Another Halloween comes and goes and it was a wonderfully creepy time!



Well, Halloween is over and with it the gruesome festivities have ended. There was decorating...



Wee Willie Wicked's brother Jack B. Wicked, a jester, made a couple of appearances and it was all well and good and great fun.



But, it was Willie who took second place in a local costume contest.



And, I submitted a tale to the Annual Daytona Beach News Journal Scary Story contest. It didn't win, nor did it even receive an honorable mention. And, to be frank, their choices weren't even scary at all. I suppose that's to be expected with a family oriented publication. Regardless, below is my entry...

Carving the Pumpkin

The carved face silently spoke to Johnny’s fractured eight-year-old mind, no longer distraught with fear and helplessness.

Good job pal.

***

With his mother remarried, Johnny was expected to embrace his new father as he had his real father and initially he tried. He also tried to tell her the horrible things that went on while she was gone too. She never believed, thinking the bruises always came from somewhere other than violence.

When she walked in with the large pumpkin as she always had this time of year, Johnny had already settled on a design, a design that was not too scary and not too happy.

With the pumpkin wiped down, centered on the table and awaiting, Johnny decided a larger knife would be in order this year and fetched the biggest one from the wooden holder by the sink.

“Be careful,” his mother’s concerned voice implied as she headed off to work. Soon after, the pumpkin lay smashed on the floor, the work of a bitter drunk during the angry throes of not having the whiskey bottle delivered fast enough.

Standing over the innards oozing cracked fruit, looking from blackening eyes filled with tears of rage, Johnny listened intently for snoring.

***

The carving complete, a content smile broke across Johnny’s face as he carried it to the front porch stoop, leaving streaks of red on the white door. Placing it proudly facing outward, he turned and went back inside to dispose of the body.

End



So, now that I've wasted time on gory and chilling activities, it's time to get back on the chopping block and hack away.

1) A couple of film reviews for Horror News Net (special thanks to Mike for allowing me the time to partake in Halloween events).

2) Submit a tale called All For Love (a bit of a misnomer that deals with love in a rather gruesome way).

3) Blogging (which you are reading now).

4) Finish a chilling Christmas tale called Snowball, a tale that deals with the materialism of the holiday season.

5) Dive back into my novel A Lawnly Existence. Currently I am on chapter 23 and suspect it to complete with chapter 25 or 26. Of course this remains to be seen though.

6) And, I'm also considering putting all my tales into a book collection, but that's open for more discussion.

What am I reading?



* October 2012 of Suspense Magazine (By the way, I'm expecting my tale The Sidewalk Ends to be included in a future issue)



* Issue 67 of Cemetery Dance



* The Association by Bentley Little



And so, in case you haven't noticed, the stores are invading full fledged with tinsel and lights and gifts...and while most folks view it full of joy (and for the largest part, I do too), there always seems to be some sort of demented and wicked side within my viewpoint and therefore, this is going to be a horrific holiday season! Maybe Santa will bring me something creepy and crawly.



Sometimes writing is harder than digging a grave

Before we get started, lets all give a sigh of relief. It's now less than 3 weeks before the new Walking Dead series begins and those of us who have anticipated this can now start breathing again!

And, since Halloween is fast approaching, I'm gearing up and in decorative mode. By the way, be on the lookout for Jack (Wee Willie Wicked's brother, a not so humorous jester). He'll be making a special appearance as the time draws nearer.

My Pacu Tank

I'm planning on doing some planting.

 



For the past couple of months I have embarked primarily on making a serious attempt at finishing my first full-length novel. And, I must say that there has been considerable progress and very rewarding. However, this trek hasn’t been what one would call easy and it has taken a substantial amount of self-discipline.

You see, I work as a tech for one of the major telecommunications companies and this job requires long hours. Many times I find myself crouched precariously on a truss beam trying desperately to avoid the nail points coming in through the roof above me wanting poke and jab, surrounded by irrepressible attic heat, soaked to the bone with sweat and itching from the insulation sticking to places you don’t want it to. My only solace is the large spider that lingers in the web at the corner keeping me company. Of course he doesn’t say much and that allows me the opportunity to quickly go about completing my task in order to escape the oven as soon as possible.

