This story is absolutely unique—a pure Flyingheart dark carnival! I can no longer look at Legos without a tremor of fear. Now I want to know…what is next for this family?
Thanks NJ! Hey, if he's not building holes through the fabric of reality it's fine--probably. I mean, I was obsessed with Lego and I turned out okay... right?
I never thought Legos could be frightening (unless you stepped on them). But, of course, the story goes far deeper than toy blocks. Peter and Dylan's obsession, Blake's desperation, her broken relationship with her husband. You brought it all out masterfully.
Thanks Jennifer! I switched off notifications for a bit-- the reaction on the latest post is freaking me out a little bit. This was a tough project (think burnout country), but I'm glad I finished it. And yes! The deeper story always tugs at my sleeve. I think you're one of the few pointing this out. I hope I don't accidentally forget to put in something awful one day and I'll just end up writing... stories.
Your hard work is evident, and you have good reason to be proud of the end result.
One of these days, you should go ahead and forget to "put in something awful." :) I hope you don't feel that you've trapped yourself in a box, but if you do, you should break out immediately.
Thanks LG! I have yours saved. I was waiting for part 2 and then the TIF deadline snuck up on me. It's finished now. I'm going through my TBR's tonight!
Thanks HG! It was a tense project. I kept worrying it was too slow/not terrifying enough. So in the end I think I was more freaked out it than anyone else.
Slow burn horror can hit harder if you ask me, the reader has more time to hypothesize and psych themselves out. You delivered a great payoff for the wait, too, so it came together really well.
Thanks Wendy! I did my best-- boy, did I. Considering you made a USB stick into a source of terror, I think you could make pretty much everything scary.
Thanks! We have to make sure to ruin as many things as possible during these events. LEGO looks way too wholesome and... happy. It has to be hiding something.
This was a really incredible piece of writing and you totally got my heart going. I was right in there.
And I am so relieved I no longer have any of my childhood Lego. Someone else must have it now and god knows what's happened to them. My parents even took me to 'Legoland' once in Denmark and after this story, now I know where hell is located.
Thanks Evelyn. That's quite the compliment, considering your spectacular entry. The funny thing is, I loved LEGO growing up. Now I think I may have ruined it for myself as well, because the mention of Legoland gave me a little shiver.
Likewise! I still have half a dozen stories in the SS-BB to get through first - the level of writing is just top notch throughout and exploring everyone's writing further is going to keep me well occupied for quite some time...
Okay, I was not expecting LEGO and damned if it wasn't the creepiest, most uncanny story. The bricks under the skin, the way the little mini-figs lived inside him. The way the build obsessed father, then son, and then possessed them was so well done. Slow and satisfying. Small and Scary mission accomplished.
Thanks Garen! I'm glad it's still alive. I must've done close to a hundred passes on this one, just to make sure it could stand between the other entries. Going the distance was a serious accomplishment for me and I can't thank you enough for the opportunity!
I'm so glad you took this on because it's a story I didn't know I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your hard work shows in how effortlessly creepy the final product is.
This is really good. The way it starts, so innocuous with all the everyday gripes and rules we have (I live with a gamer!), and then slowly slides into obsession, and then possession, is really well done. I was dead nervous about this event too, but we did it!
Thanks Katharine! Yeah, I have a thing about the everyday. I think it's all the SK I've consumed over the years. And yes, so glad I managed it. Writing for this event was scary business, considering the quality you guys put out!
Hey, thanks TDL. I completely missed this one. You can see I'm not used to getting a lot of comments. Again, I loved your piece. It evoked all the best parts of Night Shift/Graveyard Rats. And something else I can't quite put my finger on. I've been thinking about the saddled humanoid visual for days now. That's high praise, considering I'm reading three different horror novels atm-- not to mention the slew of Substack darkness. I'll be keeping an eye on your stuff going forward!
Thanks Ken. I need a hard cover published version of the build. No rush. That read put me right in a black and white twilight zone episode. Grounded in realism til it flips on its head and you are swimming in the unexplainable. So fun. Keep up the good work.
Absolute obsession can be very, very troubling. This was such a well-crafted horror story Ken. One of those slow, torturous descents into madness. Best line for me, out of so many, was 'a rind of bone' - why can't I think of a description like that? Great stuff. - Jim
Thanks Jim! Yeah, it's been another trip, this one. I'm mostly glad it's finished, tbh. After a while, you're just pushing words around-- and this event had my stress levels way in the red!
This story is absolutely unique—a pure Flyingheart dark carnival! I can no longer look at Legos without a tremor of fear. Now I want to know…what is next for this family?
Thanks Liz. And thanks for saving it-- possibly twice. As for your question: they'll build. And build. And--
This was great now I’m looking at my son’s legos with a deep suspicion
Thanks NJ! Hey, if he's not building holes through the fabric of reality it's fine--probably. I mean, I was obsessed with Lego and I turned out okay... right?
😂😂😂
Lego?? Lego. I was not expecting the way this went. Ken, this is awesome. Obsessed with a hobby, then inhabited by one. Incredible.
Thanks Lyndsey. It didn't come easy, I can tell you that much. I'm just relieved I didn't crack under the pressure!
Writing for a timeline is scarier than what I can come up with for a story. You did an amazing job.
I never thought Legos could be frightening (unless you stepped on them). But, of course, the story goes far deeper than toy blocks. Peter and Dylan's obsession, Blake's desperation, her broken relationship with her husband. You brought it all out masterfully.
