A creepy, cautionary tale from the OCOCO crypt - here's why it's important to always play by the rules of social network functionality whenever you post....
It was an evening like any other. Alison stayed late at the office working on her blog for the company website. Another article in the bag, showcasing the best Halloween activities in the local area.
Like always, Alison kept her writing light and fluffy, recommending pumpkin patches and parties for kids. She smiled to herself as she read the final line, happy with her edits. The writer copied the link and shared to all of her social media channels; firstly Facebook, then X and LinkedIn. Finally she headed over to Instagram, pasting the link in alongside a photo of the local Halloween Fair from last year.
As Alison clicked share, she realised something wasn’t right. Her Instagram wasn’t posting. So she clicked again and again, totalling twelve times. Frustrated, Alison put her phone down and decided she would try again later.
Alison carried on with the rest of her night as usual. She picked up pizza for dinner, took the tram home, enjoyed a hot bath and settled into bed. Just then she got a text from her boss: “Alison, I love the halloween article. Great job, let me know when you’ll be sharing it on Instagram?”
Alison had completely forgotten. She quickly logged in and for the thirteenth time that evening pressed share on her post.
What happened next is something she’ll never forget. Out of nowhere a Platypus appeared on her phone. Like nothing out of a cartoon, it was ghastly, with rotten skin and bloody eyes. The horrifying animal rushed towards her out of the screen and she felt a hauntingly cold breeze throughout her body…
Next thing Alison knew, her alarm was waking her up. She rushed to get ready and headed into work to explain what had happened.
When she arrived, she couldn’t find her boss anywhere. She asked Jason if he knew where she was. “Oh didn’t you hear, she got into a nasty accident involving a Platypus and a skateboard”, he explained. Nosey Ned intervened, “I knew something like this would happen after she tried to post that link on Instagram last month. Thirteen years of bad luck I’ve heard, when will people learn.”
Catch up on the entire OCOCO Halloween Spooktacular blog series here.