Just in case you don't believe me

 

Of course this job isn’t always this tough. Sometimes I don’t see an attic at all and get to stay outside, squeezing through a cluster of bushes, flicking off the various bugs and spiders fall from its branches from by arms and legs after I make it through. Hey! At least they don’t itch!

That’s when I find myself opening up a utility box to find either a cockroach the size of a small hybrid car, or a Black Widow spider that thought it had a good hiding spot. Of course, that’s after I have maneuvered and am straddling the fire ant mound that sits silently below me.

These are simply a few of the things I encounter on a daily basis and I’m not going to go into some of the various customers I deal with only to say that at times I have felt like they were looking deep into me, at my liver, with Fava beans and Chianti on their minds (pft pft pft pft pft pft). None-the-less, to be honest, I am truly glad and feel quite fortunate to even have a job in this day and age. The fact that these daily horrors are included is a bonus. And, while it may be quite difficult at times, I do have days off, which is more than I can say about my writing schedule.

 

I once read somewhere; what do you call a writer who never gives up…Published. And, while I already have been published, I still live by this adage and constantly find myself striving to do what I hope to some day do for a living. As of now, the job is a requirement, and it may eventually pan out to always be. But, that doesn’t mean I’m going to accept this unknown fact. And so, every single day I fit in writing. Most of the times it is after dragging myself out of bed, days off included, at 5:00 am. It is what I typically write that is the variable. Many times, at least for the past few months, I’ve been concentrating on my novel A Lawnly Existence and am currently on chapter 21.

However, this is not a constant and the way I feel when I get up usually dictates what will be written. Both compulsion and self-discipline play equal roles. Since I’m a regular review contributor to Horror News Net, (under Wee Willie Wicked) the compulsion factor pushes me to finish the latest review, and this requires the self-discipline, which I obviously have. Of course if you were to ask me if I had this trait the moment the alarm clock goes off I’d probably disagree.

Regardless, besides the novel and film reviews, I have numerous short pieces in various stages that I’ll sometimes find myself adding to; and it just so happens that you are reading a blog entry that my compulsion forced this morning. These are the things I can’t seem to control. But, I don’t see it as a problem since I am following through and plopping down at the keyboard to pound out some words. Someday this may all change and I’ll be able to afford to write at leisure. However, right now I’m forced to fit this writing into a rigorous schedule and have successfully done so. And I may not be able to bang out piece after piece as often as I like, but I’m still writing and when the finish does appear, it is sweet.

Coincidentally, I have finished and submitted two pieces in the last 30 days. One, The Sidewalk Ends, was submitted and accepted by Suspense Magazine. I’m assuming it will be included in the Halloween issue, but I could be wrong. The second was a piece specifically written after receiving a call out for entries in the Smart Rhino Publications anthology Zippered Flesh 2 – Tales of Body Enhancements Gone Bad. I’ve since heard back from editor Weldon Burge and he likes the tale. However, he has a couple of other tales that surround the subject matter and has requested additional time to decide whether or not to use it. This doesn’t bother me one bit and I view it as a victory. At least it’s being considered. And, if per chance it isn’t included, I have a number of other publications that I’ll submit it to.

And so, this seems to be the story of my life and I am religious at it. But, let me tell you, there are those times when digging a six foot deep grave sounds considerably easier.

WOW! Where's this creep been?

Well, for those wondering where Willie and I have been for the past couple of months, we’d love to tell you that it involved something other than blood and guts, and for the biggest part, it did, but not completely...

There was that three week span when love, caring and kindness reared it’s ugly head…when my daughter Paige, along with her friend Julia, came to visit. Naturally and of course, it was a wonderful most enjoyable time, but there was no blood, there was no gore, and, there was no writing. All were replaced with the likes of days at the beach, joyful type chick flick nights (yuck!), nice conversing sit down meals, snorkeling in crystal clear water, shopping, both movie theater and neighborhood drive-in nights and all those other things teenage girls like to do. And, I must admit that at the time, I sincerely wondered if their cell phones were surgically attached.



None-the-less, she is always worth it and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world, but, like I said, there was no blood, guts or writing. Unfortunately and/or fortunately, depending upon which aspect one’s viewing, the time came and went, and I dove right back into writing. After finishing a 5k word piece entitled The Sidewalk Ends and an article about werewolves, both of which will be in an upcoming issue of Suspense Magazine, I went back to concentrating on my very first full-length novel, A Lawnly Existence, a tale about a lonely old man compelled by love, attempting to fulfill his deceased wife's last wish and who inadvertently stumbles upon a book that aids...gruesomely. Currently on chapter 14 and somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 or 130 pages or so, I know exactly where the tale leads and I suspect it will end with either chapter 22 or 23. I’m hopeful to finish it within the next couple of months, but (sic) that work thing keeps getting in the way…so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Willie, on the other hand, has been concentrating on reviewing various films for Horrornews, (read his reviews here) and contemplating starting up his own Wee Willie Wicked dot com. Needless to say, him and I tend to bicker back and forth about who gets to do what, with me usually getting the upper hand or leg or whatever body part…heh heh. Coincidently, speaking of film reviews, I also took the time to write one too, and you can read it below.

And, like Bentley Little (one of my all-time favs) also perceives, I too tend to find social networking mostly unproductive, but a necessary aspect to a up and coming writer. After all, publicity is everything and this doesn’t mean that I will turn my back on the likes of blogging, Facebook, Twitter and the likes either, for I expect to stab from time to time too. But, I also want to finish this novel and in order to do so, with only so many hours in the day, I feel more than ever compelled to lean toward completion rather than posting a ditty about how my parrot Kenni’s shower went.

So, this said, my plan is to spend as much time as required over the couple months or so trapped in a world of words known as A Lawnly Existence and, depending whether or not I have something worthwhile to contribute (a probable and plausible assumption, especially with my opinionated ways and constant idea generating mind), I will more than likely see you more often than I currently foresee, and most assuredly more often than I recently have. So much for Willie and his website…for now at least.

So, until next time…Stay Scared folks…

Thomas aka Wee Willie Wicked



Intense, chilling and oddly satisfying, The Tortured (2010 - Directed by Robert Lieberman) is an emotional roller coaster ride that digs deeply into a parents’ worst nightmare. As their transformation from loving guardians to violent vicious killers occurs, many, if not most or all, will probably find themselves rooting them on, agreeing…even though it is morally wrong.

Elise (Erika Christensen) and Craig Landry  (Jesse Metcalfe) are stable, upper middle class and the epitome of family, parenting their only child Ben (Thomas Greenwood), a happily content toddler, with love and guidance.

John Kozlowski (Bill Moseley) is a schizophrenic whacked out taxidermist loner who listens to old scratchy albums of children songs, sits at a vanity putting on loud colored ugly or misplaced placed make-up and brushing his hair when he is the adolescent daughter figure; or yelling at the top of his lungs when he portrays the father figure. Both are one in the same. (A perfect Bill Moseley character I might add).

The day is serene and typical. (However, the audience sees Kozlowski, unbeknownst to Craig, sitting creepily by in a beat up camper loaded old truck, watching the young Ben frolic about on a backyard Jungle Gym and fearfully setting the stage of inevitability.)

While Ben plays, Craig hurries inside the home seeking sunscreen only to find the drawer where it is normally kept a cluttered mess. As he searches through the plethora of miscellaneous bottles, he also maintains a more than occasional glance out the window keeping watch over his son.

He turns his attentions away for but a few seconds and looks back in time to horrifyingly (a truly frightening and effective scene) see Kozlowski snatching up Ben under his arm and running to the truck, parked nearby. Craig races out of the house after them, but is too late as Kozlowski already has Ben in the truck and is speeding away. Craig retrieves his car and begins to pursue, but is too late and loses trail of the kidnapper. An Amber Alert is issued and the manhunt is on.

