book reviews
Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.
** The Harvest Moon*
-- When Emily and Mark inherited the old farmhouse from Emily's estranged aunt, they thought it would be a quaint escape from their city life. Nestled on the edge of a dense forest, the house exuded rustic charm and tranquility. But as autumn descended and the harvest moon rose high, the peace they sought was replaced with a creeping dread that gnawed at the edges of their sanity.
By MD shezan Hossanabout a year ago in Horror
Karna Pishachini's Curse
In a small, secluded village in India, nestled amidst dense forests and misty hills, there was an old temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. The villagers feared the temple for it was said to be haunted by a Karna Pishachini—a fearsome spirit known for its ability to possess people through their ears and control their minds.The legend of the Karna Pishachini had been passed down for generations. According to the story, she was once a beautiful woman who fell in love with a powerful tantric. The tantric, however, betrayed her love, leaving her heartbroken and filled with vengeance. To take revenge, she mastered dark magic and became a Karna Pishachini, vowing to torment any man who dared to enter her domain.One rainy night, three friends from a neighboring town, Raj, Priya, and Vikram, decided to test their courage by visiting the haunted temple. The villagers warned them about the Karna Pishachini, but they laughed it off, thinking it was just a superstition.As they entered the forest, a chilling wind began to blow. The trees rustled, and the shadows seemed to dance in the darkness. The path to the temple was narrow and treacherous, winding through dense underbrush and slippery rocks. Despite the eerie atmosphere, the friends continued, driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure.When they finally reached the temple, they found it abandoned and overgrown with vines. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay. Raj, being the bravest, led the way inside. The interior was dark, with only the faint light of their torches illuminating the ancient stone walls covered in strange symbols.As they explored, Priya noticed a large, ornate mirror at the far end of the temple. She felt drawn to it, as if it was calling out to her. Vikram, sensing something was wrong, tried to pull her away, but it was too late. A sudden gust of wind blew through the temple, extinguishing their torches and plunging them into darkness.In the silence that followed, they heard a soft, whispering voice. It was the voice of the Karna Pishachini, speaking in a language they did not understand. Raj felt a sharp pain in his ears as if something was crawling inside. He screamed in agony, falling to the ground, clutching his head.Vikram and Priya tried to help him, but Raj's eyes turned blank, and his voice changed. He began to speak in a strange, otherworldly tone, warning them to leave the temple or suffer the same fate. Priya, terrified, tried to run, but the doors slammed shut on their own, trapping them inside.The Karna Pishachini had taken control of Raj. He stood up, moving in a stiff, unnatural manner, his face twisted into a sinister smile. "You have entered my domain," he said in a voice that was not his own. "And now, you will pay the price."Vikram, desperate to save his friend, remembered an old chant his grandmother had taught him to ward off evil spirits. He began to recite it loudly, his voice trembling with fear. The Karna Pishachini laughed, mocking him, but as he continued, the laughter turned to screams of anger.The ground beneath them shook, and the temple walls began to crumble. Vikram kept chanting, his voice growing stronger with each word. The spirit's grip on Raj weakened, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The mirror shattered into a thousand pieces, and a deafening roar filled the temple as the Karna Pishachini was banished back to the realm of the dead.With the spirit gone, the doors opened, and the friends fled the temple, never looking back. They returned to the village, shaken but alive, vowing never to speak of what happened that night. The villagers, however, knew that the curse of the Karna Pishachini could never truly be broken, and the temple remained a place of fear and darkness, waiting for the next group of brave souls to enter and face the terror within.
