I got published again. This time it’s in the Halloween 2020 short story anthology. It’s like the 2019 Halloween Anthology I was in last year, but you know, for this year.
There is no doubt that Halloween 2020 is going to go down as one of the strangest holidays ever. With lockdowns, social distancing, masks, politics, lies, violence and hate dominating every news report–every thought at times, celebrating takes on a different aspect this year.
Some people are determined to act as if everything’s normal while others are devastated that they can’t have their annual Halloween gala. Trick or treating has either been cancelled or there are so many rules in place to protect everyone from Covid-19 that it barely resembles its previous incarnations.
For the 2020 Halloween Short Story Challenge, I tasked the authors to look at Halloweens past, present and future. I suggested they view the holiday through the out-of-focus lens of 2020, but they didn’t have to. I challenged them to search outside the box, inside the box and all around the box, until they found something that resonated within them.
For many, this year has been one of loss, fear, uncertainty and apathy. It’s been hard to get out of bed let alone be creative. That’s why this was an especially difficult, yet important, Challenge.
The authors in this anthology accepted that challenge and they’ve written an incredible, eclectic assortment of Halloween stories and poems. They’ll terrify you. They’ll delight you. They’ll make you laugh. And hopefully, for at least as long as it takes you to read them, you’ll be distracted from the real-life horrors of 2020. Enjoy!
Buy it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3o1DuqM
Not every story in this anthology takes place in 2020 though, some stories are more like memories, others are just fun Halloween centric stories.
My story is a very 2020 centric story. In a world where trick or treat has been cancelled, Halloween becomes, “The Night of the Masked Children.”
So if you’re looking for seasonal read go ahead and pick up Halloween 2020 today. You might just decide to keep some candy on hand after all.
C. O. Bonham 