Smoking was supposed to be a teenage rebellion, not a death sentence. But when the narrator witnesses a horrific incident involving his friend and a sinister figure named Ash, he’s thrust into a decades-long relationship of fear and coercion. Cigarettes become the chain that binds...
A father’s annual trip to the county fair with his young daughter turns into a nightmare when a ride called the Blizzard Bobsled reveals its sinister secret. A mysterious figure in an out-of-order red car defies logic, appearing and disappearing at will, and may pose...
Schuyler’s life changes forever when his best friend Miranda creates an online cult as a joke, only to watch her hoax spiral out of control. What begins as an elaborate lie turns into a dangerous game as strangers take the cult seriously, leading Schuyler and...
When high school senior Aubin returns to his volunteer job at the Boys and Girls Club, he’s warned about Gregory, a peculiar eight-year-old with a knack for trouble and a terrifying secret. Gregory’s ability to drain the souls of others turns the club into a...
Elliot and Lydia Carter uncover a mysterious green door hidden in their attic, only to find it reappearing throughout their house in increasingly terrifying ways. As the door grows more invasive, the couple is drawn into a sinister otherworldly forest where they must confront shadowy...
Deep in the Argentine jungle, Surveyor Chief Ales and his team uncover the ruins of a long-lost civilization buried beneath the earth. What begins as an archaeological marvel quickly turns into a fight for survival as eerie discoveries reveal the ruins’ dark purpose. With strange...
Reverend Marshall Tucker’s quiet life is upended when he discovers an ancient book hidden in his new home. Strange and menacing events begin to unfold, culminating in the disappearance of his wife, Holly. With the help of a former occultist, Marshall must confront the book’s...
Searching for solace after his father’s death, Hart Williams visits the famed Icehotel, a marvel of ice and artistry in the Arctic. But as a blizzard traps the guests inside, Hart begins to notice strange phenomena: sculptures that seem alive, whispers in the halls, and...
My sister Brianna went missing on April 10th, 2008. On October 9th, 2013, Brianna came back. Six weeks later, on November 23rd, 2013, Brianna vanished again–and our house burned down. I was safe, sleeping over at my best friend’s house. My mother perished in the blaze. Since that day...
Part I My name is Elias Grayson, and until five years ago, I believed in God. Not the vague, modernist platitude of some benevolent creator, nor the cynical skepticism of a philosopher hedging his bets; I believed in a God with capital letters, the Almighty, the...
If you ever hear about a game called Corpse Hold, don’t play it. I mean it. There are some things in this world you don’t mess with, and this is one of them. It doesn’t matter what you’re promised or how much you want to...
There weren’t ever any stories about the forest. It wasn’t haunted. It wasn’t sacred ground. It wasn’t anything except a bunch of pine trees, and whatever grows under pine trees. Mostly smaller pine trees, as I recall. Pine trees tend to kill off anything else...
Act I: The Conflict Theater 201 — School of the Art Institute of Chicago —Professor Robert Wellers “Class—listen up, please. Who would be the first to show me you’ve actually done your reading assignment and tell me what the ‘4th wall’ means in stage terminology?” I tapped my...
My wife Abby and I have a nightly routine at our house that begins around 8:30 or so, starting with putting our son Hunter to bed. We take turns lying him down and reading him a story. He’s just turned seven, but it’s still difficult for...
Part I Michael adjusted the rearview mirror for the third time in two minutes, watching his 8-year-old son, Aidan, fiddling with a worn strap on his tattered blue tote bag. The bag, stitched by his ex-wife Hannah years ago, was barely holding together. The seams were...
I woke on sand, the sound of crashing waves in my ears and the powerful sun shining down upon me, its rays burning my skin. My whole body ached, and it was a struggle to even open my eyes, let alone lift my head to...
Have you ever wanted to relive the thrill of a roller coaster without leaving your seat? Well, I found a way–but it came with a catch I never saw coming. And if you ever stumble across RideShare on the dark web, don’t click it. Trust...
My aunt was a con artist, and she learned from the best – her father. Grandpa never made it big, but he lived for the game. Staying under the radar was probably what made sure he never did get caught. Not once. He was so...
Have you seen them? The construction workers? Have you seen them? Working on the roads at night...
It is truly amazing just how much pain the human body is able to endure with the proper motivation. For weightlifters and athletes, it’s the goal of looking better and becoming stronger that helps them push through the pain of exercise. For those trapped in the...
