Spook Stories, Mark 3

I know I’ve been on a run with this stuff lately. This will be the last on the subject for a bit, I swear.

Yet again, I opted to leave the Spirit Stories app running while I slept; here’s the listing of what it kicked out. (For semi-brevity and ease of typing, I’ll forgo the timestamps this time; if anyone is interested in that, let me know and I’ll arrange for that.)

Fluffy; Aunt laughs; bright; son answers; strict; thrown; depressed; morose; hose; thrown; cousin warns; movie; cursed backyard; gloomy; dejected; reserved Rhonda; vehicle; frightened mother; sheriff; thigh; sedatives; judge; carpet; son cries; hand; resentful; beside cellar; used chain; Betty judges; companionless; salesperson; close to floor; sound behind; dealer; lighthouse; front yard; shattered leg; rope; somber; trades; ceiling; scratch arm; vehicle; lighthouse; tavern; admired; lazy; shadowed parlor; hepatitis; don’t run; Craig walks; detects; enchanted living room; encouraging; spirited story; heartless jeweler; hospitable; argumentative lover; hostile; primitive; dishonest; knife; scratch face; prepares; son whispers; penitent; controls; thieving manager; vengeful; ranch; penitent; gullible relative; outraged; tariff; light; hand; cemetery; window; divan; with sedatives; kind; scratch leg; storeroom; below pool; cluster; dainty; axe; mate hires; hoe; health; colors; humiliated; dismayed; Holly; all around us; used bat; hopeless; meningitis; parlor; inactive girlfriend; mysterious; entity ahead; crowbar; egg; cursed roof; Denise; depressed mechanic; earrings; haversack; bruise; poet; diva; hostile; gullible friend; pantry; Alan answers; husband diagnoses; careful; nephew; train; feeling lonely; roof; egotistical; son travels; stereo; happy music; piano; lungs; impatient; Ricky orders; watchful; hateful; defensive; haunted ward; Sarah fixes; devalued; interested; admired; tearful; loud story; insipid; dejected; criticized; examines.

Quite a long list. Had it running from 11:32 PM last night til 6:46 AM today. Stopped when I rolled out of bed in a mad dash to pray to the great god Ralph. More info than you folks needed, I’m sure, but oh well.

I don’t think I’ll be leaving it running anymore; it hasn’t kicked anything out that really convinces me its doing anything useful, and in all honesty I suspect it may be rigged to give “spooky” pattern answers.

But that in and of itself had me thinking. If it is a rigged game, its almost brilliant. Just random enough to make you suspect it may not be, just consistent enough to make you wonder. A large part of me enjoys contemplating and prodding at paranormal hoaxes. They’re almost as fascinating as the real thing. Assuming, of course, that there is such a concept as a “real thing” for those sorts of topics. I suspect there is, but I honestly think I’d be happier to have it disproven once and for all.

That may be why I have so many fraudulent psychics and “are they or aren’t they?” moments in my writing. Both of the manuscripts that are getting actively worked on, Believe Me and Smoke & Mirrors rely on those concepts; I’m sure they won’t be the only ones.

Enough about that, I suppose. I owe them their words for the day, after all. What about you folks out there? Is there some hobby or concept that you find keeps creeping into your own creative work? Do you encourage it or try to avoid it? Let us know down below!