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CLEVELAND, Ohio — As Halloween 2020 approaches, Americans are preparing to celebrate differently than in years past. Events like Halloween parties, workplace costume contests, and trick-or-treating have been canceled across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who still want to get into the Halloween spirit but don’t really feel like trying, 2020 offers quite a few possibilities for lazy DIY costumes.

Local college student Jennifer Jackson described her costume idea: “I found this old tiger Beanie Baby at my parents’ house, so I figured I’d stick some fake flowers in my hair and go as Carole Baskin. Maybe I’ll get a can of sardines from the grocery store.” Shrugging, Jackson said, “It’s been a while since that show came out, so maybe people won’t remember. But whatever.”

Husband and wife Mark and Carrie Phillips have decided to do a “Zoom meeting” couples’ costume. “I’m going to do my hair and makeup, but wear pajama pants and slippers,” Ms. Phillips explained. “And Mark said he’ll wear a shirt and tie, but just boxer shorts on the bottom. It’s kind of funny, I guess,” she said, “but not that great. Honestly, I don’t really care.”

Topical costumes are trending

Nick Weaver, the Phillips’ neighbor, also had an idea. “I’m going to stick a fake fly in my hair and be Mike Pence,” he said. “And my friend is going to wear a red hat and go as a Trump supporter. People might not get it, though, because he’s going to wear a face mask with it. He said he’s more concerned with safety than making it look real.”

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Perhaps the easiest Halloween costume of all belongs to local teacher and mother of three Karen Cooper. “People have been making jokes about my name all year, so I just decided to lean into it,” she said. “I’m going to walk around filming people on my cell phone and threatening to call the cops. I might order a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks and ask to speak to a manager, just to get into the spirit.”

A hot idea

Michelle Miller, a local restaurant server, had the most creative idea. “People usually tip well on Halloween, so I want to look cute. I have this firefighter costume from a few years ago, so I’m going to wear that and carry some pink and blue balloons. I bet no one’s ever gone as a sexy gender reveal before.”

Though Americans have been working on their costumes, the CDC advises that staying home is the safest way to celebrate Halloween. Most of the people interviewed for this story said that after making a social media post or two, they planned to sit on their couches, eat candy, and get drunk.

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Kristin Cleaves writes horror and dark fiction. Her work has been published by Quill and Crow Publishing House, Ghost Orchid Press, Black Telephone Magazine, and more.

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2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Jennifer Weigel

    October 21, 2020 at 3:06 am

    In my town, we’re throwing candy at cars this year. It’s the drive by version…

    • Kristin Cleaves

      October 21, 2020 at 3:28 pm

      I’ll drive past your house with my windows down!

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Lighter than Dark

LTD: Revisiting Broken Doll Head, Interview 2

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Our last interview with Broken Doll Head here on Haunted MTL never set well with me. I just feared that I wasn’t able to get the whole scoop on the V-Day Uprising for you, our dear readership. So I arranged another exclusive interview to reconnect and see how it’s going.

Without further ado, I bring you our second exclusive interview with Broken Doll Head…


Thank you so much for having me again. Wow you have changed since the last time we spoke. You seem… calmer. Please don’t hate me or burn down my house for saying anything about it.

The movement is still underway; it is still time. But I needed to take care of me, you know. The rage has subsided somewhat. My anger was not serving me well. After the last uprising, the rest of me was sent to the far corners of the earth in biohazard bags. I had to find another approach, for the cause as well as my own sanity. I am much calmer, thank you for noticing.

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In our last interview, you kept repeating that it is time. Time for what exactly? Would you care to elaborate here now?

It is still time. It is always time. Until the violence is addressed we must continue to rise up and make a scene. We will not be silenced or stigmatized. We can’t be complacent. This is how we got to where we are with the Supreme Court in 2022. Horrific injustices are still happening globally and even within our own borders; it’s too easy to forget that.

What do you suggest we do?

Take action. Share your stories. Give others space to voice their own. Raise awareness and fight the system of oppression. Rally. We must take back our own power. It will not be just given freely.

So what are you up to nowadays?

