A Brief Nightmare
Horror for the “Haiku of Now” challenge
There in the headlights
An infant nailed to a tree
Flinched and it was gone
About the Creator
Sam Spinelli
Trying to make real art the best I can, never Ai!
Help me write better! Critical feedback is welcome :)
reddit.com/u/tasteofhemlock
instagram.com/samspinelli29/
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Sam Spinelli and writers in Poets and other communities.
Becca
"Everything is so... flat." Denille said stupidly as she looked around her new neighborhood. She looked around at the muted desert where even the smallest sign of life seemed to have given up. The plant life was shrubs that were half cooked by the heat and where there should have been a lawn, a mess of white rocks laid glistening in the sun. Even the sky looked stretched thin, like the sun had ironed it smooth. She’d moved from Riverside, where at least there were hills, but here in Barstow, everything felt baked and brittle.
By Sara Wilson7 days ago in Fiction
Comments (8)
My eyes were jerking back and forth from the headlights to the infant; you have effectively made me terrified. The ending did not go where I expected, which made it even better. Connecting the act of flinching to the vanishing of the infant makes the character's mental state seem like one we mustn't trust. Perhaps I shouldn't think further than this or I will spook myself! Best of luck in the challenge, Sam. Did this terrify you to write? How long did it take? 🤗🌼
Even beasts that fear the strange are afraid. What a creature a human is, eh… the most terrifying beast.
Ohhhhh that’s the opening to a horror movie where you’re yelling at the screen
Oooo! Don't take that route anymore. Knowing me, I would circle back, haha. Nice one, Sam!
Definitely chilling! Kind of reminds me as though it would be an urban legend!
Oooo, this seems like an awesome start to a horror story hehehehe
So dreadfully dark. Beautiful.
Oh wow. That was horrifying 🙃