Thorn Wilde

Our kitchen is temporarily missing (as in, we haven't cleaned it, and there are no clean plates and no space to cook at the moment), and I'm home alone so today I went to the shop and bought a frozen pizza with ham, pepperoni and meatballs, a tin of sliced mushrooms, and a snack pack of feta cheese, olives and pickled garlic. I put the mushrooms, olives, feta and garlic on the pizza, grated some extra cheese on top and cooked it in the over according to the instructions. I am stuffed and there are still three slices left. Minimum effort for excellent noms! I'll fit the last three slices too, I just need a breather first.

Oh, yeah, Nando's is another thing I miss. Om nom nom!

Oh, god, Quavers!! Always bring home a shitload whenever I go to the UK. It's what I miss the most.

I know how scary coming out can be, but... It seems to me that if you guys have been friends your whole life, and you 'play gay' a lot, if there's anyone who will accept you, surely it's him? In the end, only you can gauge that, but look at it this way: If something is ever to happen between you guys, he'll have to find out about it anyway. Without at all turning this into a religious discussion, can I ask what sort of church you belong to? Because I know out gay people who belong to a lot of different denominations, and they all face different trials, and some have it easier than others.

I'm in. I think it would be really cool to do something centred around the winter solstice and the sort of north-of-the-arctic-circle bring-the-sun-back sort of traditions, of which there are many.

Ewww, marmite. For me, anything I don't have to cook for myself. Anything I don't have to move from the couch to get, in fact. So, chinese takeaway or pizza or something else where I can just go online, plot in what I want and have it delivered to my door. Failing that, what I always seem to end up eating when I'm feeling like shit is spaghetti with cheese and ketchup. If I'm feeling adventurous I may also add tuna or salmon or something, if I have some in, or sweetcorn or whatever else might be in the house. I know it's boring, but I only feel like cooking real food when I'm in a good mood. Followed by Ben & Jerry's cookie dough or half baked ice cream, and it's looking like a good evening. Oh, and crisps, any kind at all, with some kind of sour cream dip, like onion.

Loved this. Your demons are so awesome! I need to finish reading the rest of your demon stories... This reminded me a little bit of a concept that's brought up a few times on Buffy. They say that Halloween is the night of the year you're least likely to experience something actually supernatural. Vampires and demons stay indoors, because Halloween is too cheesy for the things that actually go bump in the night. It's not magical or anything, it's just tradition. Anyway, I love this kind of story, where several different characters get to tell a shorter tale. Like a camp fire circle. There's something sort of pleasant about it, even when they're demons telling tales of killing and maiming people. Well done, as ever!

I just really found this heartbreaking... Such a sad story! Very cool and original idea, though, which is saying something because the Zombie genre's been done to death. Well done!

Magpie and I had actually known about one another for years. We moved in the same circles and had met on several occasions, been to the same parties and so on, but somehow we'd never really been introduced so we didn't really talk often or know much about each other. Which is weird, because in my circle of friends people date so incestuously that we've got a maximum of two degrees of separation with regards to who's shagged whom. Anyway, during winter 2009, we ended up at the same parties quite a few times and I guess we sort of noticed each other. We had both gotten out of long lasting relationships fairly recently (I think he got dumped in August and I dumped my ex in September, and this was February or there abouts), and we talked a few times, but I don't think there was actually any flirting. Then, in March, we were both in his ex's birthday party at a pub, and we sat at the same table and chatted, and then we kept bumping into each other on our way to and from the bar and randomly hugging. And then one of those hugs just kind of became a kiss. I ended out going home with him that night, and the next day we watched Donnie Darko and talked about everything, learning as much about each other as we could, and then we went out for Chinese. After that I pretty much slept at his place for about two weeks straight. In April, we decided to become exclusive, and the rest is history.

Oh god, yes, the mundane things. That's the part I really don't like. I think mums on Facebook are among my least favourite things. Not all of them, but you do get the ones who are like, 'My baby just pooped! Isn't he precious????' and you're like, ew. I generally post about concerts I go to, people I've met, how I'm doing on a deeper level, and I share links to music, videos, news stories, funny pictures... Basically the same as I do here, only under a different name. Maybe it is. Maybe I just said that to throw you off the scent.