Fears are eventually realized, but not initially from the viewers’ standpoint, as the police stumble upon the truck, partially hidden by a tarp, in the driveway of the kidnapper’s home. During a doorway questioning, the officers notice bloody footprints across the home’s floor, giving them reasonable suspicion to search. But, as mentioned prior, it is too late. Ben has been the victim of a heinous crime.

A subsequent exploratory excavation of Kozlowski’s backyard follows, turning up other unfortunate victims’ remains and it looks as though the case is shut and dried with the molester certainly ending up in the chair. But, not all is what it seems and so begins an emotional trial between the couple, the accused and state, and the audience.

Realizing that the state could be in for a difficult insanity plea trial, the D.A. strikes a bargain allowing Kozlowski to plead guilty, and the creep is sentenced to 25 years to life, which really means that he could possibly be free in 10 years.

This is unacceptable to Elise and she vividly wants to take matters into her own hands. Her doctor husband Craig, who, while not agreeing with the sentence, has unwittingly accepted the judgment and tries to talk sense into Elise, attributing her motive to post traumatic stress.

Full depression sets in and a distraught Elise decides to leave the marriage, sending Craig into a downward spiral and toward the brink of suicide. (The film wisely and effectively uses Craig’s memorial flashbacks of happier times as he solemnly slouches in the home’s chair surrounded by packed boxes for emphasis). But, he snaps and becomes furious at what has become, deciding Elise was right and they reconnect to form a revenge plan.

Not wanting to give too much of the film away, lets just say that a hypodermic syringe, an old wartime gas mask, a cherry fire tipped cigar and a few other implements become eventual characters, causing both repulsion and cheer, successfully carrying the fast paced film through a suspenseful journey filled with edge of the seat excitement, all the way to the never seen it coming plot twisted ending.



And now...back to writing....



The past few weeks I've been heavily hacking and chopping and slicing and tearing away at design with newly launched Staying Scared dot com and the revamped Thomas Scopel dot com. Finally, I feel some sort of accomplishment and completion and can now get back to writing and it's going to feel good. Although, I'm not so sure whether I'm completely content with Staying Scared and may change the format in the future. None-the-less, at the present I'm quite burnt out on web design and am putting it down for a bit. Oh, rest assured I'll be back...just not right now...I'm toast.

I am however, very happy with my Thomas Scopel dot com site. Maybe stop by for a peek (click here). It's really not much, but it is professional and considerably different than the old design. Let me know what you think.



And, as far as Staying Scared dot com is concerned, I have a page called "Tales" and on this page I plan to post links to horror writers' websites. So, if you write horror, even faint horror and have a website, send your link and I'll post it. Maybe we can trade links.

Otherwise, what have I been up to besides working and designing?

Well, I wrote a little on my novel A Lawnly Existence (a tale about a lonely old man who inadvertantly stumbles upon an ancient book that gruesomely aids in fullfilling his deceased wife's last wish), and I took the opportunity to watch Cabin In The Woods quite a different and welcomely refreshing horror flick that may want to be viewed a couple of times in order to catch it all.





And this flick looks rather interesting too...

And I have yet to check this one out...but I will soon



And, I'll be back to reviewing flicks for Horror News dot net soon enough too. Here's a link to my previous reviews.

Stay Scared Ghouls,

Thomas

The day has come and my first full-length novel is on the horizon

Hello grisly ghouls, sorry it's taken me so long, but I've finally found some time to stop and post something.

Besides working, I’ve been rather busy with my latest endeavor originally begun as a short tale. However, considering that I’m 45 or so pages in, having just finished chapter 6 and delving into chapter 7 and not even to the halfway point of the tale, I suspect this will eventually become my first full-length novel.

It’s called A Lawnly Existence and while simply the premise of an old man, accompanied by his equally old pug dog, desperate to fulfill his dead wife’s dream of winning the town’s coveted Best Lawn award may sound somewhat blasé, it is not, for a chance occurrence inadvertently leads, unbeknownst to even him, down a dark path that will change Willard Smith forever.

Currently, and I suppose this will probably change as the tale progresses, but the blurb is…

While the promise may be righteous…be careful where you tread. For sometimes the path is wrought with unseen treachery…and fulfillment can be horrific.

