
Nightmare on the nose
Phil Watson is a down‑on‑his‑luck gambler whose nights are haunted by a bizarre, sentient nightmare that takes the shape of a horse. When the creature finally confronts him, it boasts an uncanny ability to out‑play any card game and a fierce desire for recognition. Intrigued and desperate, Watson hatches a plan: why not turn this restless specter into a champion on the racetrack?
The two strike a curious bargain—Watson will give the nightmare, now christened Incubus, the trappings of a real thoroughbred, while the creature promises to bring him the winnings he’s been missing. He envisions forged papers, a glamorous debut in the winner’s circle, and a life where the once‑unappreciated nightmare finally enjoys the spotlight. Their unlikely partnership sets the stage for a witty, high‑stakes adventure that blurs the line between myth and the world of horse racing.
Language
en
Duration
~23 minutes (22K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
New York, NY: King-Size Publications, Inc., 1953.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Dec 23, 2023
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1922–2000
Best known for clever, satirical science fiction, this New York writer also turned her hand to mysteries and crossword puzzles. Her stories appeared frequently in major genre magazines in the 1950s, and her work later ranged into mystery novels and other fiction.
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