I don't really know if I have any specific big regrets... I mean, generally I try not to regret things. I prefer to say, 'Oh well,' and move on. You won't get very far constantly thinking about what you should have done differently. But there are certainly chances I wish I would have taken. Times when I hesitated a moment too long and missed an opportunity to do something fun or awesome or creative and was too shy or self-conscious or whatever to take the chance. Which is why I've been trying not to think too much and just jump in head first. If things work out, at least it won't be because I didn't try. I'd rather know that I went for something and failed than know that I missed out because I didn't jump quick enough. I've regretted things I said (thoughtless things that hurt people's feelings), but rarely things I did--only things I didn't do.

I'm pretty active on social media, actually. I've lived in a lot of different places and have friends all over the world, so I use Facebook to keep in touch with friends I otherwise wouldn't be able to keep up with or talk to very often. On Thursday, I had dinner with an really old friend in Copenhagen (we've known each other since we were 8), and I wouldn't even have known that she lives there now if it hadn't been for Facebook, because she moved to another country when we were about ten years old. So that's handy. And I use Twitter to keep up with the news and with politics and musicians and writers I really like. It's an excellent platform for activism, and for communicating with people who otherwise travel in different spheres. Of course I get a kick out of having Neil Gaiman reply to one of my tweets (and it's happened more than once). I don't know if that's me feeding my ego or just me enjoying the fact that I'm living in an age where this kind of communication is even possible. But the fact that I'm so public on twitter and facebook is exactly why I started using this handle a few years ago. It grants me a degree of anonymity that I'm very comfortable with. Only a handful of people can connect Thorn Wilde with real life me, and that's the way I like it. There are many people I know out there in the real world who wouldn't be comfortable with my writing, and while I don't hide who I am from my friends there are battles that I'd rather not fight unless I have to.

I really loved this. It was sad and wonderful and gave me epic feels. I wouldn't mind reading more stuff like this. Like Sasha, I kept giggling at 'knob', though. It's funny how a word can have such different connotations depending on geographic location and cultural belonging. Just one thing that confused me a bit... Suddenly 'Bald Knob' switched names to 'Pilot Knob'?

I actually think this story ended exactly where it should. I love a cliffhanger for this type of story, it's what leaves you feeling just a bit cold and apprehensive even after you've finished reading. And of course, you already know I love the story.

I liked this! Always love a good, classic vampire story. I liked the idea of the ritual and all that, very cool. If anything, though, I think the horror could have been more explicit and the sexual overtones perhaps a bit more sinister? I guess what I'm saying is I would have very much enjoyed a mature rated version of this story.

Thank you so much! I'm really very happy you enjoyed it. Glad you made it through it all. Thanks for sticking with it.

Thank you! Wish I could say I was sorry I made you cry, but I'm taking it as a compliment. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'm very happy you enjoyed it.

If I had had the time I would probably have had someone of Hindi background give it a once over, but as it is I barely had time to finish in time, so... That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Glad you enjoyed the story all the same! Thanks for reviewing.

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yes, the importance of letting go was definitely one of the central themes.

Thanks for making your event! It was a fun challenge for me. And thank you for reviewing.

I'm being very travely at the moment, so don't know when I'll get around to reading everyone's stories, but I will definitely do so!! Excited to see what you've all come up with! Thanks for all the excellent response to Sleeping With Ghosts. You are all awesome!

Thank you! A little bit creepy is good.

Thank you, Kitt! Yes, Sasha and I share a certain degree of self-criticism, I believe.

Muahaha, now you get the speculate on what the gift was until the day you die!!! A gold watch? A tie-pin? A life-time supply of condoms? Nobody knows! Glad you enjoyed the story. Thank you!

Thank you so much, Ron! Your opinion means the world to me, truly. And sorry about the tears. Actually, no, not sorry at all, that makes me feel really good. Glad I managed to make it at least a little bit spooky.