“Reflections in Black” by Steve Rasnic Tem

The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones

Readers unfamiliar with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories may prefer to read these notes only after reading the anthology.

What happens to a man who wakes up to his life too late, and realizes he made the wrong choice at every turning point? Wouldn't going back to the last good time, with a woman ghosted for decades, set things right? Will it be trick or treat?

Setting: Randall, never a happy car driver, drives cross-country in a day.

Characters: Randall, a lonely man; Paula, a woman from his past; Alice, Paula's mother.

Halloween seen as: A catalyst for introspection and confronting perceived past regrets. Or a life belt?

Style: Psychological, introspective, with a touch of the uncanny.

Point of view: Third person, limited to Randall's perspective.

Jay