perhaps it was a mistake, to make this the very first horror piece by Seb I read.. or perhaps not 😎 I seem to have landed at the end with my eyes very wide open and my mind oddly curious what else he is up to... still, I think I may go browse his poetry for a respite😁
What unsettled me most Seb, wasn't the violence itself. It was the bureaucracy of the violence.
The Meuchlings don't feel like creatures driven by rage. They feel like a civilization that has transformed cruelty into ritual. Every atrocity follows a logic, a sequence, almost a protocol, and somehow that makes the horror far more disturbing than if it were merely chaotic. Evil becomes routine, and that's what stayed with me.
I also admired your restraint in revealing Miguel. For most of the story he's simply an observer, and because of that the reader unconsciously searches for someone to identify with. Then the final lines quietly pull the ground away beneath us. "Welcome home, my children..." suddenly reframes everything that came before it. It's a clever structural choice because the true horror arrives not with another act of brutality, but with the realization of who has been watching all along.
What I think lingers after the story isn't any individual scene. It's the sense that these horrors have become ordinary to the people committing them. Once cruelty becomes tradition rather than impulse, it stops feeling human altogether—and that's far more terrifying than any monster.
I'm happily subscribing because I enjoy horror that leaves an emotional residue long after the final sentence, not simply because of what it shows, but because of what it quietly suggests about power, ritual, and the ease with which evil can become normalized. I also write at The Reflective State, where my fiction explores a very different kind of darkness—one built more on atmosphere, mystery, and psychological unease. If curiosity ever leads you there, I'd be delighted to have you read some of my work and share your thoughts.
Thank you for reading my work and for such an excellently laid out and insightful comment. I will most certainly check out some of your work. I love writing that makes you think so I’m excited to see it!
Don’t doubt your talent, you have an intensely creative mind! I shared it on my Bluesky account. I looked to see if you had a profile on there so I could tag you, but I never found one. Keep up the good work! I drew a connection between Miguel and Trump, with ICE and his other cronies as his “Meuchlings”.
Well, thank you. That means a lot. No I don’t have a bluesky account. Never really got into the whole twitter thing back in the day. Maybe I’ll look into it. You can always link to my substack if you want to credit me for anything. I appreciate your trying anyhow.
You should consider it, it’s not racist and hate filled like Twitter/X. 49 million users. I share your stuff directly from Substack so that they come to your page to read it, so they see you are the author.
Old Miguel there better watch out. One day his "kids" are gonna turn on him!
Showing mankind at its finest
Thank you for reading!
perhaps it was a mistake, to make this the very first horror piece by Seb I read.. or perhaps not 😎 I seem to have landed at the end with my eyes very wide open and my mind oddly curious what else he is up to... still, I think I may go browse his poetry for a respite😁
The rest of my horror is much easier to read than this piece! This one was incredibly dark by comparison. Thank you for reading! And I’m sorry!
you did warn me. Did I mention I kinda suck at reading directions? 🤣
That makes two of us! I’m not alone!
I... don't even know?
Did you notice how many favor substack authors?🤣😂🤣
Seb, I wrote on that prompt and you blew me out of the water and I wish I would have taken more time
Great piece.
Can’t find it! Do you have a link?
I'll see if I can find it. But the algorithm has been eating my stuff.
😟
Trust me it was no loss to the literary world. 😂🤣😂
🥺
Thank you! I’ll have to read yours!
Dark indeed!!
What unsettled me most Seb, wasn't the violence itself. It was the bureaucracy of the violence.
The Meuchlings don't feel like creatures driven by rage. They feel like a civilization that has transformed cruelty into ritual. Every atrocity follows a logic, a sequence, almost a protocol, and somehow that makes the horror far more disturbing than if it were merely chaotic. Evil becomes routine, and that's what stayed with me.
I also admired your restraint in revealing Miguel. For most of the story he's simply an observer, and because of that the reader unconsciously searches for someone to identify with. Then the final lines quietly pull the ground away beneath us. "Welcome home, my children..." suddenly reframes everything that came before it. It's a clever structural choice because the true horror arrives not with another act of brutality, but with the realization of who has been watching all along.
What I think lingers after the story isn't any individual scene. It's the sense that these horrors have become ordinary to the people committing them. Once cruelty becomes tradition rather than impulse, it stops feeling human altogether—and that's far more terrifying than any monster.
I'm happily subscribing because I enjoy horror that leaves an emotional residue long after the final sentence, not simply because of what it shows, but because of what it quietly suggests about power, ritual, and the ease with which evil can become normalized. I also write at The Reflective State, where my fiction explores a very different kind of darkness—one built more on atmosphere, mystery, and psychological unease. If curiosity ever leads you there, I'd be delighted to have you read some of my work and share your thoughts.
Thank you for reading my work and for such an excellently laid out and insightful comment. I will most certainly check out some of your work. I love writing that makes you think so I’m excited to see it!
That was a tough read but you are an amazing wordsmith! 🥰🖤 These guys made me angry (of course in a good way, because the writing sucked me in) 🤬🤬
Thank you so much! And I’m so sorry!
No need, I love when that happens! 🖤
Well, you certainly delivered on that warning! I may need something wholesome now. 😳Really well done!
Sorry! 😅
lol I actually kind of loved it!
This is exceptional writing!
Thank you! That means a lot. I was insecure about this one.
Don’t doubt your talent, you have an intensely creative mind! I shared it on my Bluesky account. I looked to see if you had a profile on there so I could tag you, but I never found one. Keep up the good work! I drew a connection between Miguel and Trump, with ICE and his other cronies as his “Meuchlings”.
Well, thank you. That means a lot. No I don’t have a bluesky account. Never really got into the whole twitter thing back in the day. Maybe I’ll look into it. You can always link to my substack if you want to credit me for anything. I appreciate your trying anyhow.
You should consider it, it’s not racist and hate filled like Twitter/X. 49 million users. I share your stuff directly from Substack so that they come to your page to read it, so they see you are the author.
Keep up the excellent work, Seb!
Wow, thank you so much, that’s so kind of you. I really appreciate it. It’s the support of readers like you that make substack such a great place.
Anytime!