"Sorry," the demon said, "But I'm not authorized to make a deal involving that much loss of life. That's above my paygrade." "Can you help me find a demon who can?" "Give me your phone." She did. When the demon handed it back to her she saw he'd downloaded an app called #Fiend Finder. #vss365

"Amy," he said, "Take that down to your #mother." He gestured at the pile of raw meat on the plate, "And be careful." "But it's Sarah's turn to feed her," Amy whined. "I can't feed her again until my hand heals." Sarah held up her bandaged left hand which was missing three fingers. #vss365

"Is this one of those found footage #horror movies?" Her new husband pointed at the TV screen, "I don't really like those." "It's not a horror movie," she replied, "It's a documentary." "About what?" "About what I did to my previous husband when I caught him stepping out on me." #vss365

Her grandmother handed her an empty vial, "I need a sample of the pond water so I can test it," she said, "It's starting to smell off." "Okay." "Make sure you fully #immerse the vial when you fill it." "Okay." "And next time you want to get rid of a body, put it in somebody else's pond." #vss365

"Is that one new?" He pointed at the tiki mask with the #feral grin that was on the wall. "No," the store owner replied, "The mask's features change based on the #intent of the next customer to walk through the door." "Seriously?" The owner handed him a gun, "You're going to need this." #vss365

"Why is that man glowing," her son pointed. "Don't point," she replied. She remembered when she asked her mom the same question after she started seeing the #luminous people. "Everyone's spirit glows once it leaves our bodies," her mom had said. "I though only you glowed," her son said. #vss365

"Remember me?" he asked. "I do," the hag replied, "You asked me to help your #barren wife." "I need your help again," he said, "Our son seems...odd." "That's because he's not human." "What?" "You said you wanted your wife to become pregnant, you didn't specify with what kind of baby." #vss365

When she accidentally bumped into the strange man, an image of hundreds of chickens falling on top of her flashed through her mind. Years later, when a truck transporting chickens crashed into her car, she suddenly realized what the #fleeting image meant along with who the man was. #vss365

When he saw the turd floating in the bowl, he quickly flushed the toilet. The turd spun around but wouldn't go down so he flushed it again. The same thing happened. "Don't bother," the relator called out from the hall, "That toilet is #haunted. You'll never flush that log down." #vss365

In her grandpa's attic, Amy found an old box for a toy called #Misfit the Clown. When she opened the box, there was nothing inside it except a note that said: Hiya Amy, Want to play hide and seek? As she pondered why her name was on the note, the sound of giggling echoed through the attic. #vss365

"Oh, look!" She pointed at the leaf covered with liquid, "It's filled with #dewdrops." She leaned down and slurped the liquid off. "That's disgusting," the little pixie flitting around her head squeaked. "Why?" The fairy pointed at another pixie who was in the process of peeing on a leaf. #vss365

"Why the sad face, #Moonbeam?" he asked. "Why do you think?" she snapped. "You don't like that our daughter wished for everyone in the world to become a talking pony with these cute tattoos on our butts?" "Shut up and help me find that magic lamp so we can wish everyone back to normal." #vss365

"What's that, #dear?" The old lady pretended to listen to the doll on the thrift store shelf. "What'd she say?" the girl asked "She said she wants to go home with you." The lady handed her the doll. "Mom! She said this doll..." The girl stopped when she realized the old lady had vanished. #vss365

"Michael, would you be a #dear and grab my teeth from my room?" she spoke with a toothless lisp. "Sure thing, granny," her grandson replied before running off to retrieve them. "I didn't realize dinner would be here so soon," she said to the bound and gagged man lying on the floor. #vss365

Before my most recent vss365 post exploded, I wrote a version of it for the shortscarystories reddit that featured an additional twist I thought was amusing. www.reddit.com/r/shortscary...

