24 Oct

Posted at 11:47h in Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Dreams and Nightmares, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Hauntings and Haunted Locations, Isolation and Loneliness, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Psychological Horror, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

When art teacher Seth Kline moves into an old farmhouse with his five-year-old daughter, Lila, he hopes the light-filled windows will help them heal after his wife’s death. But as Lila begins to draw impossible patterns—colors that shouldn’t exist, shapes that shift when unseen—Seth realizes...

03 Oct

Posted at 12:01h in Award-Winning, Curses and Cursed Objects, Dark Tales Spooky Season 2025 Writing Contest, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Ghosts and Spirits, Hauntings and Haunted Locations, Isolation and Loneliness, Psychological Horror, Rites and Rituals, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers, Writing Contest Entries

When a grieving husband sets out to reunite with his wife for a simple weekend getaway, a violent storm forces him down a road he’ll never escape. Drawn to an antique shop called Precious Memories, he discovers that every relic inside holds more than dust...

13 Aug

Posted at 09:19h in Abductions and Kidnappings, Animals and Wildlife, Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Drugs and Addictions, Family and Generational Horror, Folklore, Folktales, and Superstition, Halloween Stories, Illness and Injuries, Investigations and Crimes, Isolation and Loneliness, Journals and Diaries, Locations and Sites, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Monsters, Creatures, and Cryptids, Nature and the Outdoors, Psychological Horror, Strange and Unexplained, Survival Horror, Suspense and Thrillers

FOREWORD Recovered from the home of Thaddeus Collins – Keegan, Wisconsin My name is Lucy Collins. Thaddeus—“Thad” to most—was my grandfather. He vanished from his home in Keegan, Wisconsin, in early November of last year. There were no signs of forced entry, no struggle, no blood. The...

09 Aug

Posted at 16:34h in Abductions and Kidnappings, Beings and Entities, Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Dreams and Nightmares, Family and Generational Horror, Folklore, Folktales, and Superstition, Halloween Stories, Isolation and Loneliness, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Monsters, Creatures, and Cryptids, Psychological Horror, Rites and Rituals, Sounds and Voices, Strange and Unexplained, Survival Horror, Suspense and Thrillers, Urban Legends

When lurid Halloween posters featuring a wolf-like mascot named Mickey start appearing in his small Minnesota town, Jon is the only one unsettled by the sight. As the event draws near, the whole community seems gripped by a strange excitement—and an eerie phrase they all...

02 Jul

Posted at 13:59h in Bargains and Deals, Body Horror, Children and Childhood, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Illness and Injuries, Isolation and Loneliness, Medical and Hospitals, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Science and Experimentation, Science Fiction, Strange and Unexplained

Edward Branner is given a second chance at life through an experimental drug trial that promises to treat his diabetes. At first, the results are miraculous—he feels rejuvenated, revitalized, reborn. But the transformation doesn't stop. As his body grows younger with each passing day, Edward...

11 Jun

Posted at 23:37h in Bargains and Deals, Beings and Entities, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Drugs and Addictions, Family and Generational Horror, Ghosts and Spirits, Illness and Injuries, Isolation and Loneliness, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

Calvin finds refuge in the dim haze of The Drunken Lantern. But when a pale, mysterious woman begins appearing after his third drink, he’s forced to confront not only his failing health but an unsettling proposition that challenges his understanding of guilt, consequence, and mercy....

03 Jun

Posted at 14:32h in Abductions and Kidnappings, Aliens, Abductions, and Extraterrestrials, Beings and Entities, Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Myths and Legends, Psychological Horror, Rites and Rituals, Science Fiction, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

When a cryptic letter lures retired tightrope artist Matteo Morales to a remote canyon in the Andes, he finds more than a second chance at redemption—he finds an impossible wire suspended between obsidian towers, and a ritual that predates history. As visions blur and a...

03 Jun

Posted at 13:50h in Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Domestic Life and Relationships, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Hauntings and Haunted Locations, Isolation and Loneliness, Locations and Sites, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Psychological Horror, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers, Urban Legends

When Graham and Kristen stumble across a glowing, retro town in the middle of nowhere, it feels like a dream—or a memory. But when the same town appears again in ruins, and later pulls them into a maze of looping streets and smiling strangers, they...

03 Jun

Posted at 13:12h in Apocalyptic and Dystopian, Bargains and Deals, Beings and Entities, Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Demons and Possession, Despair and Depression, Family and Generational Horror, Folklore, Folktales, and Superstition, Jobs and Occupations, Locations and Sites, Psychological Horror, Rites and Rituals, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

After surviving a mine collapse that should have killed him, Larry disappears from his devastated hometown—only to return decades later with wealth, influence, and a chilling purpose. As he reopens the mine that once nearly buried him alive, it becomes clear he’s not just digging...

28 May

Posted at 12:41h in Apocalyptic and Dystopian, Beings and Entities, Conspiracies and Government, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Films and Footage, Isolation and Loneliness, Jobs and Occupations, Locations and Sites, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Psychological Horror, Science and Experimentation, Science Fiction, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers, Technology, the Internet, and the Deep Web

Vince Ashcroft has spent over twenty years ushering people into their deaths—literally. As a senior operator in the Watchtower Division, his job is to show clients the exact footage of how they’ll die. But when small inconsistencies begin to surface—death scenes that don’t match reality,...

