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Candle Cove



Estimated reading time — 8 minutes

It comes most often at night. That niggling memory, gnawing in some corner of your mind like a rodent chewing the corners of the drywall. The memory of some brightly lit cartoon funland, or a world of puppets. A memory of a tv show, you would watch, seated cross legged on the living room floor with the fixed enthusiastic attention only a child can give. Attention that you wish now, you perhaps hadn’t given so freely. For there is something about that show, something about the discordant music, the details of the characters, their motivations and the storylines, the fixed maniacal grins that seems, looking back, to be altogether too sinister to be a children’s show. You try to block the memory out and yet, there in the back of your mind, most often at night, the puppet’s fixed grin, keeps on smiling.

Overview

Candle Cove is a widely known and popular Creepypasta about a fictional television series recollected by a number of posters on a childhood nostalgia forum. As the posters share their recollections the things they collectively remember become more and more sinister with the characters featured clearly being unsuitable for children’s viewing. Notable examples are The Laughingstock the boat that is alive and sports a huge mouth, Horace Horrible a one eyed character with ‘too large teeth’ and most famously, a skeleton character known as ‘The Skintaker’ who wears the flesh of children over his naked bones. Hardly Sesame Street is it?

Candle Cove Creepypasta

NetNostalgia Forum – Television (local)

Skyshale033
Subject: Candle Cove local kid’s show?

Does anyone remember this kid’s show? It was called Candle Cove and I must have been 6 or 7. I never found reference to it anywhere so I think it was on a local station around 1971 or 1972. I lived in Ironton at the time. I don’t remember which station, but I do remember it was on at a weird time, like 4:00 PM.

mike_painter65
Subject: Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?

it seems really familiar to me…..i grew up outside of ashland and was 9 yrs old in 72. candle cove…was it about pirates? i remember a pirate marionete at the mouth of a cave talking to a little girl

Skyshale033
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
YES! Okay I’m not crazy! I remember Pirate Percy. I was always kind of scared of him. He looked like he was built from parts of other dolls, real low-budget. His head was an old porcelain baby doll, looked like an antique that didn’t belong on the body. I don’t remember what station this was! I don’t think it was WTSF though.

Jaren_2005
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
Sorry to ressurect this old thread but I know exactly what show you mean, Skyshale. I think Candle Cove ran for only a couple months in ‘71, not ‘72. I was 12 and I watched it a few times with my brother. It was channel 58, whatever station that was. My mom would let me switch to it after the news. Let me see what I remember.

It took place in Candle cove, and it was about a little girl who imagined herself to be friends with pirates. The pirate ship was called the Laughingstock, and Pirate Percy wasn’t a very good pirate because he got scared too easily. And there was calliope music constantly playing. Don’t remember the girl’s name. Janice or Jade or something. Think it was Janice.

Skyshale033
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
Thank you Jaren!!! Memories flooded back when you mentioned the Laughingstock and channel 58. I remember the bow of the ship was a wooden smiling face, with the lower jaw submerged. It looked like it was swallowing the sea and it had that awful Ed Wynn voice and laugh. I especially remember how jarring it was when they switched from the wooden/plastic model, to the foam puppet version of the head that talked.

mike_painter65
Subject: Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?

ha ha i remember now too.  do you remember this part skyshale: “you have…to go…INSIDE.”

Skyshale033
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
Ugh mike, I got a chill reading that. Yes I remember. That’s what the ship always told Percy when there was a spooky place he had to go in, like a cave or a dark room where the treasure was. And the camera would push in on Laughingstock’s face with each pause. YOU HAVE… TO GO… INSIDE. With his two eyes askew and that flopping foam jaw and the fishing line that opened and closed it. Ugh. It just looked so cheap and awful.

You guys remember the villain? He had a face that was just a handlebar mustache above really tall, narrow teeth.

kevin_hart
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
i honestly, honestly thought the villain was pirate percy. i was about 5 when this show was on. nightmare fuel.

Jaren_2005
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
That wasn’t the villain, the puppet with the mustache. That was the villain’s sidekick, Horace Horrible. He had a monocle too, but it was on top of the mustache. I used to think that meant he had only one eye.

