Template:FeaturedAuthor/November 2017

Hi there, fellow freaks. Call me Nicky. I’m a Westside yuppie, former EMT, former filmmaker, former red-shirted hot dog hawker, and perpetual amateur writer based in Los Angeles, California. I discovered Creepypasta by accident in 2014, and immediately kicked myself for not finding it years before.

I first fell in love with storytelling as a shy, fussy elementary school kid. I was happiest concocting back stories for my stuffed animals with my best friend, setting up a “science lab” in my grandmother’s backyard, and writing epics in my imagination.

As for my love of horror, that took a bit longer to cultivate, as I was also an extremely scared little kid. My family couldn’t watch Hocus Pocus because I would have been traumatized. If I inadvertently stumbled into a reciting of Short and Shivery or a stray episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, I had nightmares for weeks. I slept with a night light until high school. To this day, I can’t be alone in my apartment after watching a horror movie.

But eventually, I began to experience an inexplicable, somewhat self-destructive draw to the sources of my fear. My sensitivity evolved into a knack for crafting creepy situations. The way I see it, if I can scare myself, I can probably scare other people. I write in coffee shops late at night. And if I walk home on edge, pulse racing, looking over my shoulder for shadowy assailants, then I know I’ve nailed it.

My stories include:

The Burned Photo - a suburban mother is thrilled when her shy son brings home a charming new playmate, Artie. But, as misfortunes mount and her child becomes icy and withdrawn, she begins to suspect Artie isn’t who he appears to be.

I recently posted two sequels - you can read them here and here.

Black Friday - a comedy/meta-pasta pitting retail peons against eldritch evil, on the cusp of that most dreaded day at the mall - Black Friday. Five rounds. Three clues. Blood (and peppermint syrup) will be spilled.

Best read as a drinking game: take a sip for every genre cliche, borderline copyright violation, or reference to world folklore, urban legends, horror classics, and other Creepypasta you find stuffed within its seventeen chapters. Internet brownie points if you can figure out the real-life mall the Baldwin Mall is based on. It’s not difficult. Like, two minutes on Google not difficult.

Delusion in Purple and White] - while completing a grisly job for an atypical client, a Venice Beach-dwelling hit man is forced to confront his own tragic past.

This one’s the red-headed stepchild of my portfolio - it doesn’t quite fit with everything else, but I love it anyway. Major internet brownie points if you can name the classic short story referenced in the title.

Shameless self-promotion:

If you’re into longer series, check out the one I’ve been working on for The Horror Network Wiki.

Seeking a fresh start, schizophrenic twenty-something Ansley returns to her peaceful, tree-lined suburban hometown where, fourteen years ago, her best friend Micah disappeared without a trace. Besieged by violent, lucid nightmares, Ansley dives down a twisted rabbit hole on a search for answers - though they may not be the answers she wants to hear.

A big thank you to the admins for featuring me, and to the Creepypasta Wiki community for your invaluable support and feedback.