25 May

Posted at 02:20h in Abductions and Kidnappings, Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Dreams and Nightmares, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Films and Footage, Illness and Injuries, Investigations and Crimes, Isolation and Loneliness, Jobs and Occupations, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Psychological Horror, Religion and Spirituality, Rites and Rituals, Sounds and Voices, Strange and Unexplained, Survival Horror

After a devastating fire, Elliot Varn retreats into isolation—until a broken lens from his past begins to show him haunting distortions in the people around him. Guided by whispers and visions, he sets out to expose what lies beneath the surface of society’s saints. But...

24 May

Posted at 20:42h in Abductions and Kidnappings, Aliens, Abductions, and Extraterrestrials, Apocalyptic and Dystopian, Beings and Entities, Body Horror, Children and Childhood, Conspiracies and Government, Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Dreams and Nightmares, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Investigations and Crimes, Jobs and Occupations, Locations and Sites, Medical and Hospitals, Monsters, Creatures, and Cryptids, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Science and Experimentation, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

School nurse Darla Winn is no stranger to childhood illnesses, but nothing prepares her for the abnormalities appearing in the kindergarteners of Grainer Hollow: extra teeth, translucent skin, webbed fingers. As she digs deeper, Darla’s search for answers leads her into the town’s toxic past,...

24 May

Posted at 17:53h in Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Family and Generational Horror, Feelspastas and Happy Endings, Isolation and Loneliness, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

“You are a no-good, worthless excuse for a son!” my father liked to inform me when I didn’t do something exactly how he specified. Those uplifting, constructive thoughts were just the highlight of my day. After spending the day at school being bullied by kids who...

23 May

Posted at 15:11h in Abductions and Kidnappings, Children and Childhood, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Investigations and Crimes, Locations and Sites, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Nature and the Outdoors, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

Braden Powell tends the most envied garden in Graybury, a flourishing oasis that seems almost enchanted. But behind its locked gates and beneath its fertile soil lie secrets shaped by sorrow. His wife, Meredith, lives in the shadows of their home, haunted by the loss...

15 May

Posted at 17:53h in Bargains and Deals, Beings and Entities, Body Horror, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Dreams and Nightmares, Family and Generational Horror, Folklore, Folktales, and Superstition, Ghosts and Spirits, Hauntings and Haunted Locations, Isolation and Loneliness, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, Psychological Horror, Rites and Rituals, Strange and Unexplained, Torture and Cannibalism

Snowed in and grieving the sudden loss of his wife, Wendell turns to an old cast-iron pot for comfort. But as the meals simmer and the past begins to stir, he finds that some recipes are more than just tradition—they're ritual. With each bite, he...

15 May

Posted at 09:55h in Based on True Events, Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Curses and Cursed Objects, Family and Generational Horror, Ghosts and Spirits, Hauntings and Haunted Locations, Monsters, Creatures, and Cryptids, Psychological Horror, Sounds and Voices, Strange and Unexplained, Toys and Dolls

I’ve been in therapy for a while, struggling to come to terms with events that happened during my childhood. To face them head-on, my therapist recommended writing down everything I can remember about that time of my life. Just to get it out of the way,...

09 May

Posted at 21:32h in Based on True Events, Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Editor's Choice, Family and Generational Horror, Folklore, Folktales, and Superstition, Halloween Stories, Jobs and Occupations, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Slashers and Gore, Strange and Unexplained, Survival Horror, Suspense and Thrillers, Urban Legends

When a group of haunted house workers spices up their traditional hide-and-seek game with an old mirror ritual, they expect a night of harmless chills and laughs. But beneath the playful scares lies a festering wound of betrayal and grief, and the ritual awakens something...

27 Apr

Posted at 00:37h in Beings and Entities, Children and Childhood, Domestic Life and Relationships, Dreams and Nightmares, Family and Generational Horror, Hauntings and Haunted Locations, Illness and Injuries, Monsters, Creatures, and Cryptids, Psychological Horror, Real-Life Horrors, Strange and Unexplained, Suspense and Thrillers

When Ty moves back to his crumbling childhood home to care for his ailing mother, he hopes to forge a better life for his daughter, Zoe. But the house—and the strained family dynamics inside it—hide more than painful memories. As they navigate a decaying home,...

25 Apr

Posted at 15:16h in Beings and Entities, Body Horror, Children and Childhood, Cosmic Horror and Lovecraftian Stories, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Dreams and Nightmares, Drugs and Addictions, Family and Generational Horror, Ghosts and Spirits, Isolation and Loneliness, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Psychological Horror, Religion and Spirituality, Rites and Rituals, Science and Experimentation, Strange and Unexplained, Survival Horror, Suspense and Thrillers

After the tragic loss of their son, Daniel and Melissa are desperate to reconnect with him—no matter the cost. As they explore near-death experiences and fringe science in hopes of bridging the gap, they discover that some boundaries are crossed at a terrible price. A...

01 Mar

Posted at 11:00h in Curses and Cursed Objects, Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances, Despair and Depression, Domestic Life and Relationships, Drugs and Addictions, Family and Generational Horror, Isolation and Loneliness, Madness, Paranoia, and Mental Illness, Suspense and Thrillers

When teenage metal detectorist Edward Hartwell unearths an old silver ring, he doesn’t expect much. But the moment he slips it onto his finger, strange things begin to happen. Weeds wither at his touch. A creeping warmth pulses through him. The ring isn’t just metal—it’s...

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