Like Father, Like Son – A Short Story (Horror)

I was challenged to write a horror story a month ago, about the things that sadden, disgust, and disturb me.

I don’t write horror. It may sound silly, but I hold to the belief that what we think about makes up who we are. I don’t want to ponder the things that break my heart, make me cringe, or fill me with fear and sadness. (Go ahead, you’re free to mutter, “Pollyanna.” The time is apt.)

But, I also don’t cower in the face of challenge. And to be honest, I’ve been struggling with weaving enough feeling and emotion in my prose. I rationalized that if I could make my own skin prickle with creepiness, induce my sorrow by speaking of wrongs (which ought to be righted), I would achieve my aim of stirring the feelings of my reader. I have a tendency to intellectualize, and focus on action. I want to feel more while I write and horror accomplished the task. Believe me, it  made me sad. It kept me awake at night. But I did it, and you can too.

The very first literary magazine I sent it to published it today. (Meanwhile, the stories I consider my darlings receive rejections, go figure.) I used a pen name–I do that when I publish anything I won’t allow my children to read (such as a romantic scene or profanity in dialog).  Please let me know what you think, bad or good.

Picture courtesy Wordhaus.com
Picture courtesy Wordhaus.com

Here is my horror story, Like Father, Like Son, published at Wordhaus.com

Have you ever written outside your regular genre? What was it like? What did you learn? Please comment below.

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Sprout fought for life even at the cost of his brother—but is it enough? A wordhaus horror—Click to tweet

In this wordhaus horror, the odds don’t look good for the bastard child of a man who’s killed his own progeny before—Click to tweet

**Note: the medical aspects in my story are factual. Even this: Unborn Babies Feel Anger and Joy, Life News (2014.)

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