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.
Marigolds:
The sun blazed brightly this morning. It warmed my skin as I ran my fingertips gently over the burnt orange petals with sun-kissed yellow edges. They were almost like velvet on my hands and the flower itself nestled gently into the healing scars on my palm. I closed my eyes enveloping my senses in the sweet, gentle smell, and the velour touch on my finger tips. I leaned forward to get a better inhalation of my senses. Ever so slowly I took in the sweet scent of peace and harmony. I leaned back with my eyes closed and stayed seated among my flora, basking in the warm sunlight. My head tilted back as the sun caressed my face. It was over. I was free.
By J.Galsgaard5 years ago in Horror
Killer Lovin: episode 2
Rick fumbled his way downstairs soon greeted by a bunch of cameras. his eyes slowly moved to Chas, as he sat in a green bathrobe playing the guitar. a thoughtful look on his face as his hazel eyes stared into the woods outside. Rick moves quietly through the kitchen, careful not to disturb him. Chas turned to see Rick as he was grabbing a bowl of cereal.
By Qwill R. Brennan5 years ago in Horror
In The Dark
Lori dropped the box, and immediately regretted having done so, the card fluttered before hitting the ground, but the finger rolled away down the slanted sidewalk. Not totally sure of what she was doing, Lori picked up the finger frantically and through it back in the box. This was all done very clumsily, and she didn't succeed first try. After getting both the finger and the package out of her hands, Lori backed away from the box. She watched it as though the finger might lunge at her from the container.
By SempiternalSoul5 years ago in Horror
Baby's Journey Begins
The wallpaper was hideous. Ancient, peeling in multiple locations, Baby could only just make out the repeated imagery, a small yellow flower. A marigold, perhaps? She didn't know much about flowers; they weren't really a thing anymore. The extended Winter, though largely over, had lasted more than long enough to put an end to a large portion of the Earth’s flora.
By Dave Rowlands5 years ago in Horror
Lady of the Pond
Eureka Springs, Arkansas. 5:00 p.m. Emily sat down at a table in the quaint cafe located in the middle of the historic little town she had just arrived in. She was a city girl in much need of some relaxation and decided where better than in the middle of nowhere. "What can I get ya' hun?" Emily looked up at the middle-aged woman that was dressed in slacks and an apron. "Um, what's something quick? I need to check into the Full Moon Hotel soon." Worry crossed the woman's face, "Honey, I can get you anything. That hotel allows outside food. They take orders from us all of the time. We can always pack up your left-overs for you. But I recommend the bacon grilled cheese with a side of baked potato soup for someone who's been traveling all day." Emily smiled, "That sounds perfect! I'll have that please." The woman smiled and walked off to the kitchen. Emily took her phone out to Google the directions to her hotel and was pleased to see it was only ten minutes away. She continued to google the quaint little town while she ate her food. "May I interest you in dessert hun?" Emily shook her head no and paid for her food. "You stay safe now okay hun?" Emily said her goodbyes and headed over to the hotel. Once she was checked in and her luggage was in her room, she decided to go roam the grounds. She thought the area was beautiful with its old oak and pine trees , the even older Victorian three story building towering over her, the way the winter breeze hit her cheeks, and the owls calling out to her. Everything was perfect except for the frozen pond. The way the fog danced over the ice and slithered its way towards her creeped her out. She felt goosebumps make residence all over her body and a shiver ran down her spine. Just as she turned to head back she let out a scream as she almost ran right into the bellhop. "I'm sorry ma'am but you shouldn't be out here all alone once evening hits. Please come inside." She apologized and followed him inside, turning around to look at the pond once more. Back in her room she laid down and stared at the ceiling, still thinking of the frozen pond. Before long she drifted off to sleep and was entangled in the most vivid nightmare she's ever had. She heard her name being called from the pond and before she knew it she was chasing her name, barefoot across the grass and sticks. Thorns were poking her from the branches that scratched her arms and face. She felt a pull to the pond, mesmerized by the call of her name. She couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried, she just kept moving towards the treacherous pond. She felt like it had only been seconds since she started her journey but she was already standing on the cold ice looking down. She carefully knelt down and placed her palms on the cloudy ice. Emily knew whoever was calling her was in the water, trapped under the ice. The ice began crackling, splitting beneath her fingers, just as a hand came thundering out shooting ice in all directions. The hand grabbed her by the throat, gripping her so tightly she couldn't get away. She didn't have time to think before another hand shot out and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her down. Emily tried to scream, tried to pull away but she just couldn't, the hands were so much stronger than she was. The