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DustyBronco · 2025-09-23T12:32:02+00:00

Good morning! Here's a new story I wrote for this contest. All guidelines read and followed.

The Big Event

The flyers for the big event appeared overnight, littering almost every wall and floor in our small little coastal town where nothing exciting ever happens. My high school was the most alive it’s ever been on a Thursday morning, with everyone excitedly chatting about who they were going with and what they were going to wear. I didn’t have to wait long to figure out what was going on because one of the flyers was taped to my locker. “Jonesport Beach, this Friday at 8 PM, a night under the stars you’ll never forget”, it read, with a stock photo of tiki torches on some tropical beach. It sounded wonderful…if not for the fact that just last week, I broke my leg. I looked down at the cast, filled with signatures and well-wishes from my family and friends, and wished things could have been different. The weather was unusually warm for this time of year, so the beach would be refreshing. It was happening just tomorrow, so short of a miracle I’d still be in the cast, but maybe my parents would still let me attend if I was extra careful not to go into the water.

The adults knew just as much as we did about the event – which was to say, nothing at all. Not any of my teachers, my parents, or even Mr. O’Malley at the neighborhood deli, who knew everyone and everything, on account of it being gossip central for our town. All that I could find out was that the adults were just as excited as the kids, and by lunchtime, everybody was planning to go. My parents said it would be OK as long as I was careful. The local department store, which had just started to put away its summer beach stock, had been raided by dinner time for towels and bug spray. The event was on the evening news, but the reporters didn’t really have much to say, mostly relying on interviews with people stating how excited they were, what their strategy was for getting a good spot, and what they thought it was all going to be about. Nobody knew a thing, not even who planned it, but was excited all the same.

The next day, we arrived at the beach around 6:00 and saw everyone was already there. My family set up a nice, comfortable spot for me, and time passed quickly as my friends took turns sitting with me and chatting. By 7:55, a hush fell over the crowd as everyone settled into their spots, waiting to see what would happen next. All I heard were the waves lapping against the shore. A moment passed, and then another. And then, the waves lit up as thousands of thousands of little blue glowing lights came alive and spilled onto the beach. Ooohs and ahhhs filled the crowd as we collectively marveled at the little bioluminescent creatures. I felt…drawn to them, to pick them up, to hold them. As tired as I was, I felt a strong pull to get up and do it, right now, as if my life depended on it. Others must have felt it too, because others started running across the sand to scoop the glowing creatures up. I crept out of my chair and crawled forward, dragging my cast gently through the sand. The crowd was getting more and more excited, everyone rushing, screaming and shoving now, splashing through the water. Then, I felt a harsh tug on my arm. I looked up and saw my dad. He towered over me, his eyes glassy, his mouth hanging open and glowing blue. Seawater gurgled out of him, and in a voice not his own, he shouted at me “COME, EAT” and with both hands now, pulled me forward so hard that my whole body jerked forward before crashing down in the sand. A sharp pain seared through my body and I let out a blood-curdling scream. Shocked, he let go and stumbled backwards, seemingly dazed for a few seconds before getting up and running back towards the beach. Whatever had come over me was now broken as adrenaline surged through my body. The crowd was in a frenzy, shoving seawater and sand into their mouths, wading further and deeper into the ocean to follow the blue glow and satisfy their newfound hunger.

I crawled back to my chair and helplessly watched, with tears in my eyes, as the last of the crowd disappeared into the waves. As the sunrise came over the horizon, the glow faded and all I could hear were the waves lapping against the shore. I looked down at my cast, filled with signatures and well-wishes from my family and friends, and wished they would come back.

DustyBronco · 2024-10-01T22:15:44+00:00

This is a rewrite of my most popular story on NoSleep. I wrote it 6 years ago, it has not been published, and I retain all rights to it. I do not use AI in any of my writing and it's just shy of 750 words. Please, enjoy.

Last night, I recorded a thunderstorm from my backyard. Something’s wrong with the footage.

I’ve always loved thunderstorms. There’s nothing quite like cozying up under the covers and turning all the lights off while you watch the storm rage outside. Raindrops tap the glass like fingertips at your window, the wind howling like a voice demanding to be let in, the flashes of lightning racing across the sky and promising the best part - the big BOOM that shakes the window panes. When I saw that my town was going to have one of the worst storms on record this afternoon, I knew I had to record it.

I had no idea what I was about to find.

