October arrives on hesitant feet
after September bows in defeat.
October holds its head high
until it must wave goodbye.
The crowning glory is Halloween,
the best time to party and be seen.
October soon leaves on dragging feet
as November arranges its defeat.
Step inside.
A mansion is waiting.
It might appear deserted,
rundown and unused.
The inside tells
a different story.
Walk on marble floors
through rooms of delight.
Rooms of different eras,
reflecting a dead man’s dreams.
A man with no life or future,
who waits for the end of time.
A house fit for a prince
or a prince of darkness.
THE DEAD GAME
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Guests dance
between frozen statues.
Statues of ice.
Sad expressions for eternity.
Tears flow on frosty cheeks.
Beneath the music and gaiety
lies an undercurrent of evil.
Time to leave this cold paradise
and escape, if one can.
Escape this deadly game
of The Dead.
THE DEAD GAME
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Kobo
Let’s play The Dead Game.
No one is safe.
Players can be alive or dead.
The Dead control the rules.
They own the game.
A maze of death awaits.
Circular saws hang in the basement.
Ready to have your heads chopped?
Body parts fall in the fireplace.
Do those limbs belong to your friends?
Ladies and gentlemen,
the game has begun.
Run for your life!
THE DEAD GAME
Book One of The Dead Game Series
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The door.
The fear of not knowing.
The fear of knowing.
What to do?
Open the door and step inside.
You might be happy.
Or you might be dead.
You’ll never know until you open the door.
THE DEAD GAME SERIES
Am I welcome to dinner?
I feel mighty hungry.
Like I’m skin and bones.
Or just bones.
THE DEAD GAME SERIES
I walk alone at night
when the moon is full height.
The sky black as tar,
but I won’t walk far.
I search for the shadow
on a road so narrow.
I want to see who he’s become;
The Dead leader, the evil one.
PREY FOR THE DEAD
Book Two of The Dead Game Series
What’s on the other side?
Don’t be afraid or hide.
What will you see?
Will you be free?
Color replaces black,
But watch your friend’s back.
Night creatures out for fun
In the Florida sun.
Mansions to explore.
Parties and much more.
One step at a time.
And follow this rhyme.
And soon you will be there.
Who knew it was so near?
THE DEAD GAME SERIES BY SUSANNE LEIST
An Unwelcome Surprise By Susanne Leist
Lights sparkle like stars on the walls.
Spots of color guide my journey.
Past closed doors, I walk, my head lowered, my steps slow.
I feel my way along the walls, the lights warm beneath my fingertips.
A cold wind hits the back of my neck.
I turn to the dark corridor before me.
Dark shadows twist into shapes, and an arm beckons to me.
Heart pounding in a tempo matching my chattering teeth, I stand frozen against the wall.
A knob hits me in the back.
My arm reaches behind, and I twist the knob.
I step back into the room.
The door shuts in my face.
I turn around.
Water flows beneath my feet.
An azure sky surrounds me.
I walk forward. The scene fades to black.
A brisk cold wind replaces the warmth.
In the distance walks a woman wearing a yellow raincoat and black rubber boots.
She approaches me with an ax in one hand and a black garbage bag in the other.
I back against the door, jiggling the knob.
Locked.
She stands before me and smiles.
I lift my eyes to eyes shimmering blood red.
“Would you like to fill this bag for me?”
She raises the empty black bag.
I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head.
Dots of lights shoot before my eyes.
The room swims.
I shut my eyes and fall to the ground.
Demonic (2015)
Light the path
through the woods
to the house at the edge
where many have gone.
Follow the puffs of smoke
through the rocks and brush
to the end of the trail
where many have gone.
Climb the broken steps
into the dark hallway
to the dark basement
where many have gone.
Descend the narrow staircase
to the deep water
and hanging traps
where many have gone.
Face the row of doors
on the opposite wall
past the circular saws
where many have gone.
Open the wrong door
to the caged tigers
whose cages lift open
where others have disappeared.
THE DEAD GAME