And so, every single day I'm scratching my bloody nails solely on this project finding the unfolding as I go tale exciting and challenging. Of course, while I certainly have majority, if not all of the story in my head and only needing to put it down on paper, it is those little nuances and incorporating ideas springing up along the way that I find incredible. I’ve never written like this before and seem to always be rather stringent with the flow. This time I’m allowing the words to take me where they want to go (providing they stay on the same premise path), and it seems to be working considerably better. Huh! Maybe I’ve stumbled on my niche? Maybe this is how all those best-selling writers are able to continually put out more than one book a year? Who knows? All I know is that it seems to be working well. And, while I’m certainly nowhere near best-selling status, simply viewing writing as an enjoyable hobby, maybe this concept will be the walking stick that takes me there. We’ll just have to wait and see. If it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Call it evolution.

None-the-less, this current tale I’m penning feels most different than anything I’ve ever written. While it’s still within the horror genre and does include a few gory depictions, it’s not smack in your face slasher-type horror and leans toward the psychological type that kind of creeps up on you using character driven elements.

Therefore, I plan to remain fully concentrating on this book and limiting other endeavors until it’s finished.

Yeah right!

That reminds me…today I’m reviewing The Deadly Spawn for Horror News Net while checking out the latest issue of Suspense Magazine and awaiting the delivery of issue 66 of Cemetery Dance in between picking up things like Evil Dead lunchboxes at the neighborhood yard sales. I guess I’ll get plenty of sleep when I’m dead!

And so, I'll leave you with a picture I took this week of one of my typical pals that seems to live in every attic and on every bush I trudge through, over and around during installs.

Have a great week minions and Stay Scared,

Thomas



I had a Thursday night midnight ticket to The Hunger Games. And yes, I read the series first!

Warning.....spoiler alert.

For a few years now, fans of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (the first book in the three book series, published in 2008), have eagerly anticipated the film adaptation. Well, the time has come and with Gary Ross’ direction, The Hunger Games is now thrust welcomingly upon the world.

In a futuristic world known as Panem, implied to be very similar to the United States, there had previously been an uprising against the government. This uprising was quashed and the country was broken into twelve heavily controlled districts. Each district is required to do their part to support the country, from agriculture to energy. Mining coal is District 12’s required forte, but hunger is constantly rampant and simply a stale loaf of bread is cause for rejoice.

With her long gone father having perished in a mine explosion causing her mother to become withdrawn, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) must take on the role of family provider and caretaker of her little sister Primrose, a role she strongly and lovingly embraces.

Surrounded by an electric fence, out of necessity both Katniss, using her precise archery skills and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) are survivalists well adept at sneaking out of the district’s confines to hunt game. Typically, they meet up and together view the area as a sanctuary, at least until the government’s patrolling flying saucer-like contraption scares them off.

And, as if living in the district isn’t harsh enough, the time has come for the country’s annual must see televised event, an event dictated by the government as a way of showing sacrifice, control and discipline. It is time for The Hunger Games, a brutal fight to the death spectacle requiring each district to lottery select one boy and one girl to send to The Capitol as their representatives, or tributes as they’re referred to.

Primrose has little chance of being selected since this is both, her first year being included in the lottery and thus, her name is only entered once, unlike the other children who have seen their entries grow due to both age, as well as trading entries for meager, but extra, government supplied food. Regardless, she is selected. Katniss is heartbroken and can’t believe it, volunteering to take her place as tribute, a first-time for the district.

Accompanied by trainer Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), District 12’s prior lone winner and Effie (Elizabeth Banks), an extremely excited public relations rep, both Katniss and boy selected Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are taken into custody and whisked away toward an unfortunate journey to the over-privileged Capital where over-the-top pageantry style interviewing talk shows, as well as the games await.

