Flash Fiction Friday
And Updates from StokerCon
Hello from StokerCon!
I’m out in Pennsylvania with a few hundred of my fellow spooky people! More about this event will follow when I’m back home in California.
My friends KC Grifant, Dennis K. Crosby , and I flew out from San Diego on a 6:20am flight to Pittsburgh where we are seeing old and new friends. We are having a wonderful adventure together! StokerCon is an academic horror writers convention and it is honestly my favorite event of the year. This is THE most supportive community and it has been an absolute honor being a part of it.
What I’m Writing
I have been writing like a woman possessed. Over this past weekend, I banged out over 8,000 words toward my horror novel Hoard. It’s very nearly complete and it is very clean - well, not the hoard.
The hoard is a disgusting, grimy, rotting mess of papers and collapsed boxes, rusted cars and excess to an extreme. My writing is highly edited - I have been working with a beta reader as I’m flying along, which has been helping to keep the fire on my heels.
What I’m Reading
I’m currently reading two novels that are in their beta-reading phase, so I’m not at liberty to discuss many details there, but this is the season where I’m able to read fiction like a boss. During the school year, it’s challenging to use my tired, strained eyes to consume anything for fun, but during summertime, it is on. I also finished reading Dropshipped and had an amazing time along the way. I’ll release a review for it in next week’s edition!
Flash Fiction Friday
The spider, part 2. Ok, for those of you who tuned in to last week’s post, I mentioned how there was a part 2 to the spider story…
The spider had taken residence in the corner of our shower. Its dark, shiny body and slim legs were about the size of a dime, which translates in my arachnophobic mind as a big spider. Anything larger is of herculean merits. I had escaped from this fiend (yes, rationally I know it’s not after me, but… you know) by freshening up in our guest bathroom. Upon my husband’s awakening, I informed him of the unwelcomed guest.
He told me he would squish.
I am not a fan of squishing. I am a fan of rescue and release, but being that I did not have the bravery within me to corral this spider, I asked him to move it in his way.
He did.
With a vacuum.
So the next day, I was vacuuming one of our rugs downstairs with a clear-chamber, cordless Dyson. This detail is only relevant because when I partially leaned on the vacuum to pluck up a cat toy from the floor, I gazed to my left to see THE FREAKING SPIDER RUNNING AROUND INSIDE THE CHAMBER at my eye level.
💀
Expletives were said.
Loudly.
I nearly dropped/chucked this $200+ vacuum, but I think I either placed it on the floor or shoved it into my husband’s hands. To be completely honest, my ancestral instincts kicked in, so I’m not exactly sure which one of those options I did.
💀
He then removed the spider from the household. So… I guess, in a round-about way, this was rescue and release?
I do feel bad for the spider, trapped in that spinning chamber of dust. But at least its story did not end with a squish.
If you’re interested in more creepy-crawly tales from me, I have a short story entitled, “Beneath the Nightstand,” in my forthcoming collection Tiny Dreadfuls that you just might equally enjoy. Links for purchasing from independent bookstores will come soon!
If you are feeling inspired about spider stories, check out last week’s flash fiction Friday post. There are no late-dates here - if there’s an older prompt you want to play with, go for it! Just remember to tag me or to drop the link in the comments below so we may celebrate your writing!
In last week’s group, we had the following amazing authors join the fun:
And cheers to the amazing group who have played along:
Again, if I missed anyone, please let me know!
Alright, spiders aside, here we go! Pick one, pick both, but remember to have fun!
Prompt 1: The act of singing summons…
OR
Prompt 2: Your character misses breakfast at their convention.
Sirens by Sarah Faxon
Spindly figures reach toward the sky. On their jagged rocks they perch as they watch a ship sail by. In the moonlight, they part their lips, revealing to the stars shark-like smiles. Out from their throats, they wail out their song. The men on the ship clutch to their ears, some fall to their knees. Others are beckoned to the bulkheads. At first they peer over, anxious to see, but only the rocks and the hissing foam of the sea meet their gaze. But the sirens keep singing, summoning the men until one by one they come to their end.
© Sarah Faxon 2026
Alrighty, y’all! It’s your turn!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend and cheers!
-Sarah
Thank you, James Jensen, for letting me know that I left prompt 2 behind on the west coast. It has now been added :)
Yay I can't wait to take part again. The event looks super fun!