more she tried to push herself up and away from the hands the more the ice broke. After what seemed like decades of time had passed she finally woke up from her dream, sweating and scared but freezing at the same time. She opened her eyes and looked around only to realize she was laying upon the ice. Was that really a nightmare? Frightened beyond believe, she scuttled to try to get off the ice as fast as she could. She grabbed hold of the dirt, clawing the rest of her way off of the ice and ran barefoot back to the hotel. She slammed her room door behind her as her back slid down landing her with a thud on her rear end. She began to hyperventilate as she shook uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face like a rainstorm on a summer's day. Her thoughts ran wild as she wondered if her nightmare was truly a dream or reality. She ran to the bathroom to check her throat. She fell backwards in fear as she saw the sight in the mirror; her throat was bruised and purple. She jumped and squealed in fright as she heard a knock on the door. "Ma'am, breakfast is served. Would you like me to leave the cart at the door?" The voice was familiar, she realized it was the bellhop from yesterday. "Y-ye-y-yes. P-pl-please," was all she was able to stammer out. She composed herself and convinced herself that she had to have been sleep walking and that she caused the bruising somehow. She ate breakfast, took an extremely hot shower, and decided not to think of the nightmare again. She wandered out of her room, paranoid stricken, slinky around the halls. Something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She turned the corner to her left to enter an empty dance hall. Emily was confused as she could've sworn that she had seen someone. There was another shadow in the corner of her eye, she spun fast but there was nothing but empty space. "Emily." She spun around again and again, no one was there. The entire day went on like this. Every corner she turned she swore she saw a woman. She was chasing ghosts throughout the building until she ran into the bellhop, literally. He fell backwards and landed hard on the ground as she did the same. "I'm so sorry! I just kept hearing my name and was trying to figure out where it was coming from." He nodded, "Well ma'am I was coming to inform all of the guests that dinner is served." She was taken aback by that. "Wait, you mean I missed lunch? I didn't know the day passed so fast." He nodded and informed her of the menu and that he would leave her meal in her room. She thanked him and decided to head back to her room and prepare for her dinner. She had just changed into something comfy when the bellhop knocked on her door. She ate her meal, cleaned up and decided to turn in early. Sleep came fast and easy, it was peaceful. At first. The nightmare returned. The voice took control of her once more and she was in hot pursuit of it. Her bare feet crunching the sticks beneath them as she ran towards the frozen pond again. She paused as she reached the ice, touching it with one toe, testing it to see if it was real. Her dirty foot smeared across the rock hard ice, then her other foot. She left a trail of dirt behind her as she walked towards the hole in the ice. Her pace was slow and steady as she prepared herself for the inevitable. Finally, there she was, standing in front of the hole looking in the water. Waiting. "Where are you?" It was a deafening silence when in the breeze she heard her name again. "Emily." She stared down waiting for something to happen, for someone to appear. "Emily." She dropped down on her knees, "Let's get this over with." Still nothing happened. She was just about to get up when a hand grabbed her wrist. She tried to yank back but couldn't wrench her wrist free. Another hand shot out of the water and grabbed her other wrist, yanking it into the water pulling her down until her face smacked into the ice. She felt the other hand move from her wrist to her shirt collar and yank her again. Her head slid off of the ice and into the frigid water. She was pulled further into the water. Her face and body immediately became numb and it felt as if she had a million needles pricking her. It was becoming harder to fight off the hands when she felt her arm be released. She thought she had a chance for escape when her throat was grabbed once more and she was pulled down further into the water, submerging her whole body. She felt another yank and realized she was now nose to nose with her assailant. She choked in water as she looked into the eyes of the woman who had held her , realizing she was staring back at herself. The attacker suddenly disappeared leaving Emily to slowly drown. She swam upwards knocking into the ice, pounding, trying to break free. She closed her eyes accepting defeat and upon reopening them she looked around seeing she was back on top of the ice. She was gasping for air, freezing, confused and terrified. She struggled to get up as she tried to get away from the frozen pond as fast as she could. Emily fell as soon as she reached dry land, clawing her way back to the hotel. She reached the clearing, turned back to the pond just to see herself standing in the middle of it. Before she could register what she saw she realized she was back on the ice standing in the middle of the frozen pond. Reality hit her as hard as a train. She was the lady of the pond, stuck at the frozen pond, forever. She let out a haunting scream as she faded away.