By SHIBSHANKAR PAULabout a year ago in Horror
The Whispering Hallways
Late one evening, Emily, a high school junior, stayed back to finish a project in the old wing of her school. This part of the building, rarely used and dimly lit, was rumored to be haunted, but Emily didn't believe in such tales. The classrooms were filled with dusty desks and old, forgotten textbooks, and the walls were lined with faded portraits of stern-looking former principals.As the clock struck 8PM, Emily heard a faint whisper echo through the empty hallways. She paused, thinking it was just her imagination, but the whispering continued. It seemed to come from every direction, growing louder with each passing second. She tried to focus on her project, convincing herself it was the wind or the old pipes. But then she heard a distinct voice — a child's voice, soft and pleading."Help me..."Emily's heart raced. She stood up and walked into the hallway, calling out, "Hello? Is anyone there?" Her voice echoed back to her, but there was no reply. She decided to follow the sound, hoping to find the source and put her mind at ease. As she moved down the corridor, the whispers grew louder, more frantic, as if the walls themselves were speaking to her."Help me... find my way..."She reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a door she had never noticed before. It was slightly ajar, and a cold draft seeped through the crack. Summoning her courage, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was dark, with only the faint glow of the moon illuminating the old chalkboard and rows of desks. She heard the whisper again, this time right next to her ear, sending a chill down her spine."Find me..."Emily turned on her phone's flashlight and scanned the room, only to see a small, shadowy figure in the corner. It was a young girl, her face hidden in her hands, crying softly. Emily took a step closer and gently asked, "Are you okay? Do you need help?"The girl slowly lowered her hands, revealing a face pale and hollow, with eyes that seemed to stare into Emily’s soul. Emily gasped and stumbled back, dropping her phone. The flashlight flickered wildly as it hit the floor. When she looked up, the girl was gone, but the whispering was louder than ever, surrounding her, filling the room with desperate cries.Panicked, Emily grabbed her phone and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She sprinted down the hallway, but as she reached the exit, she found it locked. Frantically, she pulled at the door, but it wouldn’t budge. The whispers grew louder, more aggressive, as if mocking her fear."Find me... Stay with me..."Emily pounded on the door, screaming for help, but there was no one to hear her. Suddenly, a hand gripped her shoulder. She spun around to see the same young girl, now inches away from her face, her eyes dark and hollow.Before Emily could scream, the girl whispered one last time, "You'll stay with me forever."And then everything went dark.The next morning, the school janitor found Emily’s phone lying in the hallway, its screen cracked and covered in dust. The door to the old wing was wide open, though it was always supposed to be locked. As he stepped inside, he could hear faint whispers echoing through the empty hallways, pleading and crying for help.Emily was never seen again, but students often whispered about the ghostly cries that could be heard late at night, echoing through the school's old wing. Some say it’s Emily, still searching for a way out. Others believe she joined the lost souls that roam the whispering hallways, forever trapped in the darkness.
By SHIBSHANKAR PAULabout a year ago in Horror
"The Echoes of St. Mary's"
In the heart of a forgotten town stood St. Mary's Hospital, a relic from a bygone era. It was a massive structure, with tall, narrow windows and an ivy-covered facade that hinted at its many years of disuse. The townsfolk spoke of the place in hushed tones, warning of the strange occurrences that had been reported there since it was abandoned after a mysterious fire in the late 1960s.Laura, a young journalist with a knack for uncovering the truth behind local legends, decided to spend a night inside St. Mary's. She wanted to write a feature on the most haunted places in the area, and this hospital was at the top of her list. Armed with a flashlight, a camera, and a recorder, she made her way inside as the sun dipped below the horizon.The interior was a maze of dark, crumbling corridors. Paint peeled from the walls, and the floors creaked underfoot. An eerie silence filled the air, broken only by the occasional drip of water from the ceiling. As Laura walked deeper into the hospital, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned on her recorder to capture the atmosphere."Day one at St. Mary's," she whispered into the microphone. "No signs of—"Her words were cut off by a loud crash echoing from somewhere deeper within the building. Laura’s heart raced. She shone her flashlight toward the sound but saw nothing but darkness. Swallowing her