Upon arrival at The Capital, each tribute is assigned an entourage of designers and make-up artists, in charge of presenting each tribute in their best light, hoping to impress and obtain sponsors (wealthy viewers who will send them useful or needed, but costly items throughout the gameplay). Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), a compassionate designer secretly harboring the same animosity toward The Capital as Katniss does, is assigned to her. Through a fantastic design utilizing fire flying off her skin tight, coal black outfit, she woos the crowd from their chariot driven introduction and becomes known as the girl on fire (more on that in Collins’ second book Catching Fire, and certain to be portrayed by Lion’s Gate’s second franchise installment due out November 2013). And, it is during his live interview that Peeta professes a deep love for Katniss, something she knew nothing about. Suddenly, the two are immediately promoted, to the joy of The Capital, as tragic lovebirds.

Besides the televised events leading up to the competition, each tribute has the opportunity to show a personal skill to the judges, to be ranked for betting purposes and to also aid in obtaining sponsors. Katniss, being from District 12, is near the end of the display line when her turn finally comes up. By this time, the judges have grown bored and are now much more interested in personally conversing than viewing a tribute’s skill. This angers Katniss and she fires a precision placed arrow between the unaware judges and into a roasted pig’s mouth stuffed apple on a table at the center of them. This obviously surprises and horrifies the judges. However, it has been for the best as she is given a very good ranking score of 11 and may very well attract sponsors with such.

The day of the games arrives and each tribute stands ready on a round platform before a cornucopia of weapons and such, awaiting the starting countdown. Katniss has been warned by Haymitch to avoid seeking the scattered various implements - that it is a deathtrap constructed by the gamemaker to start the games off with a bloodbath - and to simply seek shelter instead. Katniss takes his advice, managing to snatch a bag of items along the way, and heads to more familiar ground…the wooded area. Before long, she is far enough away to stop and explore what the bag holds. Besides an empty canteen, the bag contains a rope, which she uses to tie herself off on a high branch in a large tree. Before sleep invades, cannons are heard, each boom indicating a tributes death and she views the projection on the transparent dome showing the unfortunate ones. Peeta is not one of them.

The next day she awakes, but is too close to the arena boundaries. The ever invisible gamemaker, constantly overseeing an electronic game board representation of the arena, decides to turn her back, creating a massive wildfire that, in her frantic escape, burns her leg.

She ascends another tree, but her rest is short lived as a group of rogue tributes, including Peeta, have banded together and now hunt down the others. They spot her in the tree. After several unsuccessful attempts at getting her (shooting arrows and an especially aggressive tribute falling while attempting to climb the tree), the group settles below to wait her out.

Near dawn, with the rogues still asleep, Katniss is contacted by Rue (Amandla Stenberg), a tiny lithe female tribute from District 11 who happens to have been hiding unseen in an adjacent tree. Rue points to something in the tree Katniss is in. It is a large nest of tracker jackers, genetically engineered and vicious hornet-like bees whose sting can cause everything from hallucinations to death. Katniss climbs up to the nest and, receiving stings herself, uses a knife from the bag to saw off the branch holding the nest. The nest crashes to the ground, breaking open and sending a swarm after the rogues, chasing them away and killing Glimmer (District 1) in the process.

Katniss gets down and scurries away, taking a bow and arrows from alongside the stung to death Glimmer. But, having been stung a number of times herself, she is starting to feel the hallucinogenic effects and, deeply under its throes, is unsure of what she is seeing or has seen, which happens to be Peeta fighting other tributes and aiding her escape.

When she finally revives, two days later, she quickly notices the tracker jacker poison battling leaves placed on her hand stings. It soon becomes apparent that Rue has protected and watched over her, changing the leaves throughout the course and saving her life. The two bond and embark upon tricking the gang, using smoke to coax the rogue tributes to seek them instead of lingering at the remaining cornucopia supplies they had collected, stockpiled and protected with buried mines. Katniss, assuming this would occur, takes the opportunity to shoot arrows, cutting open an apple bag and letting the apples far onto and trigger the mines, destroying the supplies. Now everyone is more equal, at least those with survival skills, two of which obviously happen to be Rue and Katniss.