By H. L. Ridgeway5 years ago in Horror
October Nights
It's almost unimaginable, being able to swim out in an open lake. To be weightless floating on top, or to see a whole new world from underneath. I always loved going fishing on this lake, always have with my father. Even after he had passed. I'll never forget his wild stories about seeing creatures in the lake, but I was never afraid. Always found it interesting instead, but they were just stories. He always had an imagination that goes beyond this world. It must be where I got my imagination. Anyways, this lake has meant a lot to me. I never actually keep the fish I catch, I release them back. Today seemed special for some reason. I packed up my tackle box, grabbed my fishing pole, and headed over with my boat. As soon as I approach the lake, I noticed that I was the only one here. Ok, not a big deal, more fish for me to catch and release. I'm out on my boat with my pole, and the line in the water. Suddenly, I feel strange sensation that I'm not alone. Just shrug it off I told myself, it's nothing. The water is really calm for some odd reason, the fish normally bite by now. It's been half an hour now. Did something scare them away? The only other large creature I know that's in this lake are two snapping turtles. Well it's almost dark out, I'll come back tomorrow, might have better luck then. I packed everything up and went home. I didn't even bother unpacking everything from the truck, didn't even make myself dinner. Just wanted to go to bed and get tomorrow started. The next morning when I woke up, I felt energized, excited to get back out on the lake. Damn, I am hungry though. I'll stop at the deli on the way there. Get my usual turkey and roast beef sub with cheese, olives, mayo and pickles. Yeah, I have weird taste in food. I'm waiting for my sandwich to be made, and I heard a couple guys that go fishing as well. Talking about that the cops discovered a body from the lake. "I'm sorry to interrupt, did you say the cops found a body"? I had asked them. "Yeah the patrolling cop from this morning found the body right by the dock." The other gentleman said with a frightened look on his face. He even explained that the body had bite marks, like a human. Didn't even look like teeth, more like sharp holes dug into his skin. That's really weird, I don't even know any aquatic animals that do that. Who knows, it could've been a bear that was close by. I shrugged it off, I just wanted to go fishing even more now. I ate the first half of my sandwich, and drove right to the lake. When I got there, I did see a cop hanging out there, and I noticed it was Harry, an old buddy of mine from college. He looked at me with an upset face though, probably about the body. "Hey John, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go fishing at the moment", he sounded like he was going to cry. "Why, what's going on Harry? I heard about a body." That's when Harry confirmed that the body was Sam. Another old college friend. Almost broke down myself in front of him. I want to go see it, but Harry won't let me. Must be that bad in shape. "Please Harry, can't I just fish just this one time. Sam used to go fishing with me." My voice quivered there for a moment. "Alright John, just this one time. Just don't go near the body. Please?" Although the curiosity crept over me, I agreed not to go near the body. I got all my stuff ready in the boat, I looked over to the corner of my eye, and I could see the feet of the body. The curiosity got even stronger, the more I thought about it as well. Harry stayed close to wait for the coroner to get the body. The sound of a loud speeding Porsche broke my concentration, as well as Harry's post on watch. Harry went after the speedster to pull him over, and most likely give him a ticket. After he left, I looked back over at what little I could see of the body. I felt like I had to, so I