But yeah, the villain was another marionette. The Skin-Taker. I can’t believe what they let us watch back then.

kevin_hart
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
jesus h. christ, the skin taker. what kind of a kids show were we watching? i seriously could not look at the screen when the skin taker showed up. he just descended out of nowhere on his strings, just a dirty skeleton wearing that brown top hat and cape. and his glass eyes that were too big for his skull. christ almighty.

Skyshale033
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
Wasn’t his top hat and cloak all sewn up crazily? Was that supposed to be children’s skin??

mike_painter65
Subject: Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?

yeah i think so. rememer his mouth didn’t open and close, his jaw just slid back and foth. i remember the little girl said “why does your mouth move like that” and the skin-taker didn’t look at the girl but at the camera and said “TO GRIND YOUR SKIN”

Skyshale033
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
I’m so relieved that other people remember this terrible show!

I used to have this awful memory, a bad dream I had where the opening jingle ended, the show faded in from black, and all the characters were there, but the camera was just cutting to each of their faces, and they were just screaming, and the puppets and marionettes were flailing spastically, and just all screaming, screaming. The girl was just moaning and crying like she had been through hours of this. I woke up many times from that nightmare. I used to wet the bed when I had it.

kevin_hart
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
i don’t think that was a dream. i remember that. i remember that was an episode.

Skyshale033
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
No no no, not possible. There was no plot or anything, I mean literally just standing in place crying and screaming for the whole show.

kevin_hart
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
maybe i’m manufacturing the memory because you said that, but i swear to god i remember seeing what you described. they just screamed.

Jaren_2005
Subject: 
Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?
Oh God. Yes. The little girl, Janice, I remember seeing her shake. And the Skin-Taker screaming through his gnashing teeth, his jaw careening so wildly I thought it would come off its wire hinges. I turned it off and it was the last time I watched. I ran to tell my brother and we didn’t have the courage to turn it back on.

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mike_painter65
Subject: Re: Candle Cove local kid’s show?

i visited my mom today at the nursing home. i asked her about when i was littel in the early 70s, when i was 8 or 9 and if she remebered a kid’s show, candle cove. she said she was suprised i could remember that and i asked why, and she said “because i used to think it was so strange that you said ‘i’m gona go watch candle cove now mom’ and then you would tune the tv to static and juts watch dead air for 30 minutes. you had a big imagination with your little pirate show.”

CREDIT: Kris Straub

Source: This story is from Ichor Falls, an absolute must-read site if you dig creepy stories. Seriously, I’m so in love with that website, you all need to go there right this instant, dammit!

More classic Creepypasta stories can be found here:
The Russian Sleep Experiment
Squidward’s Suicide
Ben Drowned

Origin and Development

Unlike most Creepypastas that by their very natures evolved out of the contributions of numerous posters who over time sculpt and shape the narrative into its present form, adding, removing and altering details until a collective version of the story or character is formed, Candle Cove can be traced back to a single author, who initially presented the entire story as finished piece and later released the story commercially as part of a collection of short stories.

The author Kris Straub who is also an illustrator, originally posted the piece to Ichor Falls, a site for horror fiction on March 15th, 2009, he did not approve the later versions and adaptations of his work, but the fiction has mutated into new forms nevertheless

What is interesting about this particular story however is how ‘meta’ it becomes when you consider that the story was inspired by the creepypasta genre as a whole and that on its way to becoming a popular creepypasta itself, it successfully imitated the way that other creepypastas are formed. 

Wait, what? I’ll explain. 

Candle Cove is written in what is known as an ‘epistolary’ form. This basically means made up from correspondence between different characters, where the main plot is revealed or played out by the interactions between them. Back in the day this usually referred to letters between the characters or extracts from diary entries, think of a horror classic like Dracula, it isn’t written as  a third person narrative ‘and then he walked up the creepy old castle’ but is pieced together from letters, telegrams and diary entries, collections of ‘epistles’ therefore- epistlatory. 

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In a modern update, the epistlatory structure was adopted by Straub to create his story not as a linear story but as if it were an exchange between posters on the NetNostalgia Forum. 

Straub, writing all of the contributors framed the story as if several individuals were sharing their own memories of the fictional show and becoming more and more disturbed as they shared less and less child friendly details and reminded each other of  elements they had previously forgotten but were vaguely haunted by. 

