24 Comments
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A.P. Murphy's avatar

May I be the first to say, congratulations on winning my personal Halloween story contest.

Great construction of narrative, loved the little switcheroos and fake-outs.

Believe me, if I could be horrified by fictional goings-on, rather than having my horror-buds saturated by real-life ones that I see every day, this would do it.

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EJ Trask's avatar

woo-hoooo!!! thanks man 🖤🎃

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Nick Winney's avatar

This is PERFECTION. mysterious... dreadful... horrifying...not a word wasted...and leaving so many questions...It has the feel about it that you got an idea and it all just poured out perfectly... was it like that?

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EJ Trask's avatar

it really was!

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Nick Winney's avatar

it just had that something about it... the flow was there. loved it!

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Nancy Waddell's avatar

How did I miss this? Amazing story telling!

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you!

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Scott Roche - he/him's avatar

Great stuff!

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you!

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Garen Marie's avatar

Oof! Harsh and horrific. A great spooky season read.

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Carolyn Bedgood's avatar

I would recommend reading this on Halloween but maybe a little earlier in the day? Because now I have to watch something comparatively gentle and palette cleansing before bed, like The Ring or It. 😩

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EJ Trask's avatar

😂

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Keith Long's avatar

Wonderfully told and unique.

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NJ Fiction's avatar

This was good and the tone was perfect!!

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Sean Thomas McDonnell's avatar

That was dark. I LOVED IT!

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Sean Thomas McDonnell's avatar

It was okay, I guess.

*puts down pen and never writes horror again

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EJ Trask's avatar

😭😭

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Jon T's avatar

Very horror. Very very. Sheeesh.

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Bradley Vee's avatar

What a great story, EJ. I enjoyed the Hell out of it. It's the best thing of the day, even better than the seventeen bite-size Milky Ways I've had. Great prose and humor.

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EJ Trask's avatar

I have always dreamed of being better than even one milky way

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Sandy Shaller's avatar

Oh my God! EJ, that is a fantastic story. I started reading and was rivited. Forgot where I was. Forgot the time. I was lost in the earthquake, the boiling lake, the 'possessed' kids. Your narrative style and using DJ as a possible catalist or a distraction was very effective. There wasn't, for my money, anything in the story that didn't work. It was horror and it was tight.

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EJ Trask's avatar

wow thank you sandy! i’m so glad you enjoyed it. happy halloween. 🎃

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Sandy Shaller's avatar

Happy Halloween and may all your jack-o-lanterns be friendly and warm.

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Liz Zimmers's avatar

Excellent!

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