Women of Horror Month

What does Women of Horror Month mean to me? Well this is the first time I have felt comfortable enough with my own ability to even consider being classified in this, but I am confident now. Women in Horror is just that. We have the month to show off what we can do, or feel appreciated amongst the very talented men that we work with daily.

Horror/dark fiction is my favorite genre to read and to write also. I like building my character profiles and putting them in a world that turns dark when the reader least expects it. I know and work with many women who write in this genre and some of the stuff we come up with is certainly horrific.

For me writing drabbles is a lot more time consuming than one might think. My drabbles start at about 600 words, then I bring out the axe and start chopping and combining. The fact that my very first submission, “The Hunt”, was accepted, gave me a bit of a confidence boost. I will admit, I also got tears of joy that someone other than my critique partner enjoyed my story.

Here is an example of one of my stories that I wrote in 2020, titled "Zombies?"

Mom spoke with confidence, “Zombies aren’t real.”

I stuttered, “Th-then what’s th-that?”

It hobbled toward us, carrying the stench of rotting flesh. The charcoal grey tissue had deteriorated, causing exposed bones and empty eye sockets. Mom tried to give me an opportunity to escape, fists swinging while she screamed, “Run Kellie, don’t look back.”

I ran; I also glanced backward. Her skull shattered; brains devoured one handful at a time. The zombie's mouth full of brain matter groaned, “Next?”

My legs frozen in fear as he shuffled toward me, grabbing my neck to snap it, I’m certain zombies are real.