Scholars have noted that the success of Canldecove can be linked to its verisimilitude. For those who don’t know, ‘verisimilitude’ essentially means ‘pretending very well’ or maintaining an appearance or voice.

 The fact that Straub is able to successfully convince an unwitting reader that this story is an interaction between different posters all with their own individual voices and characters rather than simply the construction of one man is an example of verisimilitude. It is this verisimilitude and desire to present the piece as if it was a real interaction that led to the story being spread and adopted as a creepypasta without Straub’s approval. 

As it was picked up and shared, the verisimilitude of the writing made it possible for readers to suspend their disbelief and to look at the piece as if it genuinely was a collection of posts on a forum. This then led to an evolution of the narrative as others began posting their own (clearly fictional) recollections of the show and the characters, adapting and extending the existing details. 

What is interesting is that as the story was then spread onto other forums where it adopted new and unapproved shapes but maintained the verisimilitude, being presented on numerous forums as if it were a real show.

The original story was posted to Creepypasta.com in June of 2009. Within a month it was possible to find youtube videos discussing the show and by the close of the year, 4chan and reddit as well as forums dedicated to horror and tv (such as TVforum.co.uk) featured discussion between posters about the fictional show with some contributors sharing their supposed memories. 

Examples of this unsanctioned evolution can be seen in the fact that there now exists a wiki for candle cove (created in 2011) that lists the episodes and describes the content of those episodes for the fictional show. There is even analysis of the novel ‘The Knickerbocker’s Tale’  a short story written in 1767 and upon which the series is supposedly based, which within the wikis is presented as if it actually existed and is the inspiration for a series that also did not exist.  

The strange ‘meta’ evolution of the story came full circle when Candle Cove was selected as one of the stories to be used in Syfy’s Channel Zero series, meaning that in the end the fictional show would be developed as part of an actual show, albeit one not aimed at youngsters. 

Straub has cited an article on the satirical humour site The Onion as being part of  the inspiration for Candle Cove. The article was about a man who still experienced nightmares about a show he watched on public access television as a child. Whilst he is protective of his copyright and ownership of the idea Straub has also acknowledged that the adoption of his work by others and it subsequent morphing and alteration is inevitable and has described the process as flattering, clarifying that this organic group ownership “serves the mythos way more than me being a litigious dick about it”.Well put sir, well put.

 

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Copyright Statement: Unless explicitly stated, all stories published on Creepypasta.com are the property of (and under copyright to) their respective authors, and may not be narrated or performed under any circumstance.

760 thoughts on “Candle Cove”

  1. This story is pretty good. It’s very competent, especially for a creepypasta; I commend the author for adding to the realism with deliberate misspellings and gramatical errors in some of the users’ posts, as well as relying more upon uncanniness and disturbing oddities than the all-too-common “hyper-realistic blood.”
    However, I do have one criticism: I would’ve liked a few more hints as to what the truth behind the show is. Not enough to answer all my questions, mind you, but enough that my mind will be teased into truly disturbing places. I think horror has a “sweet spot” between vagueness and answers that maximizes the creepiness, and I feel this story just barely fell short of it.

  2. Lol I thought that Candle Cove was real for the longest time, I even asked my mom if she remembered anything like it

  3. I don’t want to sound crazy but I do remember this show, I just remember that the text that appeared when the show started was Candle Cove but the “o” was a skull and cross bones.

  4. Judging by the descriptions, by watching Candy Cove, it would give me the same disturbed, uneasy feeling I got when I watched “Don’t hug me I’m scared”.

  5. I actually remember a show similar to this, with puppets and pirates. It was real though, not static, and it wasn’t candle cove. I don’t remember the name, but this story reminded me of the show. My famil remembers it too, though.

  6. I remember watching candle cove when I was younger though I was born in 2002 and my little sister 2004. We use to watch it together every night Monday though Friday at 8:30 pm in 2009 we use to laugh are heads off when ever they screamed those terrifying screams it was just so funny!

    1. Jessica Weston

      I remembered one similar as well, but then i remember it was most likely the TV show HR Puff N Stuff. Which was also just as disturbing.

    1. Yes, and you should be ashamed of it. Here is a explanation.
      The show is mystical, voodoo haunted, and only can be seen by kids and is very disturbing.
      Syfy turned this into a semi-good show, which I rate 7/10, would recommend. Ok, end of tangent and comment.

