ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
October 21, 2009
Terrifying Tales
Just in time for Halloween comes a book that guarantees instant thrills. Half-Minute Horrors contains more than 70 spine-tingling tales by authors such as R.L. Stine, Lemony Snicket, Neil Gaiman and Francine Prose. Be warned! Those who dare to open this book may never look at their dog, their neighbors or even their parents in the same way again. In the story "Chocolate Cake" by Prose, the main character becomes suspicious of her parents. "I decided to go for a very basic fear," Prose told TFK, "the terror that your parents aren't really your parents and have been replaced by space aliens." Read Prose's story below. Go to halfminutehorrors.com to read spooky stories written by kids across the country and to share your own story.
Chocolate Cake
By Francine Prose
Lately, I've had the definite feeling that my parents aren't my parents. I can't exactly explain it. But I'm convinced that they're space aliens who look and act like my parents and have taken their places.
I've been asking them trick questions to trip them up. "Dad, what was the name of my first puppy?"
"Uh ... Fluffy?"
"His name was Earnest," I say.
"I've got a lot on my mind," says "Dad."
Tonight I'm trying something new. My real mom is horribly allergic to chocolate. She breaks out in a skin rash if she even looks at chocolate.
I bake my fake mom a chocolate birthday cake. I watch her eat it. No rash. She smiles.
"Delicious," she says. "Thank you, Timmy."
"My name is Jimmy," I say.
From Half-Minute Horrors, edited by Susan Rich.
Copyright (c)2009 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
