This is childhood to a T. That little snot, Adam…the betrayed and devastated Doug. That horrible, casual betrayal was far worse than a hungry tree demon. And the magical find of a “tree house”!
When I was a kid, I found a platform (probably a deer stand) in a tree in the woods, and I gathered a small group of friends with plans to turn it into a real tree house. We were found by some older, meaner kids and of course they took over the platform and we littles had to slink off into the underbrush or be thrashed. Such a loss!
Marvellous as always EJ. Then again, I have come to expect that from your pieces. I read this piece slowly to allow my imagination to sink me in and darn gosh, it was creepy. Enough to knock some cool into the summer heat.
Ah, bless these summer reads. I loved this, EJ, right down to the final line. I don't know how you do it and I'm so glad I'm here to enjoy the summer nightmares!
Love how your summer series takes the things that we normally fondly reminisce about in summers past or look forward to in summers present and make them eerie. I’ll be seeing that peel in my sleep.
This is fantastic!
thank you!
A few things -
The tangerine peels. This is what I'm talking about. So good. I can smell them.
The demon. Action / Attraction. Time to pay.
The spinning of the tale at the end to help Dougie cope. His friend saved him. Love it.
ahhh thank you! I couldn’t get the spinning tangerine peel out of my mind
This is childhood to a T. That little snot, Adam…the betrayed and devastated Doug. That horrible, casual betrayal was far worse than a hungry tree demon. And the magical find of a “tree house”!
When I was a kid, I found a platform (probably a deer stand) in a tree in the woods, and I gathered a small group of friends with plans to turn it into a real tree house. We were found by some older, meaner kids and of course they took over the platform and we littles had to slink off into the underbrush or be thrashed. Such a loss!
yes! I love that you have that memory. love & loss are so huge to a kid
Marvellous as always EJ. Then again, I have come to expect that from your pieces. I read this piece slowly to allow my imagination to sink me in and darn gosh, it was creepy. Enough to knock some cool into the summer heat.
thank you! get your ice cold chills here
Ah, bless these summer reads. I loved this, EJ, right down to the final line. I don't know how you do it and I'm so glad I'm here to enjoy the summer nightmares!
I love how you captured a kid's perspective in a creepy story.
This was horrifying. The image of the blood raining down on him was visceral and so real. Great story.
Excellent all around.
appreciate it keith!
Love how your summer series takes the things that we normally fondly reminisce about in summers past or look forward to in summers present and make them eerie. I’ll be seeing that peel in my sleep.
thank you! summers and childhood are just irretrievably linked, aren’t they?
They are and your words really know how to poke at that nostalgia. Love this series. 🖤
That childhood demon waiting to get us, we knew it was more than they would allow, we knew it then, and buried down deep we still know it now.
Nice. I think I know this treehouse.
So many great sentences here, but I think my favorite is the first. Man, what a way to open a story! 👏
come for the vicious raccoon, stay for the demon
That was a really good story. Great job of showing, not telling.
thank you!
A creepy story with both psychological and supernatural elements.