Meet the Editors: Erlend Lane

Erlend Lane is a junior at Clark University studying psychology and creative writing. In this story he explores character dialect and a twist on common horror tropes. Read “The Man in the Back Woods” below.

The Man in the Back Woods

By Erlend Lane

 

We gotta get moving here.

I know these ol’ woods seem big, but I know the way. Stick with me. These woods be dark, these woods be deep. You’ll get lost alone out here. You don’t have to follow a path, there isn’t one, but we can follow the trees. I know these trees, and I know they won’t lead us stray.

I do ‘ppreciate you coming out to help me, I don’t get many people willing to come help an ol’ man fix up his shed. Specially in the dead night, but I…no time during the day. It’s a bit of a hike, but we’ll make it there. We just gotta go ‘fore the moon is bright.

Haiku to Keep You Up All Night

A spooky series of haikus about what lurks in the shadows at night. The quick, straight-to-the-point nature of haiku creates a tension that carries throughout the poem. Just in time for Halloween!

F. Sebastian Baker

Wash up before bed
Glancing into the mirror
A stranger stares back

Turn around quickly
Nothing hiding behind me
It’s too fast to catch

Footsteps in the hall
Someone goes to the bathroom
One explanation

Tap on the window
On the second story up
No rain and no tree