And then The Hook leapt up out of the gravy! (Patreon)

I wasn’t much aware of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series until I encountered it working in a bookstore. That kind of story wasn’t quite my taste at that point, but I could see the attraction: first, those suckers were often more gruesome than I think parents realized, which is always a guaranteed hook for kids, and then of course there was that way-too-creepy art by Stephen Gammell.

Attached is a wee freebie story roughly in that vein (well, minus the gruesome parts) that came to me yesterday as I did everything I possibly could to avoid going to the gym. It’s called Finlay. Hey, maybe with this and the stories sugary and project, we have the start of a true campfire collection someday.

Do you have any favorite tales you remember from the Alvin Schwartz series, ones you found truly spooky?

I know the one I like the most—look up Wait Till Martin Comes sometime.

See you shortly with cleanse…