SKITTISH by: Jmac is a story about a ghost story. A short, yet memorable story. It's not trying to scare you, or freak you out. I'm going to recommend it for a subtle things it gets right in its short length.

This story leads us through a rather predictable story, yet shows us pretty effectively, the effects of action and consequence, as well as conveying what makes ghost stories enjoyable, in more of a meta sense. It's not a story trying to be more than it is, nor is it trying to hammer home some sort of moral, but rather, it leaves the reader with an appreciation for the depth of those lives all around them, just out of their sight and their knowing. It grabs onto the core concept of what makes a ghost story powerful—what the reader invests into it—believability balanced with slight impossibility. The dialogue of the main character in this story, Dusty, was really fine, and drew me in as a reader, right alongside the class she was talking to.

This story works well as a ghost story in our MLP:FiM universe, and it really captures the feel of your typical 'around the campfire' ghost story. It tells two small stories and weaves them together quite well. While I saw the ending coming from a mile away, it was still rather well executed and left me feeling satisfied.

There were a few things that the story suffers from. Most notable were a few errors in grammar. Seriously, I get irritated when I see parentheses, as well as actual numbers (example: 12), used in a story. It distracts me and breaks my immersion. Number should be spelled out, and you can use commas or dashes to make relevant segues in a story. The characters themselves, Cheerilee and the students seem rather flat, but their character isn't too pivotal overall, and fleshing them out might have been somewhat detrimental. This story works well because the characters aren't deep, so the story they hear feels a bit more distant and less threatening than it could have. It helps you feel wonder for the situation rather than fear.

I'm recommending this short fic for the atmosphere it brings and for telling its story in a well-paced manner. While nothing flashy, this is a ghost story that has merit and is kid-friendly to boot. It does its job pretty darn well, and I rather enjoyed reading it.

Thanks for reading,
~SilentBelle

3448386
I'm glad this got accepted.

EDIT: Sorry, my mouse randomly double clicks sometimes.

3448778 Thank you, Pump It Up. I don't think I have ever properly thanked you for being a fan of this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I thank the Archives, for finally accepting one of my submissions. You have been firm but fair, and I can respect that. Thank you.

3448845
You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome.