Stephen King’s writing has gotten me through hard times. The toughest was when my father died, so my memories of the last three months of 1985 are foggy. What I do know is The Bachman Books was released October 4, 1985, the day before my life was shattered. In the months that followed, I turned to my favorite author’s prose to escape the pain of losing my old man.

For context, The Long Walk was actually King’s first novel, written as a freshman at the University of Maine. It was published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym when he was 31, and released under his real name seven years later. I recall blowing through the pages of this dystopian, hellish walking contest. The story was bleak and grueling and hopeless…and it felt like my life at the time. In other words: I got exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

I have a story of my own coming out on October 28 in the #DeadSkyPublishing anthology Absolute Zero. “Find a Boy” is inspired by The Long Walk—and I mean *directly* inspired. In a way, it’s like if the Walk was a run through snow, but my protagonist is being chased.

I’ll always have Mr. King to thank for getting me through the worst period of my life. His words cut through the dark fog and kept me plodding forward, ever forward.

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Dahlia 'Tartan' from K van Bourgondien, 4th year.