So, gathering the do until Rue becomes entangled in a net (a trap set by Marvel (Jack Quaid) from District 1 and cries out for Katniss’ aid. Katniss finds and releases her, only to see her speared by nearby Marvel. Katniss quickly takes aim and pierces Marvel’s heart, killing him before taking dying Rue into her arms. In a rare showing of emotion, Katniss breaks down and covers Rue’s body with beautiful flowers. Respectfully, she stands and flashes a three finger sign to the unseen but constantly following television cameras in an act of defiance. Thus, the uprising begins again. (Much more on this in installments two and three).

She then begins a quest to find Peeta and does. However, he has been injured and now sports a potentially life threatening sword wound to his leg. Together the two take refuge in a cave, where they are relished, after a quick kiss, with a sponsor’s soup offering. The gamemaker announces that at the cornucopia there is an item that each tribute desperately needs. Katniss knows it is medicine for Peeta’s wound and readies to go get it. But, Peeta sways her into staying and she does, for the night. The following dawn, with Peeta still asleep, she slips away with intent.

At the cornucopia, she watches closely as Foxface, (Jacqueline Emerson) a tribute from District 5 snatches her item before making her attempt. Katniss makes it to the number 12 bag, grabs it and hurriedly turns back towards the woods. But, her route is blocked by a knife throwing Clove (Isabelle Fuhrman), a ruthless female tribute from the arrogant District 2 (known for specifically training tributes and having the most winners). Katniss ducks and avoids a direct hit, but obtains a large slice on her forehead. Clove attacks and wrestles Katniss to the ground, holding a knife to her throat and declaring, out of spite, that it was her partner who killed Rue. Thresh (Dayo Okeniyi - Rue’s District 11 partner) overhears and pushes Clove off Katniss. Clove, now fearful for her life, pleads that it wasn’t true, but Thresh doesn’t believe her and smashes a rock into her head killing her. Looking at Katniss, he gives Katniss one chance to escape, “for Rue.”

Back at the cave, Katniss applies medicine to Peeta’s wounds, and he to hers, before collapsing in each other’s arms. The following morning their wounds are amazingly healed and they are now capable of maneuvering. While out gathering, Katniss finds Foxface dead from eating poisonous berries and after seeing a pile of the same on Peeta’s jacket, franticly searches for him. She finds him, hand stained but safe, not having eaten any, and is tremendously relieved.

Another boom goes off and then there were only three. Along with the boom is an announcement stating that for the very first time ever, if the two surviving tributes are from the same district, they will be declared co-winners. This gives Katniss and Peeta hope.

But, it’s not as simple as taking out the third tribute, Cato (Alexander Ludwig) from District 2. For the gamemaker has another deception in mind, and tosses in three vicious snarling massive and maybe prehistoric looking wolf-like creatures that proceed to chase Katniss and Peeta to the cornucopia, where the two climb safely out of harm’s way, only to find Cato awaiting them. A fight ensues with Peeta eventually tossing Cato off and into the creatures grasp. Katniss, out of compassion, fires her last arrow, killing Cato and saving him from the horror of being ripped to shreds alive. The two stand triumphant, thinking they have survived.

However, another announcement is made, this one the cruelest of all…that the previous announcement no longer stands and that there can only be one winner. Dejected, Katniss pulls poisonous berries she had tucked in her pocket, intent on taking her own life. Peeta will not hear of it and suggests that they jointly succumb.

Just as they are about to toss the berries into their mouths, the gamemaker yells “stop!” The tables have been turned and it is no longer The Capital dictating, having been forced to accept either two winners or none.

The two are declared winners and after time to mend, they return to District 12 and great televised fanfare. President Snow (Donald Sutherland), the ruler of Panem, watches closely, obviously unhappy with the outcome. As he descends a shadowed staircase, the credits begin to roll.

Fast paced and intriguing from scene one, The Hunger Games never loses momentum. It is a film that will appeal to both readers and nonreaders of the wildly popular novel series, which coincidently sticks closely to its roots. It is a film worthy of viewing more than once and certainly seems destined, at least according to opening weekend indications, to become one of the year’s best. Therefore, watch out Bella, there is a new heroine in town. Her name is Katniss and her tale is far from over.



The Death of...??? A rather macabre concept



Does the idea of your personal fictional death tale hold a macabre appeal? Would you be interested in me writing that death tale?

