23 Comments
User's avatar
John Madrid's avatar

You made appetite the cage. Nastier than the monster in the cylinder. Loved this one, Bill.

Bill Adler's avatar

Thank you, John. I was in a horror mood and I’m glad you liked this little tale.

James Hayes's avatar

Thank you for introducing me to "Borborygmic rumblings" :-D

Bill Adler's avatar

You’re welcome, James. I love that word!

Lilibetp's avatar

Uh-oh!

Deirdre Mooney's avatar

Oh wow - a great twist on Hansel and Gretal

Bill Adler's avatar

Thank you, Deirdre. I'm glad you liked Skinny Town. :)

Patrick Powers's avatar

I liked the story. Reminds me of the Irish sidhe stories with the injunction never to eat the food or drink otherwise you’ll be stuck there forever. The one improvement I would suggest is the dialogue. It reads a bit on the nose and stiff. Otherwise a fun read. Feel free to tell me to stuff it btw.

Bill Adler's avatar

Thanks Patrick. I like Irish stories, too. I'm glad you enjoyed this one. Comments and criticisms are always welcome.

David Perlmutter's avatar

"Brigadoon", with a book by Stephen King....

Bill Adler's avatar

I like that comparison! Thanks.

Mark Hayes's avatar

A new twist on To Serve Man...

Bill Adler's avatar

To Serve Man is one of my favorite Twilight Zones!

PamWhatAm's avatar

Makes me regret everything I ate yesterday. Dang! What a story.

Bill Adler's avatar

Thanks! :)

K.C. Knouse's avatar

These guys were hypnotized by the food and hospitality they received. They were the only chubbies in town. That should have made them suspicious. After all, some strangers figured it out and adopted the skinny lifestyle. Apparently, the villagers didn't force-feed the unwilling. But I guess the boys thought they were special, and they were. There is a lesson here: read Bill Adler's stories on Substack.😁

Bill Adler's avatar

Thank you very much K.C.

I suspect they wish they’d stayed in the city.

Yael Gelardin's avatar

Great story as usual! And the price of gluttony!

Bill Adler's avatar

Thank you very much, Yael! It's dinnertime for me, but I'm not so hungry tonight.

Christopher Manson's avatar

I'll never eat again.

Bill Adler's avatar

That's the best plan.

Cyn Harris's avatar

They say that gluttony has a price that must be paid.