Eminyakeni embalwa eyedlule, ngaseHalloween, ngathenga i-anthology entsha yezindaba ezimfishane. Kwabizwa Okthoba Amaphupho, futhi ngaphuthuma ekhaya ngisuka esitolo sezincwadi, ngahluthulela umnyango wangaphambili, ngacisha zonke izibani ngaphandle kwesibani engangingasifunda ngaso, ngazinza ukuze ngibone ukuthi sasingiphatheleni. Angizange ngiphoxeke nakancane.

Bengilokhu ngiwumlandeli wefomu lendaba emfushane. Kukhona ababhali abakhulu laphaya abangakwazi ukuzibhala, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bazama kangakanani. Kunzima ukuthatha umbono, uwufake engqikithini yawo, futhi ube nendaba ehlangene, ebandakanyayo emakhasini angaphansi kwama-50 enesiqalo, maphakathi nesiphetho. Nokho, uma kwenziwa kahle, imiphumela ingaba imilingo. Endabeni yezindaba ezimfushane ezithusayo, zingasabisa kakhulu.

I-Halloween isifikile futhi, futhi ngokunambitheka kwethu okokuqala kwesimo sezulu sasekwindla esincane namuhla eTexas, imicabango yami yabuyela emuva Okthoba Amaphupho, nezinye izindaba ezinhle ezimfishane engizifunde eminyakeni edlule. Bengicabanga ukuthi ngizokwabelana ngalezi zintandokazi, ezintsha nezindala, futhi ngiyanxusa ukuthi uzibheke kule sizini ye-Halloween.

1. "Ithanga Elimnyama" nguDean Koontz

Izincwadi zikaMnu. Koontz bezilokhu zingishaya noma zingiphuthele njalo. Angaba umbalisi wezindaba omuhle ngokweqiniso kwesinye isikhathi, kepha akahambisani kangako. Ngakho-ke, lapho ngibona ukuthi ubhale indaba emfushane yokuqala ku Okthoba Amaphupho, ngicishe ngeqe kwesokudla ngiwudlulisele komunye. Nganquma ukuyizama, futhi ngijabula kakhulu ngokuthi ngikwenzile.

UTommy osemusha ubelokhu edumaza abazali bakhe futhi uhlale ehlukunyezwa umfowabo omdala onosizi, uFrank. Ngenye intambama yango-Okthoba ebanda, baya epulazini lamathanga beyokha amathanga e-Halloween. Njengoba uTommy ezulazula endaweni, uhlangana nekhehla elinwabuzelayo eliqopha amathanga. Izandla ezinwabuzelayo zisebenza imimese, ziqopha ngobungcweti ubuso obusabekayo egangeni ngalinye elisha. UFrank ubamba uTommy futhi ngokushesha ubuyela ekumthethiseni, embiza ngamagama, futhi uzama okufanayo nekhehla.

Umbazi akamnaki aqhubeke nokusebenza. Libuza ikhehla ukuthi ngabe libiza malini ukuthatha ithanga elesabekayo ikakhulukazi elipendwe ngombala omnyama. Ikhehla limtshela ukuthi uvele athathe noma yini abantu abacabanga ukuthi amathanga alo abalulekile. UFrank njengoba eyingcosana nje, utshela ikhehla ukuthi uzomnika i-nickel, ikhehla limamatheke bese liyithatha. Njengoba uFrank ezulazula, uTommy osemncane uzama ukumlandela ukuze amenze abuyise ithanga, kodwa umbazi uyambamba.

“Ebusuku, iJack O'Lantern yomfowenu izokhula ibe enye into kunamanje. Imihlathi yayo izosebenza. Amazinyo ayo azolola. Lapho wonke umuntu elele, izongena endlini yakho… futhi inikeze okufanele. Izoza kuwe ekugcineni. Ucabanga ukuthi yini okufanele uyenze, Tommy? Uyabona, ngiyalazi igama lakho, nakuba umfowenu engakaze alisebenzise. Ucabanga ukuthi ithanga elimnyama lizokwenzani kuwe, Tommy? Hmmm? Ufanelwe yini?” UTommy uyavevezela agijimele ikhehla ezama ukungacabangi ukuthi lizothini. Ngalobo busuku, njengoba u-Tommy elele embhedeni, uzwa imisindo engajwayelekile evela esitezi esingezansi…Yilokho kuphela icebo engizokunikeza lona khona manje, kodwa ngikholwe uma ngithi bekufanele ngilale ngikhanyise izibani ubusuku obuthathu obulandelayo.

2. "Vumela Izingane Ezincane" nguStephen King

Ishicilelwe okokuqala eCavalier ngo-1972, ethi “Suffer the Little Children” yagcina isifikile kuStephen King Amaphupho Amabi Namaphupho i-anthology ngo-1993. Okuthusayo lapha cishe yi-Bradbury-esque futhi kusifanele isikhathi sakho. UNkosazana Sidley unguthisha osekhulile owayezondwa yibo bonke. Wawungeke ukwazi ukubalekela noma yini ekilasini lakhe, ngisho nalapho efulathele, ngoba wayebona ukubonakala kwakho kumalensi aminyene ezingilazini zakhe.

