But on Halloween, I revel in the thought.
Here are some creepy, scary, gory, or dark stories of mine for your Halloween frightification (the titles are links):
Xavier's Escape
The ending of "Xavier's Escape" came first, I know not whence, and then I had to build up the action to get us there. The story itself is supposed to be tense; the horror comes after the story ends, but only if you think about what the ending means for the protagonist.The Day of Sacrifice and The Day of Reckoning
This pair of stories tell of two consecutive days in a dystopian prison of sorts. If I've done my job correctly, the endings of both stories become punchlines when you find out what is really going on and why.
No Surprises
"No Surprises" is a dark story about suicide, inspired by and featuring the Radiohead song of the same name. Not my best writing, but a tough set of thoughts and emotions to write about. |
| Jack-o-lantern (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Helpless
"Helpless" is about justice for a douche canoe. Actually, that's just the backdrop. It's really about a 99-pound weakling who has to choose between life or death. One commenter disagreed with the main character's actions, which I must say was one of the high points of this blog -- knowing that someone read my story and then thought about their own beliefs.Last Night
"Last Night" is really kind of a love story, though death permeates the entire (short) thing.The Son She Loved Less
This is the darkest story I've ever written. Here, you will find nothing supernatural, nothing fantastic, and no punchline. Only the internal horror that some sorry parents actually have to face daily.The Darkness That Grows Within, or, Even Hypochondriacs Get Sick
This was one of my favorite stories to write, though the humor behind it might be lost on some readers. It's pure camp with a gory punchline.I also have two other stories that are fitting for Halloween. One is unfinished and was conceived after reading some HP Lovecraft. The other is finished, and I liked it so much that I submitted it to a magazine -- so I don't want to post it here at the moment.
Both will undoubtedly be posted here eventually, so you'll be able to read them when they're up. Or next Halloween, when I recycle my stories again.
Enjoy.