fear, she moved forward, following the echo down a long, twisting hallway that led to the old maternity ward.She entered the ward cautiously, and a sudden chill filled the room, as if the temperature had dropped by several degrees. The hairs on her arms stood on end. She aimed her flashlight around the room, revealing rows of rusted metal beds, their mattresses long rotted away. In the corner, an ancient wheelchair sat, covered in a thick layer of dust.As Laura approached the wheelchair, she heard a faint, rhythmic tapping. It grew louder and more insistent, coming from behind a set of double doors at the far end of the ward. She hesitated, then pushed the doors open with a creak.Beyond was an operating room, its once-sterile tiles now grimy and cracked. In the center of the room stood an old surgical table, its leather straps still fastened. The tapping noise was louder now, but Laura couldn’t see its source. She moved her flashlight around the room and suddenly froze.In the corner, a shadowy figure stood, facing the wall. It was a woman in a nurse’s uniform, her back turned to Laura. The tapping continued, and Laura realized it was the sound of the nurse's fingernails drumming against the wall. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Her hand shook as she held the flashlight steady.The nurse slowly turned her head, revealing a gaunt face with hollow, sunken eyes that stared straight at Laura. "You shouldn't be here," the nurse whispered, her voice echoing around the room.Laura stumbled back, her breath quickening. She turned to flee, but the doors slammed shut in front of her. Panicking, she pushed against them, but they wouldn't budge. Behind her, the nurse began to hum a haunting lullaby, the same melody Laura’s grandmother used to sing to her as a child.Tears streamed down Laura’s face as she pounded on the door. Suddenly, the humming stopped, replaced by a soft, sickening laugh that reverberated through her bones. She spun around to face the nurse, but the figure had vanished. In its place, a series of ghostly figures appeared—doctors, nurses, patients—all staring at her with the same hollow eyes.Laura fumbled with her recorder, trying to document what she was seeing. But when she looked at the screen, she saw nothing but static. The figures advanced toward her, their expressions a mix of sorrow and anger. Laura screamed, slamming her fists against the door.As the ghostly figures reached out for her, the door finally gave way, and Laura tumbled into the hallway. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted toward the exit, never looking back. The hospital seemed to come alive around her, with whispers and cries echoing through the corridors.When she finally burst through the front doors, Laura collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. The night was still, the stars overhead twinkling like nothing had happened. She looked back at St. Mary’s, its dark windows staring back at her like empty eyes.Laura fled the hospital grounds and never returned. She wrote her article, but no one believed her story. The footage on her camera was corrupted, filled with nothing but static and eerie sounds. And the recorder? It played only the faint lullaby and the ghostly voice of the nurse whispering, "You shouldn't be here."Years later, St. Mary’s Hospital still stands, abandoned and decaying. Some nights, if the wind is just right, you can hear a faint humming drifting from the building, accompanied by the soft, rhythmic tapping of fingernails on a wall.
By SHIBSHANKAR PAULabout a year ago in Horror
My Horror Night: A Glimpse Into the Unknown
It was supposed to be an ordinary night. A night like any other, where the mundane rhythms of life lull you into a sense of security. But that night was anything but ordinary. It was a night that shattered my belief in what was real and what was not, leaving me with a memory that haunts me to this day.
By Renu Vermaabout a year ago in Horror
The Girl in the Attic
The weather was the rain constantly hitting against the windows of the old Victorian house, the constant beating was sounding throughout the house insides that were empty. The house was a remnant of the bygone era, positioned at the boundary of a small town, the shabby and broken-looking outer part along with the shutters uh gave it the appearance of a relic that has long been forgotten. The insides of the house however were not entirely unoccupied. There lived a family, a mother, father, and daughter, who were all hiding a deep secret inside the house.
By yousif hajiabout a year ago in Horror
Echoes of the Forgotten: The Haunting of Ashbury Manor
The Haunting of Ashbury Manor In the quiet town of Ashbury, nestled deep within the English countryside, stood an ancient manor. Ashbury Manor, with its ivy-covered walls and creaking floors, had a history as dark as the shadows that lingered in its corners. The locals whispered tales of ghosts that haunted its halls, but few dared to speak of them aloud.
By Hasina Bagomeabout a year ago in Horror
