The hair-raising creep of a scary story, the unexpected jolt, the chill that follows you around afterward: I used to like writing such stories. Reading, not so much. I am, at heart, a cowardly lion. But writing them? Great fun, because I controlled what was said and where the story landed. I think I still would enjoy writing them if I allowed myself. Maybe some day.
Check back in my archives in October (and July of 2014 and again in 2016 I wrote some fun ones), and you will find the type of story I mean. I don’t care for bloodcurdling scenarios, but more of a teaser. Some things are best left to imagination, and I trust readers to fill gaps better than I would. I think the last one I wrote on this blog was a few years ago. https://www.myfiresidechat.com/2017/10/30/who-was-counting/ But I must confess it doesn’t hold the same appeal when you’re actually living in the most dystopian times you’d never imagined.
When you learn that most of every company and industry of every type in every part of the world is owned by a select few, and those select few relish the trillions of dollars made by those companies and industries – money made by people aware and others unaware; and they plan a future of not simply regulating financial institutions but companies and individuals – including salaries, 401ks, and access; and your knowledge of trafficking drugs, children, women, and young men increases to understanding that it isn’t just drugs and sex but hearts, lungs, and livers; and expands even more to the torture endured by countless unfortunates for the pleasure and power of satanic sacrifice; and you see through recent experience how subtle and not so subtle changes can lead trusting people to cover their face like they used to do to slaves and in ritualistic practices, likewise stand six feet apart, and lead some to be injected with chemicals poorly understood and obsessively supported by the aforementioned select few; and you unwillingly acknowledge that genocide isn’t relegated to the past; well then you finally see that scary stories are not limited to words on paper accompanied by hot cocoa and a cozy blanket.
No, this October I’ll leave scary stories to those who are still blind to the horror around them or who partake in it, themselves. Instead, I’ll break the darkness with light. 
Because, you see, no matter the times or situation, God is stronger. And He really loves us. And when we encounter the blackest night, He hands us a flashlight. Or a new idea to bring healing. Or He sends rescuers. Or, sometimes, He reaches down and does it, Himself. The letter writer of Colossians 1 put it this way:
. . . giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. . .
One more thing: All Saints Day is just around the corner.
https://lpeproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Peoples.Ledger.DRAFT_.pdf; https://rumble.com/vo6n5f-monopoly-who-owns-the-world-must-see.html; https://theminnesotasun.com/2021/10/08/world-renowned-psychiatrist-global-predators-fauci-gates-schwab-behind-the-covid-reign-of-terror/; Revelation 22:2; Images: httppixabay.comenanimal-autumn-background-bird-89182-public-domain.jpg; Nina-Hale-Flickr-C.-CC-by-2.0.png; 281-Bokeh-Free-Images-on-Pixabay.jpg