, looking beyond monsters to the “feelings and emotion” that make the genre so powerful.
The site offers a diverse range of content catering to a wide variety of horror tastes. Readers can find:
- Thoughtful Reviews
- Author Insights: In-depth interviews that provide fascinating glimpses into the creative processes of renowned authors.
- Genre Exploration: A commitment to pushing boundaries and highlighting authors who try new things, ensuring readers discover fresh and innovative voices.
With over 16 years of experience, Ginger Nuts of Horror has built a reputation for credibility and consistency. It is frequently nominated for awards and has become a go-to source for readers seeking honest and engaging opinions. The site excels at creating a shared reading experience, helping readers not only find books they’ll love but also understand the deeper currents moving through the horror genre today.
For anyone looking to stay informed and inspired in the world of horror literature, Ginger Nuts of Horror is an invaluable resource. Its blend of expertise, passion, and diverse content makes it the perfect guide for navigating the ever-expanding shelves of dark fiction.
Jim Mcleod 
Tasha Schiedel