fiction
Horror fiction that delivers on its promise to scare, startle, frighten and unsettle. These stories are fake, but the shivers down your spine won't be.
Pathogen: Ch. 18
It didn't feel as if Marnie had been sleeping long when a light, persistent jiggle on her shoulder woke her up. With a sleepy grumble, she curled tighter to Julian's side, peeking open one bleary eye instinctively. Bianca was standing over her. The other girl looked as tired as Marnie felt, her expression calm and deeply apologetic. Marnie's face arranged itself in a grumpy grimace as she looked around their crappy little motel room. The place wasn't on fire; the feds and/or cops weren't banging on the door; Zombie Trevor was still sitting contentedly on the floor in front of the TV, watching Simpsons reruns and pigging out on beef jerky.
By Natalie Gray2 months ago in Horror
The Portrait
Hunter stood warily in the foyer of the grand old house, a drop of condensation clung stubbornly to his forehead. As he peered around, an unsettling feeling grew in his chest. The doors swayed gently back and forth of their own accord. Light breezes of warm and cool air seemed to duel with each other in the open space. He could swear the walls were writhing, pulsing, as if the house itself was breathing.
By Eric Boring2 months ago in Horror
The Clockmaker’s Last Hour
In the heart of an old bazaar, tucked between a spice shop and a forgotten bookstore, stood Rauf’s Clockworks, a tiny shop filled with ticking, chiming, and humming clocks. Some were antique, some handmade, and some—according to rumor—were not entirely from this world. Rauf, the elderly clockmaker, had spent his whole life repairing time, second by second.
By Iazaz hussain2 months ago in Horror
SEASON 5 - Whispers from the Lantern: The Keeper's Lament
Chapter 9 The Keeper's face, a distorted, screaming mask of despair, was trapped behind a single, glass lens. He was a man who had lost everything, who had been betrayed by the very thing he had sworn to protect. He was a man who had lost his soul.
By Tales That Breathe at Night2 months ago in Horror
Strange Caller
When investigating the Sinner Killer of New York, Detective Henry Stark got an alarming phone call which nearly ended the whole case: "Hello." Henry answered the phone. "Whose your favourite serial killer?" The strange voice replied. "What? Who is this? Pranking the police is a serious offence!" "I'm the one you've been looking for." "You're... The Sinner Killer?" Henry gasped, rushing to his feet and beckoning other police officers to track down the caller's location. Henry could hear Sinner clapping his hands over the phone line. "When did you get so smart!" The voice laughed. "Why did you do it?" Henry asked. "Well... Why the fuck not?" The Sinner replied. "Because it's evil!" Henry snapped. "So is everyone else in this god forsaken city!" Sinner growled, sounding like some wild, rabid animal, "everyone's a sinner, even you Detective Henry Stark!" "So you think murder is the answer?!" "Yes!" "No." Henry shook his head, growing impatient, his fellow police officers were struggling to find the killer's location, keeping this psycho on the line was going to be difficult, sickeningly; Henry had to entertain the killer's disturbed ideals, "but... Why don't you enlighten me?" Sinner laughed in reply; "ok, Detective... I kill because we live in a world of faithless, sinful, greedy and disgusting people. There are gangsters and pimps. Whores and perverts. They're everywhere, around every street corner and they don't deserve to live." "Why do you say that?" Henry asked, trying not to vomit. "I just told you!" Sinner growled, "you're a bit slow ain't you?" Henry held his breath, trying not to scream in anger, he eyed the other officers, they were still tracking the phone call. "Cat got your tongue?!" Sinner giggled creepily. "I'm speechless!" Henry chuckled weakly, pretending to be impressed. "Now you see my genius!" Sinner replied, his voice sounded happy, as if smiling. "Yes I do." Henry almost gagged, entertaining this freak was torture. One of the cops in Henry's office nodded at the detective, indicating that they had finally found the killer's location. Henry grinned. "You're on smart cookie!" He said to Sinner. "I really appreciate that, Detective. Really I do. Oh yes I do!" "Tell me how you kill them?" Henry asked, as a whole squad of armed police men exited the station, they were heading towards the phone booth now where Sinner was calling from. "You already know that, Detective." Sinner replied, "you've seen my work." "Oh yeah..." Henry forced a laugh, "I like the time you beheaded that prostitute." He lied, and it hurt his soul to even say such a disgusting thing. "Oh did you? That little piece of lust deserved everything that came to her!" Sinner laughed, then came the sounds of police sirens in the background of Sinner's phone call, "well... It was nice talking, Doc. But I gotta go!" "NO WAIT!" Henry cried, but Sinner already hung up and fled. The police couldn't find him, he had disappeared, realising the boys in blue were on their way.
