Horror Story Roundup

With Halloween less than seven weeks away, I wanted to gather up all my tales of horror to get my readers in the mood for the holiday season. Some are incredibly short, and at least one is incredibly long, but I think that all are worth a look for those who are in the mood for something a little dark or twisted.

From the purely psychological to the more gruesome and gory, here are my scary Vocal stories:

I wrote this quick little piece for Vocal's Microfiction Magic Challenge. Don't let the title fool it; it is about much more than just cute little elves making shoes for an aging shoemaker.

This story was introduced after Vocal lifted its restrictions on the lower end of the word count spectrum, so it's on the shorter end as well. Explore the unknown depths of a shipwreck and the dangers of going off the line while deep-sea diving. After all, dead men tell no tales...

"Mad Malachi" was written for Vocal's Campfire Ghost Story Challenge. Inspired by Celtic lore, this story is the closest that I come to a gruesome, gory tale.

Malachi is a convicted serial killer and has been sent to a mental facility for the stories he told regarding why he committed the murders. But could his wild stories be true? Could there be monsters unlike any that we could imagine in the woods? And why did they spare Mad Malachi Bodkin?

"Patient Zero" is one of two stories of mine that I have posted here on Vocal with permission from the original publisher, Notch Publishing House. It might be one of my most controversial pieces since the fictional disease--Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Aggresiva--is based on a real condition, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. (For information regarding FOP, please follow this link.)

Maria LaBeouf-Garcia is Patient Zero for a new disease, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Aggresiva, or FOA, which causes non-skeletal areas of the body to rapidly turn into bone. There is no known cause. There is no known cure. But that is not the worst of Maria's problems. Day and night, she is being haunted by an ancient goddess known only as Hk'Lacrima. The goddess has focused on Maria and others with FOA...but for what cause? Will Maria survive her next encounter with Hk'Lacrima? Or will it be her last?

"Beautiful Dreamer" is the other story that I republished on Vocal with permission from Notch Publishing. Released before the Chapters Community came into being, "Beautiful Dreamer" is broken up into three parts: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. It is the longest of my horror reads but worth every minute--so long as you don't mind a little psychological horror mixed with gruesome pandemic horror. Fun fact: this story is based loosely on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death".

Ava Nelson, daughter of modern Midas Gregor Nelson, is accompanying her father and his nurse, Jayden Casseus, aboard the All Powerful, a cruise ship built by tycoon Mitch Winters to escape COVID-21, or the Red Lungs. After living through her mother’s death, COVID-19, Gregor’s leukemia, and now Red Lungs, Ava sees this cruise as the escape that she and her father have been looking for. (Not to mention the chance to get to know Jayden more personally.) Then she spies Red Lungs symptoms in herself and other passengers. Suddenly, a pale, scrawny figure appears in her dreams, stalking her father. With no authority figure in sight, Ava fears they will never leave the ship.

Do you have any horror stories that you want to share? 'Tis the season! Leave a link to them in the comments below, or make up your own list and leave a link to that!