  7. candlecovelover2

    Oh my fucking god i heard of this creepypasta in a buzzfeed article with the link but i forgot to click it
    Now i remembered to check it out its awesome even better than i thought, i love the format they present it to us, sort of a text message social network group, i just love it!
    So f’ing creepy though!

  8. This is one of the best pastas really creepy for a lost episode type of story, whenever I think of creepypasta I personally think of this story and others like Ben drowned and the rake, and slender man.

  9. Wanna know something strange? Everytime I read about Candle Cove, I start crying. Kind of fun if you ask me.

  10. This story has so much hype that makes it seem like a great story. I even heard a rumor that they are planning on actually making a tv show based on Candle Cove. I finally read it and found it severely disappointing. It wasn’t frightening, disturbing, nd was predictable.

  11. My littel sister told me about this show this kids cartoon but after it got canceled people made judges about this show

  12. Okay so I asked my mom about this since it was such a believed pasta I wanted to have vocal evidence to convince my stupid friend it was just something made up by people and when I asked my mom about what she told me scarred me

    “Yes I do remember it it had some girl in it who was with pirates or some shit and this one creepy fucking puppet I dont remember his name I only watched it once or twice how do you know it was on when I was little and it got cancelled not long after”

    Well I didnt tell her about the pasta thing I just said a friend heard about it well I decided to leave it at that I know right now fucked up dreams or anything but I learned for reading pastas that you dont Fuck with things like that however I will take outside sources on anymore information its been months since then and now I kinda want to prove to myself that my mom was just fucking with me and knew and knew about the story

    1. All this is fake. you can buy a book with this story in it. The person who wrote the book happens to be a cartoonist who enjoys writing scary stories

  13. xXCrimsonHorrorXx

    Question, have you ever heard of always using a capital I? Seriously… even though this was a pretty good story that I enjoyed reading y’know what wrecked it? No capital I in ANY sentence. There is also something called re-reading your work and fixing some errors you might have made which you obviously didn’t. That’s what wrecks a really well done story, LOADS of grammatical errors, because when starting a sentence you use a capital letter for the first word. All that aside, you made a really awesome story, keep up the great work, polishing up this story and I would have loved it completely. I would love to read your future writing pieces :)

      1. xXCrimsonHorrorXx

        *Bangs forehead on table* Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry. I feel really bad right now, sorry again. But seriously, you REALLY need to keep writing more scary stuff like this, it’s AWESOME.

  14. LemonLimeLord`

    oh my shit i swear on my lifei remember i heard this show when i was like between like 5 and 7 even though it was made in teh 70s, i swear i heard of it before bu ti never actually watched it

  15. LemonLimeLord`

    that was really good, but i have been through worse to it wasnt that bad – but the idea of just a bunch of sceaming characters on a real tv show sounds creepy as shit

  16. That was pretty creepy I must say! I love it how these people that come up with these stories have such awesome imaginations!

  17. Dr. Arborit I think was the name of the episode. Low quality for a 70’s cartoon but hey, this was made in the Soviet era.

  18. The Next Alias:
    This reminds me of a Russian claymation I was told to watch for one of my Russian classes. Didn’t understand it, but at least there wasn’t any skin taker. There where pirates and a doctor of all things.

  19. Not_The_CreepyPasta_Again

    Uh……..wait……..WHAT

    I’m going to hide I’m my room with candles and torches and lamps all around me

    /)O.O(\
    /).O(\
    /).(\

  20. These so called stories I see on creepypasta sound interesting but I fond most can be debunked. I will see if I can find this episode and see if its true. I’m very skeptical of these things until I see them. If this turns out to be true I’ll believe it. Until then nice story.

  21. I’ve never been to creepypasta before, and I clicked ‘Random pasta’ which brought me to this story. I assumed it was an actual forum and when I got to the end…. I just… o.o

  22. What annoys me is how it seems so many people don’t get the story and have the nerve to criticize it when they don’t even get it. The point is it is clearly a sort of paranormal or demonic entity which enabled these children to witness this show. It was not an actual show being broadcast to them, but some sick show for the purpose of (what I believe) to collect kids for the skin taker. The thing that makes it truly creepy is the familiarity we can all attach to it with our own memories of vague childhood shows. The author is brilliant and played it perfectly. Not only do the characters slowly remember and learn about the truth, but we (audience) feel as though we can also connect in some way to this albeit maybe not in the exact detailed manner as the characters. Truly creepy and no stupid teenagers and their ignorance of what this story is can change that. All rational adults who enjoy scary fiction should be able to understand the story and that is why this is a brilliant work of art.

