“It’s not fair sending me here,” said Izzy. “I would rather stay at the local school, even if the staff did tell lies abut me.” She was in the process of being shown round her new boarding school by the head girl, who pointed out the portraits along the corridor, generations of stern bluestocking Headmistresses […]
MC-driver:It was late at night and I was driving down the highway. In my headlights, I saw something white, human-like, moving by the roadside. Apparently a ghost! Wife:There I was, dressed only in my thin nightgown, alone, in the middle of nowhere, at 2 AM. I was desperate and totally helpless. And freezing! Husband:By midnight, […]
You wake up with a start. You are drenched with sweat. A few deep breaths into wakefulness and you realise it is hard to tell the difference between the nightmare you’ve just escaped and the place you are in. There is darkness all around, and nothing to anchor you to your new reality. How, you […]
Join us. The words were kind, welcoming almost. They were waiting for her, waiting to welcome her home. They were her family; they were her friends. They were waiting to welcome her into their sweet, cold, embrace. Cold? That isn’t right, it should be a warm embrace.This isn’t right.None of this is right.I need to […]
The first time Jane heard the voices was unsettling, for it was a child shouting for his mother. She stood before the wardrobe, one hand wielding a fireplace poker and other trembling as it reached forward. She took a deep breath in to quiet her mind before she swung open the door and came face […]
Other Side has no human homes, warm lights or tasty treats. On Samhain night a dense forest shows itself to those willing to taste the unfamiliar. You cross the street.Leave the known.Find your new home. Feel the rough skin of ancient trees against your fresh skin. Let the earth and moss take over your taste […]
Margie had been asked to write a spooky story by her magazine. Now spooky and scary stuff are not her forte. She tried to negotiate with her boss, but Bob would not relent. For the past half an hour she had been googling through the history of Halloween and other cross-cultural spooky rituals and celebrations […]
The evening’s gloom curled up against the window like a sly black cat. I had lit several candles to drive back the shadows but nighttime closed in and my once bright bedroom felt eerie and dim. I settled into my chair by the fire, feeling more and more like I was entombed in some lonely […]
My instincts were screaming for escape. Everywhere, kids were scurrying from door to door, Halloween buckets in hand, as chatter filled the icy air. Too much noise, too many people. Taking in a slow breath, I tried to calm my racing heart. In the past ten minutes, three Frankensteins, four zombies, and two witches passed […]
James just moved to a new neighbourhood. He loves the freshness and fragrance of the surrounding atmosphere which is not in any way compared to where he is coming from. A perfect example of urbanization at its peak. An ideal model of urbanization and its attending problems. At sunset, after the day’s work, he sits […]
There were many stories about the Liberty Theater in the center of town. Closed for decades, it remained standing, its ornate frontispiece a state landmark. The lights remained on, a nod to an old superstition about always keeping a light on in the theater so ghosts can conduct their own plays. Actors were one of […]
Only one cloud loomed when I married David. His late wife, Carmel. After a quiet wedding and a relaxing honeymoon we returned to the house David once shared with Carmel. I didn’t mind, it was more practical than my small flat. I looked forward to adding my own touches and creating a garden. David said […]
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