"Hello, Kitty," she said to the cat sitting on the porch. "That's #phantom," the realtor replied, "He comes with the house." "Was he left behind?" "Yes, unfortunately," the realtor confirmed. "Why?" She reached out to touch the cat but her hand went right through him. "That's why." #vss365

"Who is Amy?" Her husband, Ted, shrugged, "The #name doesn't ring a bell." "Liar!" She showed him the sordid note Amy had left on his car. The fight escalated. When 'Amy' saw the news of Ted's death later that night she said, "I told you I was going to make you regret not tipping me." #vss365

She was outside with her son, Xander, when a bolt of #lightning struck the boy. All that remained where Xander was standing was a scorch mark. "You better bring him home on time," she yelled at the sky. Thunder was her reply. "That's what I get for falling for a storm god," she sighed. #vss365

"Is that really a moon rock?" "It is," his grandpa replied, "It was collected from the #lunar surface in 69." "Why isn't it in a museum?" "It was." "Why isn't it in one now?" The rock suddenly grew, taking on the shape of his grandma. "Because I didn't like being locked up," she said. #vss365

"Isn't that the prettiest #cat you've ever seen?" Edna asked. "It is," Vera lied, she didn't see a cat in the yard, she saw the #psychopomp for what it really was, a ball of energy. "I think it wants me to follow it," Edna said. "I think you should," Vera replied with a tear in her eye. #vss365

The pawn shop owner watched as the elderly man pulled a #jade idol from his pocket, put it on a shelf, and then quickly left. "What was that all about?" the cashier asked. "He stole the idol a few days ago triggering its curse," the owner replied, "He thinks returning it will save him." #vss365

"Welcome to #Undersea!" the mergirl declared. "I think it's dead." The merboy poked the body. "Uh oh," the mergirl replied, "I forgot humans can't breathe underwater like us. Quick, help me hide the body before dad finds out I killed another one." #vss365

"What sort of #trickery is this?" I asked the kids gathered on my porch. They were all dressed like friends I had when I was 10, which was over 50 years ago. "It's not a trick," the girl who looked like Beth replied, "It's really us." "How?" Beth held up a lamp. "It's got one wish left." #vss365

"This #investiture is more than a simple promotion," the CEO declared to those of us gathered, "It's a rite of passage. One that I am proud you all signed up for." When he was done speaking, a secretary handed each of us a piece of paper that said: LAST MAN BREATHING GETS THE JOB. GOOD LUCK #vss365

"What's that?" His daughter pointed at the waves where something bobbed in the #seafoam. "It looks like a toy boat," he replied. "It is a toy boat," she declared after retrieving it from the water, "It belongs to someone named Noah." "Noah?" That was the name of his brother who drowned. #vss365

He raised his hand to strike her, but someone struck him from behind before he could follow through with the act. "What?" He reached up to feel the hole in his skull before turning to see who'd attacked him. "It's #hammer time," his wife's senile old mom declared before hitting him again. #vss365

My story "Winny" opens the podcast this week!

She walked in and found her grandson covered in blood and bits of flesh. "Sorry," he tried to apologize. "Don't say another #word," she warned. "I told him not to open the book." "Just like you told the last three kids you brought home not to open it?" She gave him a look of disbelief. #vss365

“Welcome to The #Loop,” the person manning the check in desk said. “The Loop? That’s such a weird name for a hotel,” she replied. 24 hours later she found herself repeating the previous day. “Still think it’s a weird name for a hotel?” the guy at the front desk asked. #vss365

“I think we need to stop playing Scrabble around your cat,” he said. “Why?” his girlfriend asked, “Has she been stealing the #letter tiles?” “I wouldn’t say stealing,” he replied “more like borrowing them.” “What?” “See for yourself.” He pointed at the tiles that spelled FEED ME OR ELSE. #vss365

"Honey, the #sink is backed up with #water again." He reached around inside the disposal until he found the obstruction. When he pulled it out, he was surprised to see his boss's wedding ring still stuck to a bit of finger. "Surprise," his wife smiled, "I know how much you hated him." #vss365