  23. This reminds me of something my parrents told me.
    It was before my earliest memories, they’d been out in the yard and my sister were somewhere else at the time. And during that time, I was watching tv. And I saw something that traumatized me so bad that I wouldn’t watch tv for several moths. Not movies or anything, nothing that had to do with the tv. No one’ll ever find out what it was that I saw, wich is kind of sad, because it would’ve been really interesting to know.

  24. OK in all seriousness I remember as a kid getting tapes of these. My uncle use to record shows and everything and he gave them to me to watch cause my mom and I didn’t have cable. I remember my mom telling me about the shower cause her and her brother brother use to watch the originals. A few years back when I was 16 I found a tote of all my old tapes and a few saying candle cove and when I put them in it was just like everyone says u see static. But I remember them all. I thought I was mad.

    1. I thought of flapjack too. It had some strange episodes and I remember the barber used to frighten me when I was younger.

  25. Best creepypasta I’ve read so far. Even Squidward’s suicide can’t match this. However, you must try harder with the scariness of the stories. Then again, I am a goddess of death, so nothing scares me.

  26. Browsing For Pastas

    I think this was one of those pastas that stuck to me for a while. I read another version of it, describing the crazed director of the show and the narrator (a journalist interviewing people who worked on Candle Cove) committing suicide in the end. It really messes with your mind and is worth a great read. Short length too, that’s how I like stories. :) :D

  27. My mom remembers this show. I went up to her and asked
    ” do u remember Candle Cove?”
    She said,” the one with the marionette pirates and the skin taker?”
    Then she just starts crying hysterically.

    I was born in 2000 and I feel like I remember it too.

  28. I. WANT. THIS. SHOW.
    Sure in the 80’s there were plenty of tv shows to give kids nightmares, but I. WANT. THIS. ONE.
    (Might have to reconsider my son watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates so I can enjoy this one)

  29. Ok I don’t know if I’m crazy or what but everything in this story is REAL. Back when I was around 3 or 4 maybe 5 years old I remember a show just like the one this story describe. Except a couple of things were different. I don’t remember much but the “Skin- Taker” was definately there but didn’t have that name I think.

  30. I couldn’t have been the only person who actually wanted this show to be real….I want to watch it. So much.

  31. The thing I think is the scariest is that there’s a link to watch the screaming episode. I also find it weird that this show sounds familiar to me especially since I was born 2001.

  32. I remember when I was little I would always watch Treehouse on TV, channel 56. Channel 57 and 58 were static channels, and I think 59 was history channel or something? Not just saying that because of the pasta, either. Just kind of strange. This was in the early 2000s and we had Shaw, I believe. I like this pasta, pretty creepy. Wish it was longer.

  33. that is officily the lamest creepypasta 2 questions what creepypasta is were they take away this old dudes sences to conect with god 2 what creppypasta is were there is this video and if you wath it you screm and gouge your eyes out plese repley

  34. Anonymous: But who was T.V.!!?

    Television, or TV for short, (from French télévision; from Ancient Greek τῆλε (tèle), meaning “far”, and Latin visio, meaning “sight”) is a telecommunication medium typically used in the 2000s for transmitting and receiving moving color images and sound. In the broader sense, TV can also refer to images that can be monochrome (black-and-white) or with or without accompanying sound. “Television” may also refer specifically to a television set, television program, or television transmission.

    Commercially available since the late 1920s (but in extremely limited amounts during those years), the TV set has since become commonplace in homes, businesses and institutions, particularly as a vehicle for advertising, a source of entertainment, and news. Since the 1950s, TV has been the main medium for molding public opinion.
    Since the mid-1960s, color TVs have been widely available. Since the 1970s, the availability of media such as video cassettes (mid-1970s), laserdiscs (1978), DVDs (1997) and high-definition Blu-ray Discs (2006) has enabled viewers to use the television set to watch recorded material, such as movies, as well as broadcast material. In recent years, Internet television has seen the rise of TV available via the Internet through services such as iPlayer and Hulu.