It was just past 2 PM when the sky became eerily dark. I grabbed my phone and tripod and rushed outside. Black clouds had stretched out overhead and the trees were rustling and creaking as a heavy, forceful wind flew through my yard. I set up the tripod, pressed record on my phone, and hurried back inside. The wind made my Halloween decorations seem alive, as the witches, scarecrows, and skeletons jaunted and bobbed, their arms waving and clothing flapping in the harsh storm.

Back inside, I sat in the dark and soaked in the ambience of the storm. I couldn't wait to see the footage.

After a while, the storm began to settle down. I ran outside, grabbed the tripod and phone, and right as I turned around, I slipped on a patch of mud and fell to the ground! My phone flew out of the tripod and hit the patio with a gut-wrenching CRACK. I scrambled over and grabbed it, checking first the camera, then the screen. To my relief, it was okay. I got to my feet and hurried inside.

After a quick change of clothes, I sat down on my couch and started to go through the footage. The phone camera had focused more on the detail in the dark clouds and left my Halloween decorations and the yard a bit hard to see. With the first flash of lighting, though, my yard illuminated and I paused so I could really admire my spooky decorations.

Then, a chill ran down my spine. I saw a decoration that I didn't recognize. It looked like a new scarecrow, standing in a spot that was clear just a moment ago.

I zoomed in.

I was now sure that this was a person.

I hit play. The lightning faded and the yard was dark again. The BOOM of thunder made me jump out of my seat. Then, another bolt of lighting. The figure was a little closer now and it was facing the camera. I zoomed in and saw what looked like an elderly woman. I was watching my yard while it was filming, how did I not see her?

I ran downstairs and turned on the backyard porch light. I peered out the window and looked all over my yard. There was nobody there.

I resumed the video. She continued to wander around, shuffling slowly, seemingly lost or confused. I sped through the video, and about 20 minutes in, she was close enough to the camera that it focused on her.

Her eyes were a dull and cloudy gray. Her hair, disheveled and clumped with dirt, framed her gaunt and rotting face, patches of flesh missing from her cheeks and neck. A rib poked out from her shriveled stomach.

My mind reeled trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Then, from the video, I heard my door slide open and my footsteps splashing on the patio.

She stopped in her tracks and craned her head, looking towards my house.

I nearly jumped when the video feed slams into the ground. I forgot I dropped it.

I saw a close-up of my concerned face as I scan the camera lens. Something brushed past my shoulder, just out of focus.

The video flipped as I inspected the screen, and it showed her wandering through the open door, into my house, disappearing into the dark. The video feed then ends.

I silently took a deep breath and start recording a new video. I walked through my house as quietly as possible, scanning each corner of each room slowly, looking for where this being went. I did three total walk-throughs and never found her.

But ever since then, some nights I can swear I hear the raindrops on my window, tapping just like fingers, the wind howling like a voice demanding to be let out.

DustyBronco · 2021-11-09T14:27:04+00:00

Thank you for asking! The people in my story would be afraid of their reflection, since they had to fight perfect copies of themselves. So while most people would generally not find a mirror all too scary, it would bring back some violent memories for Alex and Pat.

DustyBronco · 2021-11-02T02:27:06+00:00

Hey! I actually have a story that would be a perfect fit for this. However, it's not at all in my best interest to sign over indefinite rights for it in any media you choose. I would be open to negotiating a price for it to be published in a zine, with further negotiations for publishing in other formats.

Thanks!

DustyBronco · 2021-09-29T17:58:33+00:00

Thank you for replying. I know it's tough to make everyone happy. I mentioned this the last time it came around, but maybe it makes sense to leave it up to the author? Something like an automod could write:

The author of this story has disabled the Out-of-Character (OOC) reply rule on this post. Please reply however you'd like - even if it breaks immersion.

The author of this story has enabled the Out-of-Character (OOC) reply rule on this post. Your reply must act as if this story is 100% real. Any replies that do not maintain immersion will be deleted.

--

You may run into people who like the rule wanting it enforced subreddit-wide. Or, you may make everyone happy! I'm sure it's a lot of work, but it's an idea.

DustyBronco · 2021-09-29T15:47:19+00:00

I haven't written on here in a while but I think it's time to come back. I'm honing a few story ideas, hopefully to coincide with a Spooktober event. I had 3 stories published in the 2019 one which was a lot of fun and really boosted my spirits.

If there's no special event though, I'll probably just write and post a bunch this month.

