The document is a short story told from the perspective of a character named Jonas. Jonas does not enjoy listening to ghost stories around the campfire, as his own life since returning from the dead six months ago has been full of real horror, with the world becoming like a horror story itself. When Jonas tries to walk away from the campfire, his friend Dwayne stops him and says the others need the fun and laughter from the stories to take their minds off their difficult situations, as each of them has faced trauma and hardship since the world changed. Jonas realizes the innocence of his childhood is truly gone, and he no longer knows what he is surviving for in this new horrifying world.

50. a halloween talewords: patrick clineart: jon scrivensThen, the man heard a sound. He turned around and was face to face… With the rotting corpse of a young woman! I never liked ghost stories. Maggotscrawled on her flesh, her eye sockets were empty, and thewhite dress she’d been buried in was tattered and stained by the dirt of the grave she crawledout of! I like them even less now. You wholive in what was once my home… You must help me to rest! It wasmy husband who killed me, and he must pay! Take my finger, and go to the church on Sunday… Jonas, you alright, mate? You’ll miss the good bit if youwalk off. Yeah, Vince, I’m fine. Just gonna do a perimeter sweep. Alright, but you’re missing the good bit. Put myfinger in the collection plate as it goes around….. Hey, wait! Where’re you getting off to? Just doinga perimeter sweep, Dwayne.

51. Don’t
give me that.
Traps are up,
there’s no need
for a sweep.
So what’s up?
Have a
laugh? Are
you fucking
kidding me?!?!
I just
don’t like
ghost stories,
that’s all.
Six months
ago I woke up dead
in a church to find
that the world had
become EVERY
horror story all
at once! Look
around you! Everyone
here but you
has been turned
into a freak or
a monster!
We’re
constantly under
attack from zombies,
demons, trolls, and
half our friends have
either disappeared
or died in the last
few weeks!
I can’t think
of anything more
pointless than telling
spooky stories around
a stupid campfire
when our lives
have enough
real horror
in them.
Mate,
they’re just
having a bit of
fun is all. Just
join in, have a
laugh.
That’s
EXACTLY
why they
need this.
It’s just
childish.

52. The bogeymanmight as well have literally come out from your FLIPing wardrobe and Personally ripped it out of your goddamn hands. Justinfelt his skull crack and shift shape after losing a damneye. He has to live with what he’s done knowing that it could happen again at any time. Right now, whether he knows it or not, the others are getting a piece of that. But for everymoment we get where we aren’t seconds away from death, we have to enjoy the little things. Frankie issome sort of weird monster killer from a possible future, but is no older than the rest of you. So as I walk back, ready to pretend I’m okay for the others’ sakes, I ask myself that very question: If I can’t enjoy these little things, then what the hell AM I surviving for? You’re notmuch morethan children, any of you. You’ve had what’s left of your childhood taken from you by force. I doubthe’s ever had a chance to just enjoy a simple story like this. Even ifhe still had his stupid video games, I doubt he’d have the depth perception to be any good at the damn things. Vincentwent full blown werewolf and tore his own family to pieces. He stillhas to live with the fear of becoming that bigger beast and losing control. AndJim’s got nothing. Can’t feel the fire, can’t eat the food… Theworld is a horrifying place these days, you’re not wrong. Otherwise… What thehell are we survivingfor? It’s when I realise that I can’t put away the thoughts in my head. Not for a minute, not for five minutes to listen to that campfire story. I know for certain now, as Dwayne walks away, that my innocence died when I did for the first time. I came back as a living corpse the night the world turned. The answer is I have no idea, and that horrifies me more than anything in the world. He’s beenthrough more pain than I can imagine becoming what he is, and he still somehow remembers how to occasionally be a kid with no worries.