    In 2009, 78% of the world’s households owned at least one TV set, an increase of 5% over 2003.
    One major change in television technology was the replacement of the long-dominant CRT technology with various flat-panel TVs using LCD, plasma or LEDs. In 2013, 87 percent of TVs sold were color LCD screen TVs.Although other forms such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) are in use, the most common usage of the medium is for broadcast television, which was modeled on the existing radio broadcasting systems developed in the 1920s, and uses high-powered radio-frequency transmitters to broadcast the TV signal to individual TV receivers.

    The broadcast television system is typically disseminated via radio transmissions on designated channels in the 54–890 MHz frequency band.
    Signals are now often transmitted with stereo or surround sound in many countries. Until the 2000s, broadcast TV programs were generally transmitted as an analog television signal, but during the decade several countries went almost exclusively digital. In addition to over-the-air transmission, TV signals are also distributed by cable and satellite systems.

    A standard television set comprises multiple internal electronic circuits, including those for receiving and decoding broadcast signals. A visual display device which lacks a tuner is properly called a video monitor, rather than a television. A TV system may use different technical standards such as digital television (DTV) and high-definition television (HDTV). TV systems are also used for surveillance, industrial process control, and guiding of weapons, in places where direct observation is difficult or dangerous. Some studies have found a link between infancy exposure to TV and ADHD.

  35. It was a little confusing at times, and i do remember a lot of shows making references to Candle Cove, even though i was born in 2000 (excuse the name, i only use it because the first pasta i commented on was the pitfall one). ;P

  36. DragonFirestone

    Not even trolling when I say that I swear I remember that show! I was born WAY after the 60s or 70s, but I still think that it sounds vaguely familiar… OMG is anyone making the connection between Candle Jack and Candle Cove!?!? Like, what if Candle Jack is the skin taker, and that’s why he kidnaps people!? HE WILL TAKE OUR SKIN IF WE SAY CANDLE JA-

  37. What the Heck I looked up lots o’ stuff about the show and I can’t find squat. The show is real I’ve seen it, so tell me why can’t I find squat about it

  38. This story freaked me out, mainly because my mom told me that when I was little, I would watch TV static for no reason at all. So there’s that.

    One of my favorites, very well written.

  39. This was one of the first pastas I ever read on here, and after reading it a second time about a year later, IT STILL CREEPS ME OUT.

  40. Love Left Bleeding

    OMIGOD I’m freaking out right now because I feel like I’ve seen this. At first I thought they were talking about an actual show cuz I was like “oh yeah I think I remember that”
    Man this is freakin’ scary. It’s not scary if you don’t let it soak in. But the more you think about it, the more scary it is! At first I was like “(oh good) that wasn’t too bad” but then I was thinking “oh god…oh god…OH GOD!” I’m just trying not to think about it.
    Fantasticly creepy, congratulations author, I will now have freaky nightmares all night!

  41. I looked up Candle Cove and it was a real show. There really was a screaming episode. Even thought must of the show is static, people say they see stuff in it. I watched it and saw nothing but static.

  42. This is like disney compared with the twisted legacy of the Moomins. I wish Id just read about them like candle cove and they weren’t seared into my memories. Great work x

  43. It’s weird how nobody is talking about the pasta. This is a really mind-bending pasta, and people should pay attention to it, because I loved it!

  44. Ever since the dawn of man children have always feared unknown Bogeymen or perceived things which seem like pure imagination to rational adults. There are things out there that live in the naivety of the minds of children. To be an adult is to dismiss them as impossible so they target those who are susceptible. Candle cove is only a fraction of the influence they have had, and trust me it’s the least worrisome. The skin taker was only one manifestation of fear instilled in children. Once something lives in your mind, it lives forever. Do not go down the rabbit hole, you won’t like what you find.

  45. As I thought, it was a success! It seems I AM able to induce my madness on the mortal conscience from R’lyeh! Candle Cove was only the beginning, I have many influences which have added to the madness of mankind! Who do you think is responsible for Jersey Shore?! Or Honey Boo-Boo! Bow down, mortals, for my madness is ever-present! Ia! Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!

