Wow! I can’t quite decide which horror is the central horror: the boyfriend’s love of the cat; his diffidence toward Tracy; Tracy’s self-absorption; or the cat! There’s probably more. I’d say you nailed this challenge and I’m no horror fan.
That is some amazingly powerful hallucinagen. Our cat now is barely affected by catnip, but our previous cat turned into an angry drunk. Probably not unlike Pretzel. Also, I see publication in your future. This is darkly original.
This is so good! The tension builds and builds throughout and every detail mattered. No unnecessary descriptions or dialogue. I would never know this wasn’t part of your usual bag of stylistic tricks.
I got chills and goosebumps and all! Haha. Brilliant. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a horror piece, and I really enjoyed it. I should have known her jealousy would be the death of everyone 🤣
Whoa! I was not expecting this at all, but damn, I was pulled right in! You built up some excellent tension, and the story was perfectly paced.
By the way, I love all of the custom images you use in your stories. The text messages and breaking news report felt so organic, and they only added to the overall quality.
Couple thoughts/ideas to consider after reflecting on this one:
1. I would classify this piece as satire, even though it retains horror elements. In my reading -- which is just one -- the central theme is that humans like cats more than themselves, which is true, but also kind of dystopian. It certainly has satirical undertones.
2. One of the best pieces of writing advice I've heard is that "humor kills tension." Also, tension is what keeps you reading. So I'd be careful about inserting so many one-liners in the midst of the action. They're funny, but they dampen the tension, and make me take the threat of death by cat mauling less seriously. This is another reason why I think the story is a satire and not a pure horror piece. Perhaps it's a "satirical horror."
All this is to say it's well-paced and well-written, but when I saw "horror" at the top I began the piece with a different set of expectations. Every reader does this -- whether they admit it or not -- so just something to consider.
I generally avoid all things horror related, but I finally gave in and decided to read this one. I'm strangely glad I did, and also very glad that I don't own a cat. Job well done, Meg! Your creativity is off the charts!!
Poor, poor clueless Garrett. If the cat didn't kill him, his girlfriend would have. He didn't stand a chance. 😂
Tracy's the real monster here, not Pretzel. Of course I might be a bit biased since I love cats and have had them my whole life. Hard to sympathize with someone who gets that angry over a mischievous cat being just that, dangerously-potent catnip aside.
HOLY CRAP! This is officially the creepiest thing I have ever experienced - in print, in movies, in real life. You win in the terror category, Meg. ( Now I am wondering where this came from and what other sort of furniture you have rolling around in your head.... which is also scary to consider.)
God damn this was BRUTAL! I loved it. Thanks for sharing that link, Meg! I loved how bloody, how vicious it was, and what a deliciously heartless bitch Tracy is. 👏🏻
Wow! I can’t quite decide which horror is the central horror: the boyfriend’s love of the cat; his diffidence toward Tracy; Tracy’s self-absorption; or the cat! There’s probably more. I’d say you nailed this challenge and I’m no horror fan.
Nice! I shuddered at the details here:
“A meat mallet. One side flat. The other lined with triangular teeth.
For tenderizing.”
Let me repeat: I shuddered.
That’s high praise! To write something that gets a visceral, physical response? That’s the goal! Good job.
Thanks!
The cat who gave me nightmares last week just casually popping up in my inbox 👀🦁🔪🩸
That is some amazingly powerful hallucinagen. Our cat now is barely affected by catnip, but our previous cat turned into an angry drunk. Probably not unlike Pretzel. Also, I see publication in your future. This is darkly original.
OMG! This was brilliant and scary and both! Looking forward to reading more..
This is so good! The tension builds and builds throughout and every detail mattered. No unnecessary descriptions or dialogue. I would never know this wasn’t part of your usual bag of stylistic tricks.
I got chills and goosebumps and all! Haha. Brilliant. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a horror piece, and I really enjoyed it. I should have known her jealousy would be the death of everyone 🤣
Whoa! I was not expecting this at all, but damn, I was pulled right in! You built up some excellent tension, and the story was perfectly paced.
By the way, I love all of the custom images you use in your stories. The text messages and breaking news report felt so organic, and they only added to the overall quality.
Great stuff, Meg! Looking forward to more.
We're a cat hating family over here, so all of this resonates perfectly well.
Couple thoughts/ideas to consider after reflecting on this one:
1. I would classify this piece as satire, even though it retains horror elements. In my reading -- which is just one -- the central theme is that humans like cats more than themselves, which is true, but also kind of dystopian. It certainly has satirical undertones.
2. One of the best pieces of writing advice I've heard is that "humor kills tension." Also, tension is what keeps you reading. So I'd be careful about inserting so many one-liners in the midst of the action. They're funny, but they dampen the tension, and make me take the threat of death by cat mauling less seriously. This is another reason why I think the story is a satire and not a pure horror piece. Perhaps it's a "satirical horror."
All this is to say it's well-paced and well-written, but when I saw "horror" at the top I began the piece with a different set of expectations. Every reader does this -- whether they admit it or not -- so just something to consider.
I generally avoid all things horror related, but I finally gave in and decided to read this one. I'm strangely glad I did, and also very glad that I don't own a cat. Job well done, Meg! Your creativity is off the charts!!
Poor, poor clueless Garrett. If the cat didn't kill him, his girlfriend would have. He didn't stand a chance. 😂
Tracy's the real monster here, not Pretzel. Of course I might be a bit biased since I love cats and have had them my whole life. Hard to sympathize with someone who gets that angry over a mischievous cat being just that, dangerously-potent catnip aside.
HOLY CRAP! This is officially the creepiest thing I have ever experienced - in print, in movies, in real life. You win in the terror category, Meg. ( Now I am wondering where this came from and what other sort of furniture you have rolling around in your head.... which is also scary to consider.)
God damn this was BRUTAL! I loved it. Thanks for sharing that link, Meg! I loved how bloody, how vicious it was, and what a deliciously heartless bitch Tracy is. 👏🏻