The clock ticks too fast toward midnight. And not fast enough. Curled in the recliner in front of the cold fireplace, I chew my nails down to the quick. I’ve sat sentry every Christmas eve for the past five years. I always hope it’s the last, but it never is.

The Ghost Of christmas past/pauline yates/nightmare Fuel magazine

For horror writers, Christmas time offers a sack full of dark story ideas, and what better way to rattle those sleighbells than with a creepy story on Christmas eve. Even better for horror writers is a new outlet for their stories.

Queensland-based Nightmare Fuel Magazine is the new kid on the block, and they showcase established and emerging horror and dark fiction authors living in Australia. They publish micro-fiction and poetry in the horror genre and all work must be under 666 words.

This Christmas, they called for stories based on the theme ‘Violent Night’. I’ve always had an idea for a creepy Christmas story, so I put pen to paper and thrashed it out – in precisely 666 words, too. I’m pleased to say that my story was accepted and it will sit alongside great stories from other talented and award-winning authors.

You can read my story for free here:

The Ghost of Christmas Past.

You can also read other stories from Nightmare Fuel Magazine HERE.

Thanks for reading. Have a great and safe Christmas.

Pauline