“The Phénakisticope of Decay” by James Ebersole

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.

Elliot receives a mysterious toy on Halloween night that shows disturbing images and predicts deaths.

Setting: Upstate New York, spanning from 1989 to 2018, with a focus on a decaying house and a basement.

Characters: Elliot, a man haunted by his past; Heather, his childhood friend.

Halloween seen as: A gateway to the supernatural, with consequences.

Style: Supernatural horror, with a focus on childhood trauma and fate.

Point of view: Third person, primarily from Elliot's perspective.

Jay