Thanks Jennifer! I switched off notifications for a bit-- the reaction on the latest post is freaking me out a little bit. This was a tough project (think burnout country), but I'm glad I finished it. And yes! The deeper story always tugs at my sleeve. I think you're one of the few pointing this out. I hope I don't accidentally forget to put in something awful one day and I'll just end up writing... stories.
Your hard work is evident, and you have good reason to be proud of the end result.
One of these days, you should go ahead and forget to "put in something awful." :) I hope you don't feel that you've trapped yourself in a box, but if you do, you should break out immediately.
Loved this take on obsession! Masterfully crafted. Great job!
Thanks LG! I have yours saved. I was waiting for part 2 and then the TIF deadline snuck up on me. It's finished now. I'm going through my TBR's tonight!
My son was OBSESSED with Legos when he was little, we still have bins and bins of them. This hit a little too close to home😅 Really well done man🖤
Thanks HG! It was a tense project. I kept worrying it was too slow/not terrifying enough. So in the end I think I was more freaked out it than anyone else.
Slow burn horror can hit harder if you ask me, the reader has more time to hypothesize and psych themselves out. You delivered a great payoff for the wait, too, so it came together really well.
12/10 for creativity. Never woulda crossed my mind 🤯
Thanks Jared! I hope it worked a bit. Coco was awesome, man! I'm never gonna get that painting out of my mind.
Only you could possibly make Lego scary. Great job!
Thanks Wendy! I did my best-- boy, did I. Considering you made a USB stick into a source of terror, I think you could make pretty much everything scary.
So gruesome! I absolutely adore how your mind works, Ken. LEGO would be proud.
Thanks WP! They say you can build everything with LEGO. Turns out... you can!
😆
Now, I'm scared of Legos, well done!
Thanks! We have to make sure to ruin as many things as possible during these events. LEGO looks way too wholesome and... happy. It has to be hiding something.
This was a really incredible piece of writing and you totally got my heart going. I was right in there.
And I am so relieved I no longer have any of my childhood Lego. Someone else must have it now and god knows what's happened to them. My parents even took me to 'Legoland' once in Denmark and after this story, now I know where hell is located.
Brilliant story!
Thanks Evelyn. That's quite the compliment, considering your spectacular entry. The funny thing is, I loved LEGO growing up. Now I think I may have ruined it for myself as well, because the mention of Legoland gave me a little shiver.
And thank you for saying my entry was spectacular - that’s made my day that has!
Well, it's true. I'm looking forward to checking out more of your work. Which reminds me I should check if I subbed or not!
Likewise! I still have half a dozen stories in the SS-BB to get through first - the level of writing is just top notch throughout and exploring everyone's writing further is going to keep me well occupied for quite some time...
One of the worst things was my parents didn’t let me watch Star Wars on the ferry on the way over!
There’s definitely a sequel in there somewhere about kids coming back from Legoland with a slightly different personality…
Hmm. Interesting. Also, Star Wars and Lego go hand in hand-- perfect way to roll into a theme park day!
Okay, I was not expecting LEGO and damned if it wasn't the creepiest, most uncanny story. The bricks under the skin, the way the little mini-figs lived inside him. The way the build obsessed father, then son, and then possessed them was so well done. Slow and satisfying. Small and Scary mission accomplished.
Thanks Garen! I'm glad it's still alive. I must've done close to a hundred passes on this one, just to make sure it could stand between the other entries. Going the distance was a serious accomplishment for me and I can't thank you enough for the opportunity!
I'm so glad you took this on because it's a story I didn't know I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your hard work shows in how effortlessly creepy the final product is.
Wowza! This was the kind of story that makes you fear yourself, what you could become. Bravo, the description throughout was uncanny!
Thanks, Ash. It was a very terrifying writing experience too. Trying to match the level of skill you guys bring to the table was horror in itself!
This is really good. The way it starts, so innocuous with all the everyday gripes and rules we have (I live with a gamer!), and then slowly slides into obsession, and then possession, is really well done. I was dead nervous about this event too, but we did it!
Thanks Katharine! Yeah, I have a thing about the everyday. I think it's all the SK I've consumed over the years. And yes, so glad I managed it. Writing for this event was scary business, considering the quality you guys put out!
This was fun.
Hey, thanks TDL. I completely missed this one. You can see I'm not used to getting a lot of comments. Again, I loved your piece. It evoked all the best parts of Night Shift/Graveyard Rats. And something else I can't quite put my finger on. I've been thinking about the saddled humanoid visual for days now. That's high praise, considering I'm reading three different horror novels atm-- not to mention the slew of Substack darkness. I'll be keeping an eye on your stuff going forward!
Thanks Ken. I need a hard cover published version of the build. No rush. That read put me right in a black and white twilight zone episode. Grounded in realism til it flips on its head and you are swimming in the unexplainable. So fun. Keep up the good work.
Absolute obsession can be very, very troubling. This was such a well-crafted horror story Ken. One of those slow, torturous descents into madness. Best line for me, out of so many, was 'a rind of bone' - why can't I think of a description like that? Great stuff. - Jim
Thanks Jim! Yeah, it's been another trip, this one. I'm mostly glad it's finished, tbh. After a while, you're just pushing words around-- and this event had my stress levels way in the red!