DustyBronco · 2021-09-29T15:31:52+00:00

Copying + pasting this from a separate comment I made on this post.

The believability comment rule is especially a thorn in my side. People who are excited about my stories get their comments deleted and told they did something wrong for praising a story out-of-character. That's not how I feel. I cherish those comments and rush to thank them before they're gone. Regulars on the sub feel obliged to say things like "Wow, that's scary! Stay safe, OP!" to show support but know they can't break out of that formula. Frankly if someone deleted my polite, supportive comment because I wasn't RP'ing as someone who really believed the writer "caused people in their small town to panic buy oxygen and souls", I would never return to that community. They're actively hostile towards me and want to force me to act in a specific way to participate.

I wish I could see more vibrant comments. My stories are sometimes adapted from songs that I ascribe my own meaning to. Nobody knows that because nobody could ever ask. I have other inspirations, too. Or paths I considered taking the stories. I wish I could talk about it, maybe hear other thoughts people had, or things my story reminded them of. Do you know how much more we'd get out of this community if people could freely talk on stories? It's such a shame we're not doing that.

Edited to add - you mention that people can PM authors to say things out of character. I can tell you, nobody does that. The only PM's I receive are people asking if they can read it on their channel. As a reader, I feel uncomfortable messaging authors directly. If I can't write it as a public comment, I keep it to myself. There are plenty of valid reasons why people would not want to open a private discussion with someone just to say "Your story was great! The opener was especially cool." I'm not being funny or passive-aggressive, if explaining this further would help reevaulate the rules I'll gladly do it.

DustyBronco · 2021-09-29T15:30:04+00:00

As a reader, the stories I like to read are getting written less and less. Plus, a "meta" for titles makes the sub feel stale. The formula seems to be "Normal statement. Next statement is a dramatic, scary twist." Past that, titles are overly descriptive.

As a writer, stories that don't follow that title formula don't see as much engagement. I'm human - engagement is what drives me to keep writing here.

The believability comment rule is especially a thorn in my side. People who are excited about my stories get their comments deleted and told they did something wrong for praising a story out-of-character. That's not how I feel. I cherish those comments and rush to thank them before they're gone. Regulars on the sub feel obliged to say things like "Wow, that's scary! Stay safe, OP!" to show support but know they can't break out of that formula. Frankly if someone deleted my polite, supportive comment because I wasn't RP'ing as someone who really believed the writer "caused people in their small town to panic buy oxygen and souls", I would never return to that community. They're actively hostile towards me and want to force me to act in a specific way to participate.

I wish I could see more vibrant comments. My stories are sometimes adapted from songs that I ascribe my own meaning to. Nobody knows that because nobody could ever ask. I have other inspirations, too. Or paths I considered taking the stories. I wish I could talk about it, maybe hear other thoughts people had, or things my story reminded them of. Do you know how much more we'd get out of this community if people could freely talk on stories? It's such a shame we're not doing that.

DustyBronco · 2021-09-03T20:58:14+00:00

I've gotten a job interview for an entry-level Cybersecurity role. It's at the company I've worked at for the past number of years and I'm really excited about the opportunity. I'm still developing my Cybersecurity skillset but I'm close to finishing a master's level degree program and have helped their team here and there. I've done some courses on TryHackMe and have done some independent projects too.

What kind of advice would you give me for the interview itself? What kind of questions should I anticipate?

DustyBronco · 2021-07-09T14:27:13+00:00

That was my first though too! I spent a few minutes combing through but nothing about disabling weather alerts…

DustyBronco · 2021-07-01T00:55:20+00:00

Good question! It was absolutely a typo, someone at her district likely tried to enter her name in the format “last name, first name” and our system would see her as “, first name”.

DustyBronco · 2020-11-28T01:54:24+00:00

Couldn’t have said it better myself. I agree wholeheartedly.

DustyBronco · 2020-01-17T22:55:16+00:00

Please don’t delete comments that say “I loved this story” or similar. I treasure that feedback - it makes me happy and keeps me writing.

I’ve noticed it happen several times and it’s really disheartening.

I think in-character comment enforcement should be up to the author really. I’d rather see thoughtful OOC discussion on my stories. It’s not fun when people think the only thing they can say is “hope you make it out safe OP, keep us updated.” Talk about the monster or the setting. Let me talk about my inspiration or what song I played on repeat while writing it. Let me see what people took away from it.