Ngolunye usuku, uphawula ukuthi uRobert, umfundi othule umgqolozele ngendlela ehlekisayo. Abhekane naye amtshele ukuthi kuzokwenzeka into embi. Ube esemtshela ukuthi angashintsha futhi uzomkhombisa. Ugijima, eklabalasa, esuka ebhilidini lesikole futhi uphoqeleka ukuba ahambe. Lapho ebuya, uRobert akuyena yedwa umfundi oziphatha ngendlela ehlukile. Kancane kancane uyabona ukuthi kukhona okubi osekuphethe izingane futhi kungenzeka kube nguye yedwa ongayivimba.

UStephen King uvamise ukuba sezingeni eliphezulu efomini yendaba emfushane futhi lokhu bekungehlukile kimina. Isinqumo esishaqisayo esenziwe uMiss Sidley sesabisa kakhulu emhlabeni lapho udlame ezikoleni kungaseyona into esivele sifunde ngayo ezinganekwaneni.

3. "ILottery" nguShirley Jackson

Ngo-June 26, i-1948, The New Yorker ishicilele indaba ka-Shirley Jackson ebizwa ngokuthi “Ilotho” mayelana nesiko lasendulo lokuhlabela abantu elenziwa ezikhathini zanamuhla. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa, abafundi base bekhansela ukubhalisa kwabo futhi bathumela imeyili enenzondo kubo bobabili umagazini kanye nomlobi.

UJackson kamuva wakhumbula ukuthi ngisho nomama wakhe wamthumelela incwadi egxeka le ndaba emnyama. Namuhla, ifundiswa ezikoleni ezweni lonke njengesibonelo sendaba emfushane enkulu yaseMelika. Itulo eliwumshoshaphansi lakha ukwesaba, kancane kancane nangendlela ehlelekile, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekugcineni okwesabekayo, futhi uma ungakafundi, kufanele uthole ikhophi yalo kule sizini ye-Halloween.

4. "Incwadi Yegazi" nguClive Barker

Indaba yefreyimu yochungechunge lwakhe lwe-anthology enegama elifanayo, "Incwadi Yegazi" ixoxa indaba yomcwaningi wengqondo oqasha isangoma esincane ukuze simsize aphenye indlu okuthiwa ingenye yezindawo ezihlaselwe kakhulu eNgilandi. Akazi ukuthi uSimon uchitha izinsuku zakhe ejikijela izinto endlini, ewisa izinto, futhi enza izinto ezishaqisayo azibika kuye kusihlwa.

Kodwa, njengoba kuvame ukwenzeka ezindabeni ezinjalo, akusekude ngaphambi kokuba uSimon abhekane neqiniso. Imimoya ihamba emigwaqweni emikhulu, sitshelwa ukuthi le ndlu iyimpambanondlela lapho kudlula khona imimoya emibi kakhulu. Bacabanga ukuthi uSimoni uyabahleka, ngakho bayahlasela, bembambe phansi futhi beqopha izindaba zabo enyameni yakhe. Njengoba umcwaningi ehlala phansi ukuze abhale izindaba ukuze abanye bazifunde, uveza zonke ezinye izindaba kuzo Izincwadi Zegazi.

U-Barker unekhono lokwehlisa umfundi emigwaqweni engenasiqiniseko sokuthi ufuna ukuhamba futhi lonke leli qoqo liyajabulisa futhi liyathusa.

5. "Impi Yabathakathi" kaRichard Matheson

Amantombazane ayisikhombisa ahlezi ndawonye kuvulandi ongaphambili axoxa ngabafana nezingubo nokunye okungekuhle neziphetho zezimpilo zabo zansuku zonke. Kukhona impi, kodwa ubungeke ukwazi ngengxoxo yabo engenzi lutho. Ujenene uthola amagama amabutho ezitha asondela kubo bese ephuma eya lapho kuhlezi khona amantombazane.

Uwatshela inani lamasosha nezimoto, ibanga lawo, bese ekhipha umyalo. Amantombazane ayisikhombisa, aneminyaka engaphansi kweshumi nesithupha, ahlala embuthanweni futhi esebenzisa amandla akekho oqondayo ukuthi abiza isihogo emabuthweni azayo. UMatheson wayengumxoxi wezindaba. Ubhale iziqephu eziningi ezikhunjulwa kakhulu ze-Twilight Zone ne-Star Trek.

Le ndaba ilula kangangokuthi iyakunyonyobela futhi ikushiye uluhlaza njengoba amantombazane ebuyela ekuhlebeni kwawo ngemva kokubhujiswa.

Lezi ezimbalwa zezintandokazi zami.  Ziningi kakhulu ezinye laphaya, futhi lesi yisikhathi esihle sonyaka kubo. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, ngaba nephathi ye-Halloween lapho wonke umuntu ayeyalwe ukuthi alethe indaba yakhe eyintandokazi yesipoki ukuze abelane ngayo neqembu futhi ihlala ingelinye lamaphathi engiwathandayo engake ngawanikeza kuze kube yilolu suku!