There was a Stephen King story in (I think) SKELETON CREW about a woman who liked finding short cuts via back roads ("She was mad for a shortcut") when driving that went to some seriously cool Lovecraftian places, but I can't remember the name of it.
Also love A BOY AND HIS DOG by Harlan Ellison (along with all the others already mentioned). So many Bradbury's too. And Poe - THE BLACK CAT is some seriously twisted shit.
Also, Clive Barker's BOOKS OF BLOOD stories are great, though hella disturbing.
I just hate hearing the garbash truck pull up while you're asleep in bed. Then you pop wide awake and say, "OH, SHIT!" While pulling on your boots and coat and rushing out to realize there's no catching it.
The worst part is that three of our trash cans were stacked and they've frozen together in the cold so the ones we have left are already full. It means piling bags up in the garage, which is never fun.
THat does suck! THey have this weird system here where your trashcans are int he ground outside your house. Instead of having to take them to the curb, the trash guys are expected to come to your house and get them.
It's fine but we always have more than two tiny cans of trash so someone is always running out of the house at the last moment.
I don't read much in the way of short stories, but I hope someone mentioned Neil Gaiman's "We Can Get It For You Wholesale". I also like his weirdo Sherlock Holmes/Lovecraft fusion "A Study in Emerald."
Also, he wrote Matrix fanfic.
So I scalded my other hand on lavacoffee just now. I feel so betrayed by my beautiful bean juice this week.
Short story I liked in 8th grade and don't think I've seen mentioned: The Devil and Daniel Webster.
When I was 10, I had a cousin who was really good at reading stories. She read that to us and scared the SHIT out of me! It was awesome.
How can it be 9 o'clock aready? We have to get ready for yoga and drop off some school paperwork, if the snow isn't too bad.
The Devil and Daniel Webster.
That reminds me of another favorite: Robert Bloch's "That Hell-Bound Train."
I am so made of gronk. We had a bedwetting accident in the night, which, unusual but normal, but it included shrieking and thrashing and so forth and there was an extended calming down phase, and then she slept in bed with me the rest of the night, and while she does not snore as loudly as my husband, she is much more wiggly.
Also, my daughter can PEE. It was like a waterfall in the bed (I was there and got peed on).
Poor Casper! Ellie peed on my lap once and now, if she's sitting on my lap and I ask her if she has to go, she'll get up to head the the bathroom while saying, "No pee-pee mommy's lap!"
I've also had our dog Sebastian pee on my lap TWICE! Once while sleeping and once in the car. Both times very gross.
