Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-33937557-20180603171940/@comment-35711173-20180607201049

Jdeschene wrote:

I think we're viewing the story fundamentally differently. For me, '''what was scary about it was the ease with which the drug was acquired. ''' There was a man at a carnival knowingly selling a toxic substance to children. That's what freaks me out about this story. Everything else is kind of secondary.

Jdeschene,

I firmly agree with you here. One person, one event, who knows how many children die. Kids tear at our hearts and a good serial killer could kill dozens in one event. It's the same nausea and fear you feel whenever there is a school shooting. The author has achieved emotional connection here.

Once suspension of belief and the emotional connection are achieved then I am not going to argue the choice. Could he have written a Halloween themed story that used carfentanil laced "serial killer" candy and proceeded along the same lines? Yes. But the author felt crocodiles/krokodil and I think made it work.