Carmen Baca

Ay, miren. I love my new title! Gracias, @LatineLit! I love publishing in your ezines. #Chicano #folktales #folkhorror #cryptids #Latinx #YA

#vss365 #prompt #elated Elated at finally going trick or treating, taking silly or spooky selfies for trends, monsters, witches, a vampire leading to the last where they parted as friends. One left in the arms of a zombie feeding.

#vss365 #prompt #start “Off to a good start,” Daniel huffed as we hiked. The mesa of the mountain boasted caves of giants we went to see for ourselves that day, all psyched. At the top a shock, thunderbird sentries, defiant, swooped us up, none too gently, as our terror spiked.

#vss365 #prompt #travel Getting to the lair of the legendary beast requires days of grueling, gutsy travel not many dare, save one, the village priest, braving dangers to liberate the rabble, fearing more than a few will become its next feast. #folkhorror

#vss365 #prompt #miles Miles of meadows and mountains between us and Them. Faceless, nameless, always there. Them moaning or chilling our spines with sus. Silhouettes shadow us on purpose to scare. Our screams at the end They consider a plus. #folkhorror #horrorlovers

Super psyched my latest #folkhorror #shortstory went live today from World of Myth magazine. #SantaMuerte #diadelosmuertos #Halloween2026 jayzomondarkmyth.com/darkmyt…

#vss365 #prompt #doubt He had no doubt he’d seen a giant owl riding the wind at night out and about. Bent on accosting the notorious fowl, he yelled until Lechuza heard his shout. The nerve! Calling a witch on the prowl. #folkhorror

#vss365 #prompt In their #commitment to hunting Malorga down, to ridding the village of the monstrous man-eater, the would-be heroes patrolled around the town as a spinning vortex formed around their leader. ’Twas Malorga, feasting on him from feet to crown. #folkhorror

#vss365 #prompt #fueling Fueling the fire of our mutual discontent was the slow death of individual expression. Conformity to uniformity despite our dissent fed fanatics enforcing our great repression. Killing our creativity was only the advent. #amwriting #writingcommunity

#vss365 #prompt #nervous A nervous twitter in the crowd, a shuffle of feet from those at the edges ripple to the center of us in that circle anticipating a promised treat. Instead, trapped in the terrors of our tormentor, in waves we scream against our arranged defeat.

#vss365 #prompt Guests gathered, mingled a bit, took their places. Speaker took the stage, video behind in landscape of the cave where he’d been surrounded by faces. “#Sneakers, they wuz, took bites afore we ’scaped,” he quaked. “Go back, I dare ya, won’t find no traces.”

#vss365 #prompt #lottery Selected by lottery for the trip of a lifetime, she packed light as most would be supplied. The chance came when she was in her prime. “That’s why,” they said. “And also why we lied. Your martyrdom for the planet will be sublime.”

#vss365 #prompt #unexpected Unexpected, he sat up after pronounced dead, shocking EMTs, his kids, & his hysterical wife. “Was truly a miracle,” we witnesses all said. One day, he tore off the mask of everyday life, revealed his gruesome ghoulish self. We fled. #horror

#vss365 #prompt #dead Phone’s dying, so’s the ’net, power’s next, overwhelming all in a disconsolate dread. Viral news goes worldwide via “official” text. Fact or fake, who knows, no way to check cred. Dead, dead, dead, everything is dead. #horror

#vss365 #prompt Chosen for his #bravery by the council of brothers to face Serpiente and force him back into his lair, the lad whined to the snake, “Why me, not another?” “Why not you? You taste like any other. I don’t care.” Serpent coils embraced him, tight as any mother’s.