With the success of The Daily Death, I’m seriously considering commissioning personal death tales. Each tale would be indigenous to the commissioner, making each tale specific and a one of a kind. Of course, I hold the right to kill you the way I see fit, as well as word count, and can only promise that you will die…probably unpleasantly. Of course, I suspect the commissionee will fill out a form similar to those for personalized books in order to give me an idea who you are and to make the tale very personable. This could also make a great gag gift for those fearful of death. Sound interesting? Read on…



Along with the tale would be a signed letter and photo (Wee Willie Wicked) and postage is included. And, although I would be the writer, signing the tale as such, I’ll relinquish any rights. After all, it is your death and you get to keep it. Yes…I will kill you for the low, low price of ??

However, like I mentioned, at this time I’m only in the consideration stage and would simply like to know what you think?  Send your thoughts concerning this probably outlandish, but gruesome idea to stayingscared@yahoo.com.

Well, the Goodreads contest where I was giving away 5 signed copies of The Daily Death – How I Killed My Co-Workers In 30 days is over and a macabre congratulations goes out to Heidi of VA, Sherry of GA, Kayla of FL, Amanda of PA & Ashley of IL. If you folks are reading this, your copies are in the mail. Otherwise, to the 606 folks who weren’t fortunate enough to win, but are interested in obtaining a copy, they are available on Amazon. Here’s the links:

E-version

Paperback

By the way, I’m also planning to give away five copies of Twitch very soon too. I’ll let you know when.

Twitch is also available at Amazon

Picture compliments of Author Carole Gill. Visit her blog here

So, until next week ghouls, let the creepy crawlies run rampant...even if their climbing on you!

Stay Scared,

Thomas

Just clowning around a bit...with a piece of gory flash



The clown felt demented pride as he looked down and noticed the red splatter across the front of the gaudy and loud colorful outfit. A large red droplet fell from the multicolored wig’s saturated hair tips and landed on his cheekbone. As it ran down his face, it resembled a tear and become shades lighter intermingling with the kabuki type white makeup before stickily nesting against the base side of his nose below the glued on red foam ball.

He turned slightly and pressed hard against the rustic and worn water stained wooden door with his shoulder and it creaked widely open. He stepped over the threshold and into the silent room, the woman’s limp body still over his shoulder. Using the sole of an immensely over sized blue colored shoe that was gradually turning green as red blended, he kicked the door closed behind him, leaving a glistening smudged bloody footprint on the moldy brown peeling paint.

Glancing about the room he sought a suitable spot among the others to toss the body, most of which had previously been mutilated and now lay in scattered parts among brackish puddles. Breathing deep, he took in the reek of death. It was the sweetest perfume and he grinned from ear to ear. The droplet broke free and rolled down over his lips and dripped off his chin. His tongue flicked and lapped at the streak it left. Wild brightened eyes conveyed savored taste, and he reached up and excitedly tossed the body down in the center of the room. It flopped heavily, contorting haphazardly over a severed arm and leg, the owner of which still propped up in the far corner, and came to rest with listless wide open terrified eyes peering, but unseeing, at the holes in the partially collapsed ceiling. The clown wickedly giggled loudly and drew out a moistly stained meat cleaver from inside his baggy pants.

Since I've picked all the meat off of this one, its probably time to catch a new mouse.



The way The Wizard of Oz should have ended! heh heh!

All this gore makes me hungry!

Like gore, death and the macabre? Check out The Daily Death - How I Killed My-Co-Workers In 30 Days. 24 tales & death always wins...heh heh. By the way, only a few days left to sign up for one of five signed copies I'm giving away on Goodreads. (See the ad on the top left of this page.)

Only a couple of episodes left....

I'd have to say that I still have a thing for dolls

It won't be long now...snowman



Well ghouls, this week I'm extremely short on time, and besides seriously penning on my book A Lawnly Existence, writing a couple reviews for Horror News, and jotting down a quick flash piece, I've resorted to re posting a few things. Hopefully the gruesomeness will tide you over.

Stay Scared,

Thomas