By Joseph Roy Wright2 months ago in Horror
Burning Man
Gregg Hardy always loved bonfire night, the classic British holiday on the fifth of November where Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the houses of parliament and failed miserably, only to be arrested. As part of that tradition, there was an effigy, which was typically a scarecrow or lifesized doll of Guy Fawkes that was lit on a bonfire. It has become a treasured holiday since its Inception in the 1600s that comes only five days after Halloween. In many ways, it is a similar holiday where people even dress up as Guy Fawkes and kids gather around to enjoy the festivities. There are many people who love both holidays equally and Gregg seemed to be one of those people. Unfortunately, there were always a lot of trouble makers knocking around this time of year too. Setting off fireworks in public and pranking people with other dangerous objects, such as sparklers and cheery bombs, etc. On one cold night in 2005, Gregg saw witness to a terrifying prank that went very, very wrong. Deadly wrong. Somebody (likely a teenager) was running around in a mustached Guy Fawkes mask, playing knock and run on hundreds of doors down a busy street in London on the night of Bonfire night. This prankster was leaving all kinds of fiery traps on people's doorsteps. Paper bags set on fire with dog shit in them, lit fireworks that were ready to blow up in the prank victim's face and smashed Molotov cocktails along the hard, concrete ground. The prankster was laughing manically, almost setting these houses on fire. Gregg was watching this scene unfold across the street where the prankster was running down. He didn't dare get involved, as burning alive because of some dumb kid's prank wasn't on his to-do list. However, his neighbour from across the street (who still had his Halloween decorations up, as if asking for trouble) came storming out of his house in a fit of rage that soon turned to panicked screams as the prankster had left five fireworks on his front garden that shot directly at the poor man who was exiting his home. In an instant, Gregg's neighbour was lit up like a Guy Fawkes effigy! The man screamed in agony, as he thrashed around wildly, falling to the floor and rolling around, quickly trying to extinguish the flames that had engulfed him. Gregg could only watch in horror as the horrifying, brutal and tragic death took place. That teenage prankster had already run further down the long street, he was out of sight now, fading into the darkness of night. Soon the fire spread from his neighbour's corpse to his front door, burning it in seconds, as the flames spread further, resulting in a huge house fire. Gregg called for a fire engine on his mobile phone, sirens arrived four minutes later with red flashing lights, glowing brighter than the fireworks that boomed in the black sky around them. Firefighters exited the big red truck and began extinguishing the flames with their hoses. A police car had arrived also, to question Gregg about what he saw. He told the police officer everything he witnessed, then a hunt for the killer in the Guy Fawkes mask was ordered. The police searched all night long, but there were many teenage kids who were running around dressed exactly like that, causing trouble that night. So nobody could charge any of them for a single crime. Perhaps one of those kids was the killer and he had to do community service or something like that, but true justice was not served that night. Gregg wasn't a big fan of bonfire night after that.
By Joseph Roy Wright2 months ago in Horror
Apple Tree Grave
Little Stephen Parker was cycling through the sunny countryside of Maine. He was a young boy, about seven years old, just having fun in the summer sun, a carefree child who didn't know what true horror was or meant quite yet. That was until he came upon an isolated apple tree, it was no taller than he was and it had obviously been planted by somebody from somewhere he'd never truly know. The tree was barely a tree yet, but it was growing up just like Stephen was and at the same height too. The boy named his new tree friend Harold and he would pick tiny apples from the growing tree, which was growing out of a large rectangle patch of short grass beside the much taller grass that surrounded it. The rectangle patch was long like a human coffin, Stephen's own mommy or daddy could lie down inside it and still have room to wiggle their toes. That made little Stephen giggle. He was too young and naive to question what was down there, perhaps the gardener (whoever he or she was) had planted lots and lots of apple seeds, but only one lucky tree got to grow up like Stephen did. This little boy was lonely though and didn't have many friends. "The other kids in school think I'm weird!" He cried to Harold the tree, "they're always picking on me." There would be no reply from the tree, but Stephen was a child with a wild imagination, he'd speak in a strange wooden voice pretending that was the tree. Talking to himself back and forth using his normal voice (as himself) and the silly wooden voice (for Harold the talking tree. "Maybe. You. Should. Take. My. Apples. To. School." Harold (Stephen doing a silly voice) would suggest. "You really think so?!" Replied Stephen (speaking normally). "Yes. Take. My. Apples. To. School." "You think the other kids will finally like me?!" "Yes. The. Other. Kids. Will. Like. That." "Oh goody!" Stephen would exclaim excitedly, "you're my best friend, Harold!" "You. Are. My. Best. Friend. Too!" "Yippee!" Stephen would pick ten different apples and put them in his bicycle's front basket, then joyfully cycle home in the lovely summer sun. "Mom, dad!" He sang, upon climbing off of his bicycle and entering their cozy little farm house. "What is it Stevy?!" His mother would call, running downstairs to hug her son. "Mommy! Mommy! I made a new friend today, mommy!" "Oh really!" His mom wept, she knew little Stephen had been struggling to make friends with the kids in school. "Yes Mommy, his name is Harold, Mommy! Harold!" "Harold?" She questioned the name, that surely wasn't a kid's name, "how old is he dear?" "I don't know, he's an apple tree!" "What?!" "He's an apple tree, mommy! Look!" He showed her one of the tiny green apples he picked from the tree, "I brought it home just for you and the other kids in school too!" "Oh well, that's nice!" Mommy laughed, she was relieved Stephen hadn't been talking to some creepy old man, "I'm sure the other kids in school would love the apples!" "Yippee!" Stephen exclaimed excitedly, running upstairs to tell daddy the good news.