walked over to get a better look. The minute I saw the body, I felt that sandwich come back up. Oh my god! What kind of animal could do something like this? Holes in his neck, the size of toothpicks. His face, you couldn't even see it. The rest of his body, torn up like it went through a woodchipper. Whatever happened, it's quite obvious that it wasn't just one creature. It was more than one. Then at the corner of my eye, in the water, I saw something splash. I didn't actually see the thing, but it did sound big. Whatever it was that did this to Sam, it came from the water, I just know it. And I'm going to try and catch it. I grabbed the big stuff from the bed of my truck, and I geared up for whatever it is that's out there. With using the titanium fishing pole that my father had especially made for me, never understood why though. I waited like half an hour with regular bait, nothing yet. I also noticed that Harry hasn't come back yet. I decided to put different bait on the end, something a little bit more bloodier. I grabbed a chunk piece that you normally feed to a shark. Well look at that, not even five minutes in, already caught something. Damn, this thing is strong. I tried my damn hardest to reel this thing in, it actually started to bend my fishing pole. If I couldn't get this thing in my boat with this pull, it will break my rod in half. I gave it one last pull, I fell on my back. I looked up and what I saw, was unbelievable. Half fish, and half woman. Thrashing around its big fluke of a tail. She's beautiful though, but how could something so beautiful kill my friend. She looked at me, and I just looked back. I started to hear a song in my head, wow, I just don't have the words for how amazing she is. Then she just jumped back into the water. I rushed to the edge of my boat, trying to find her. I decided to jump in and look for her. First time being underwater here. I'm looking around my vicinity of what I could see to find her. Then I see something, I want to say about 10 meters in front of me. It's so cloudy underwater. I moved forward a bit, saw something move at the corner of my eye. I turned as fast as I could to see it. Then it happened again. They're everywhere, what is going on? Something is rushing at me, what is that? I went up to surface to catch some air, but before I could, something grabbed my foot. Right in front of me, a scaled creature, with really sharp teeth....
By Rachel Dailey5 years ago in Horror
Shark Tooth
“Alana…” “Alana.” “Alana!” “Wake up!” Alana Aguero snapped back into consciousness. Dark blue engulfed her vision. Only the off-white of her shark tooth necklace stood out. As the haze started to clear out of her head, she noticed something peculiar about the tooth: it was glowing. The glow softly pulsed like a heartbeat. Not only did it pulse with light, it also floated with the tip of the tooth pointing skyward.
By Laurel Mora5 years ago in Horror
Awakening
"Need any help?” I turned around and saw a tall man standing behind me. I was at the bar trying to get the bartender's attention for the last 20 mins. It was really busy and the bar was crowded. The bartender seemed overwhelmed with all the people yelling at him. I'm a quiet person, and not very good at getting people's attention. So, I was just waiting for the bartender to get to me. I wasn't in a rush, but after 20 mins, I was definitely getting impatient.
By Cristina Velazquez5 years ago in Horror
The Man on The Sidewalk: chapter 1
Life was normal for Brian Otten. At least as normal as it could be for a kid like Otten. Be forced out of bed by mom, brush teeth, get food, catch the bus, meet up with friends. Today really was like any other, as he laughed about a drawing luke drew of Toad as a toad Jumping into a pile of poop. The true principle of comedy. Toad disagreed though, snatching the drawing from Brian's hands.
By Qwill R. Brennan5 years ago in Horror