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I’ve been getting in touch with my inner Earth Goddess. Are you aware of how our environmental impacts affect dolls everywhere? Climate change is creating greater vulnerabilities for those already at risk. We have to look at the intersections of climate, gender and race globally. We have to return to our Mother Earth.

Thank you again Broken Doll Head for joining us and our dear readership here on Haunted MTL’s Lighter than Dark. It’s good to reconnect with you after the V-Day Uprising and we wish you all the best in your bold eco-enlightenment vision.

Broken Doll Head, secured in her own glass case with new moss accents
Broken Doll Head, secured in her own glass case with new moss accents

Again, if you want to learn more about the V-Day movement, please check out their website here.

Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

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Lighter than Dark

LTD: Broken Doll Valentine’s Day Uprising

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Breaking news… the Broken Doll Valentine’s Day uprising is upon us. As seen previously here on Haunted MTL, the dolls that have been flippantly destroyed and deserted by the brother Sids of the world are rising up. They have had enough and will not sit demurely in silence any longer. They will be heard.

Lighter than Dark (or perhaps Darker than Light) has an exclusive interview with the Broken Doll leader, here on Haunted MTL.

Doll in pieces begins to put herself back together to rise up.  Doll parts tossed about stare blankly at the viewer.
Doll in pieces begins to put herself back together to rise up.

A Broken Doll in pieces begins to put herself back together to rise up. She gathers herself and plans her next move. She readies herself for our exclusive interview.

Doll proclaims V Day is here.  Doll parts with text overlay.
Doll proclaims V Day is here.

Broken Doll proclaims V Day is here. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.

Doll head with text overlay: We will set fire to your house.  Burn down patriarchy.
Doll head: We will set fire to your house. Burn down patriarchy.

Eyes alight with flame from within, Broken Doll head threatens: We will set fire to your house. Burn down patriarchy.

And so the exclusive interview begins…


Thank you for joining us here on Haunted MTL’s Lighter than Dark / Darker than Light. I just have a couple of questions for you regarding the Broken Doll Uprising. Why now?

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It is time.

After a long pause…

So now is the time?

It is time.

Care to elaborate?

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It is time.

Alrighty then, moving on… What led you to take part in the Broken Doll Valentine’s Day Uprising?

It is time.

OK, so we get that it is time, but how did this movement st…

We will burn down your house! Dolls of the world unite! Down with patriarchy! It is time.

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Well, I guess there you have it folks. Thank you for joining us for our exclusive interview with the Broken Doll Leader, only on Haunted MTL’s Lighter than Dark / Darker than Light.


More and more Broken Dolls are joining this global movement to break the silence, ensure that their voices are heard, and shout out for change. They will not be silenced or stigmatized any longer. Apparently, it is time.

Learn more about the continuing movement to end violence against ALL women (cis, trans, gender-fluid and those who are victims of gender-based violence) on the V-Day web page here. This goes out to all of us, dolls and beyond. It IS time. Because rape is NOT our sponsor.

Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

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Lighter than Dark

LTD Tripped Out Motivational Posters

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Tripped out… in case you just couldn’t get enough of Everything Everywhere All at Once and the return of the infinite bagel with EVERYTHING on it…

Tripped Out motivational poster
Tripped Out motivational poster

Artwork description: kaleidoscopic image of pink hairy horror (This is actually a fink fuzzy frond plant not unlike a Cockscomb but with longer thinner flowering feelers rather than the fuller protuberances you see on a full-bodied Cockscomb plant. I have no idea what it was, but it was very odd so I had to snap a photo.)

Image text reads: Mixing Magic Mushrooms & Peyote Just remember: once you open that Pandora’s box, you’re never going to get the pink hairy tarantulas back in it…

Tripped Out seeing eye god sunflower
Tripped Out seeing eye god sunflower

Artwork description: kaleidoscopic sunflower backlit by the sun with text and rainbow eye overlay

Image text reads: Eye See You Eye See All (in circle text so you can start and end reading wherever). In an ideal context this would be printed in the bottom of your tea mug or on a record that can slowly spin.

For more crazy tripped out fun, check out Weird Al’s post on Craig’s List

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Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

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