As explained in my previous post, I participate in Twitter hashtag games, and bulk those tweets up for Instagram…and sometimes they’re too big. So, instead of deleting them, I decided to post them here.

Original Tweet (the prompt was the word #villian):

Children’s laughter echoed through the abandoned playground, but as the sun set and darkness fell, their joy turned to fear. For they knew that the villainous ghost of a long-dead lollipop man still lurked at the crosswalk, waiting to claim its next victim.

The too large for Instagram remix:

Oakwood Primary School was once a bustling institution, filled with the laughter and happiness of children during their lunch breaks. The playground was their sanctuary; a place where they could forget about their worries and just be kids. Swings swayed rhythmically while slides glistened under the sun’s warmth, serving as a testament to the joyous atmosphere. But when twilight approached, the sun dipped below the horizon, and shadows extended their tendrils, the playground’s innocence evaporated, replaced by a chilling sense of dread.

Legend had it that the playground was haunted by the ghost of a lollipop man, Mr. Jenkins, who met his untimely demise many years ago. In life, he had been a beloved figure in the community, known for his gentle spirit and infectious smile. However, death had twisted his once-kind soul into a malevolent force, hellbent on exacting revenge on the living.

Skeptical at first, the children of Oakwood dismissed the eerie tales as nothing more than an elaborate hoax, an attempt to spook the gullible young ones. Yet, as they bore witness to inexplicable events occurring in the playground, their disbelief turned into spine-tingling horror. Swing seats swayed menacingly, as if pushed by unseen hands, while slides emitted tortured creaks and groans. The children were forced to confront the chilling reality that something sinister was afoot.

It was on a particularly gloomy evening when they saw him. The spectral figure of Mr. Jenkins, clad in his trademark yellow vest, lurked in the shadows, his once-beaming face contorted into a terrifying snarl. His eyes, illuminated with an eerie glow, seemed to bore into their very souls. Panic-stricken, the children fled, vowing never to venture into the playground after dark.

But youthful curiosity is a powerful force, and despite the palpable terror, some couldn’t resist the allure of seeking out the ghostly lollipop man. Their defiance would prove to be their undoing. One by one, they vanished without a trace, claimed by the malevolent spirit. The community was plunged into a state of abject despair as hope for their safe return dwindled.

Desperate to end the nightmarish ordeal, the school closed the playground, cordoning off the area and prohibiting entry. But it was all in vain, for the ghostly figure continued to haunt the desolate space, awaiting his next unsuspecting prey.

Today, Oakwood Primary School’s playground stands as a forsaken monument to terror and tragedy. Overgrown weeds choke the once-pristine slides and swings, and an eerie silence pervades the air. It remains a constant reminder of the malevolent spirit that lingers in the shadows, the ghostly lollipop man whose eternal wrath knows no bounds. The community lives in perpetual fear, knowing that should anyone dare to cross the threshold into the haunted playground, they too shall succumb to the sinister fate that befell those who came before them.