When her parents started fighting, she began to #sing the song her grandma had taught her. When she finished, she was surprised to find her parents frozen in place like statues. Unable to unfreeze them, she called her grandma. "Why don't we worry about that tomorrow?" her grandma said. #vss365

"What happened to her eyes?" The girl pointed at the doll that was sitting in the thrift store display case. "I had to take them out," The old lady behind the counter replied. "Why?" "To keep her out of trouble," the lady explained, "She can't do much harm when she's #blind." #vss365

Her mom handed her a key. "What's this for?" "I need you to go to the #bank and empty my safety deposit box," her mom replied. "What's in it?" "Something I haven't needed in a long time." When she got to the bank and opened the box, she was surprised to see a shriveled up heart inside. #vss365

The mortician returned to find a crudely written note on his desk that said: MURDER He looked over at the body lying on the table, noting the fresh #ink on the dead man's hand. "Yes, you were murdered," he admitted, "That's why your wife paid me a lot of money to make your body disappear." #vss365

"Get your #arm off me," she snapped at the man sitting next to her. "It's not mine," he replied, showing her both his arms. "Then whose is it?" He picked up the severed appendage and held it over his head, "Is anyone missing an arm?" he asked the other zombies. #vss365

After dismembering his wife and throwing the pieces into various dumpsters around town, he returned home, relieved that she would never torment him again. Sadly, he was wrong. That same night he awoke to find a severed #hand holding a note that said: THE REST OF ME WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. #vss365

"Come, I need to show you something." She led her granddaughter to the pond at the edge of the farm. "Eww, it stinks," her granddaughter said. "It's become stagnant because of you." Her granddaughter looked down at the jar in her hand. In it was a water #sprite. "Let her go," she said. #vss365

"The house comes with #illusive windows," the realtor said, "They show each viewer what they'd most like to see." "Wow," the husband said, seeing mountains. The wife blushed when she saw a beach full of muscular men. "What do you see?" the husband asked. "Just a beach," she replied. #vss365

The old lady sat and watched the kids in the park. When she saw a boy bully the kids off the merry-go-round so he could use it all by himself she decided to intervene. "So you like spinning," the old lady reached out with her mind, making the merry-go-round #revolve faster and faster. #vss365

She ran a hand across her date's muscular stomach, "This is the part that never fails to #fascinate me," she smiled. "You like what you see?" he smiled back. "I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about this." She showed him the knife in her hand before she used it to eviscerate him. #vss365

“Come on,” he said ,”We better get inside.” “Why?” his son asked. In the distance a #tempest had formed and was heading right for them. “Because your mother is on her way home and it looks like things didn’t go well at her witch’s convention.” #vss365

"You shouldn't have done that," she chided. "Why not?" her daughter asked. "Because now that they know we're here they might move out," she explained, "You should #frustrate them, not scare them. Make them question if what they see and hear is real or not. They'll stay longer that way." #vss365

The psychologist made a list and handed it to her patient. "What's this?" she asked "All the undetectable poisons I know," the psychologist replied, "After what you've told me about your husband, killing him is the only treatment plan I can #endorse that will guarantee a full recovery." #vss365

Thanks to everyone who picked up THE FORGETTING ROOM on release weekend! You can still grab it for just $2.99 through Sunday! books2read.com/forge...

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"Do you want some?" her husband offered the half-eaten pie. "It's #magnanimous of you to offer," she replied, "But I'll pass." "Your loss." He walked off. More like my gain, she thought, looking down at the crumpled note in her hand that said: Bobby's Pie Experiment, POISON! DO NOT EAT! #vss365

"That's quite the #bountiful harvest." The devil pointed, "How'd you manage to collect so many souls?" "Microtransactions," the demon replied, "For a fraction of a person's soul, I give them small things they want and they keep coming back for more until they've given me their entire soul." #vss365

"I don't know why I'm so tired," he yawned and stretched his arms. "I do," his wife replied. "Why?" She pulled a small bottle out of her purse and looked at the label, "It says here that #lethargy is one of the first symptoms of exposure to this particular toxin." #vss365