By Joseph Roy Wright2 months ago in Horror
Stench From The Basement
Andy and Juliet Springfield were newly weds and they wanted a brand new, shiny house to start their new and happy life together. They were Americans living in California, so they had lots of sunny, beautiful places to pick from. The couple searched for months and months and months, looking desperately for a good house to settle down into. Yet, most places were far too expensive and the sacrifices they'd have to make simply weren't worth it. As Spring became Summer and Summer became Autumn which soon entered Winter, the choices they had were getting more and more expensive and risky. That was until they stumbled across a deal of a lifetime. They found a beautiful three story house that sat by a creek far away from the rustle and bustle of the city, and deep within the lush, rich and gorgeous American countryside. It was perfect, so why was it so bloody cheap? Andy dared to ask about the humongous elephant in the room and the salesman took a deep long sigh; "the previous family disappeared." He said. "Without a trace?" Andy asked. "Yes." He winced, "but ghost stories don't exist." He smiled weakly, "perhaps they just up and left, in the middle of the night." "Strange." Andy shivered. "I guess you're no longer interested then?" Sighed the salesman. "No!" Juliet interjected, "it's not like the family were murdered." "Definitely not!" The salesman grinned. "How do you know?" Andy asked, suspiciously. "No blood, no bodies. Nothing. They just up and left. The locals like to spread silly ghost stories and won't buy the place-" "Which is why it's so cheap?" Andy interrupted. "Yes." The salesman nodded, "but it's all just lies." "I don't know..." Andy grumbled. "Excuse us!" Juliet apologised, before pulling her husband into a separate room, "we can't afford to keep looking!" She snapped, "we've searched for eleven months now and I'm sick of that apartment in LA and that fucking landlord, ain't you?!" "Yeah bu-" "No buts!" She barked, "so what if the family vanished? People leave without saying a word all the time. Maybe they just... I don't know, won the lottery and fucked off or something. Anything could have happened, that doesn't mean the house is haunted or anything stupid like that!" "All right..." Andy sighed, "it is a good deal." "Yes, it is a good deal!" Juliet cried, "I think we should get it!" "Ok, you're right." He nodded, "we ain't getting anywhere cheaper." Andy shrugged, "I guess this is the spot." "Thanks Andy!" She kissed her lover, "come on, let's tell him the good news!"
By Joseph Roy Wright2 months ago in Horror
The Last Day
Screams filled the air as the flames of a thousand suns licked at the misguided and disobedient souls. Searing heat rose from the core of the earth and ripped the flesh of the evils and wrong-doers from their bones, a degree of intensity unbeknown to humankind before the time of their judgement. The smell of burning ash combined with the sight of utter despair was probably the most satisfying moment of his career. This was the moment he had been waiting for – his moment of glory. Feeling the hatred and anger rise inside his body and allowing it to consume him, he confidently prowled towards the soul of the nearest person – a young man, who looked to be in his late teens, and was wailing like a banshee. Fear rose in the adolescent's eyes as the figure he had come to know as the creator of all evil harshly gripped his neck, lifted him and threw him against the shards of lava-covered rock. The teen released a horrified scream, and a satisfied smile crept across Lucifer's face as he savoured the moment.
By Natasha Winter2 months ago in Horror
