You don’t forget the sound of a girl being swept downriver. You don’t forget the moment her scream cuts off, as if something grabbed her by the throat and pulled her into a place where sound doesn’t carry. But I’m getting ahead of myself. My name is...
Have you ever done something so dumb as a kid that it scarred you for life? I don’t mean embarrassing dumb. I mean life-altering, body-mangling, lose-a-part-of-yourself dumb. Yeah. That kind of dumb. I’ve never told this story in full before. Not to a therapist, not to my...
“We all have days where we have to face the very worst—whether it’s work we don’t want to be at or some task we don’t want to accomplish. But life is short. Take all those little difficulties in stride, and ensure each one is the...
As I walked into his office, the first thing I noticed was how tidy everything was; psychology books neatly placed on the bookshelf, his couch pillows perfectly coifed and placed in the exact correct spots, and his circular area rug, vacuumed to perfection. His desk...
The funeral was more sparsely attended than Martin had expected. He had a vague feeling that he should be offended on Hannah’s behalf. She’d always been one of the popular kids in college. Less than five years had passed since graduation, and barely any of...
I don’t know how long the weaver was at its work before I discovered it. It’s possible that I could have changed things if I had found it sooner, if I had paid more attention, if I had done things differently. It’s impossible to say,...
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...
“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...
Long obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of the town of Tartarus, one man finally seizes the chance to uncover the truth behind the legend. What he finds is more than lost history—it’s a chilling secret rooted in horror and desperation. Trapped in a twisted reflection...
Sam rules the nightlife of downtown Dayton with effortless charm and a predator’s instinct, until he meets Amina—a woman who plays his game even better than he does. Their fiery connection ignites a dangerous spiral of obsession, seduction, and hidden agendas. But as the stakes...
When Abby and her friends fall victim to a charismatic predator, they turn to ancient magic to right the wrongs committed against them. But summoning the supernatural comes with unpredictable consequences, and what begins as a bid for revenge quickly spirals into a night of...
When Cassie’s new mirror becomes the center of her imaginative games, her father dismisses it as harmless play — until strange symbols appear and her behavior turns alarming. As he struggles to understand the eerie countdown unfolding across every reflection in their home, he uncovers...
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...
At a convention center full of vendors and merchandise, one seller discovers a mysterious shortcut that promises to save time—but carries an unspoken warning. As strange visions and dreams begin to haunt those who dare pass through the Hallway of Shadows, one man must decide...
When a late-night plea for help sends Chisto racing to a deserted elementary school, he expects to face a flesh-and-blood threat. But the night air is thick with more than just danger—it's alive with whispers from the past. As the reeds sway and the shadows...
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,...
It was supposed to be a fun weekend in the woods. The four of us had rented a little house with a backyard that opened onto six thousand acres of forest, or something like that. Honestly, I hadn’t paid that much attention to the details....
I can’t believe I’m finally creating a record of this after so many years. It’s not an easy thing to talk about, but my therapist tells me it needs to be done. She says it’s time to let go of the past and that talking about...
It wasn’t my fault that Albie went into the lost mine. I keep telling myself that. I guess if I really believed it, I wouldn’t have gone in after him. It was my fault that he had the lantern, after all. This all started on a...
Sarah stands in front of the house, staring up at the dirty windows and the sad roof. She remembers it looking very different, full of vibrant hues. She’s not sure whether it’s her memories coloring the paint a brighter shade of blue than it is...