  46. For some reason this story just doesn’t scare me or even creep me out at all.

    Since it seems to make everyone else shiver I’m wondering if maybe I’m just not understanding it. Could someone explain it to me, please?

    Thank-you!

    1. In short: a lot of people used to watch a somehow creepy show that actually never existed, the TV was only broadcasting static at the time in which they watched Candle Cove (still, they all remember it).

  47. did anyone else notice he used the name kevin hart…. i wonder what kevin hart has to say about this…

    Pineapples. its too much.

  48. Alright, y’all probably won’t believe me when I say this, but I am being as honest and serious as possible:
    I was born in the 90’s, so no, I never saw this show on actual television. But my dad remembers watching it. He remembers every episode, and says his favorite one was titled… Christmas in Candle Cove, I think. When he first brought it up, he said he had never seen a creepier kid’s show, but he couldn’t stop watching. Like it was hypnotic or something. He told me that after the show was cancelled, he did everything in his power to find tapes of it, or find some kind of recording of it, which (and this is where it gets creepy) he actually managed to do. He told me he had gotten his hands on a full VHS set of the first season of Candle Cove sometime in the 80’s, and he had kept them at his grandmother’s house ever since. Well, good ol’ great-grandma passed away, and while cleaning out her attic, guess what he stumbled across? The Candle Cove VHS tapes! Hooray for him, right? Well, (and like I said, freaking CREEPY) me and him sat down one day to try and watch them, cuz we’re both highly into creepy, freaky shows. Thing is, he put in the first VHS, and it was about 27 minutes of static, then a brief cut to what looked like a little girl talking to an audience, then it cut off. Well, we just played it off as a bad tape. But the second one was the exact same. Nothing but static, then it cut off after another 25 minutes or so. Every tape we put in was like this. What I thought was weird was when he said, ‘That’s funny. These things used to play perfectly, I watched them everyday for almost a month.’
    Now, I’m not to sure about how VHS works exactly, so if anyone can verify whether the static is linked to a damaged tape or not please do, but when I read the end of this and noticed the mother’s comment about static, I immediately got a chill down my spine.

  49. I could go on and on raving about this amazing pasta. I wish this was true. The descriptions of episodes are so realistic. This will be shared and is just as good as or better than any scary story in any book.

  50. I reallyyyy want to know if this shit is real or not. It’s been bugging the hell outta me ever since I first heard of it.

  51. After the Scary Car Commercial, Smile Dog, Normal Porn for Normal People, The Grifter video, Squidward’s Suicide video, The Russian Sleep Experiment et al, why is this the only pasta in any shape or form that really disturbed me?

    Congratulations, my friend :'(.

  52. The ending was kind of chilling, but reading about it is not enough! I need someone to make vids about it (the stupid screaming one doesn’t count).

  53. I was five the last time I saw this show I don’t remember it, but my aunt said I would watch it all time when I came over to their house and that was in 2003, she asked me if I remembered one day and I didn’t, a few weeks ago I got this app for my phone with a bunch of freaky stories and true events on it and I came across a couple stories about candle cove. I described the show to my aunt and she said it was exactly the same show, when I told it was shut down thirty years earlier because of the directors death she couldn’t belief it and I started wondering why the heck it was on tv ten years ago, and I cant find any listings for it?

  54. you guys are really dumb. it means that the tv show, candle cove never exsisted. the handful of kids were seeing something paranormal, because everyone else saw static on the tv. the white noise was what was supposed to be the candle cove show

  55. I… remember this!
    Mom told me she was a weird kid, and watched static. She
    Talked about how she called it candle cove. “I
    Really loved it!” she told me.
    Oh my god, its true. For the
    Love of god, I hoped she was making crap up after she described it…
    Like the skin stealer? Scared me so bad!
    I was also really scared of percy after she showed me a picture. I
    Never wanted to watch it, really, but curiousity got the best of me.
    Gosh, I think I peed myself when mom showed me those old tapes of it.
    Yeah, I don’t think I even got past episode one, scared me too much.
    Oh gosh, I had so many nightmares! It was of percy and the skin taker.
    Ugh, never again.

  56. Hey guys! This is my favorite pasta :) I love it to prices and I’ve been watching candle cove all day:) Oh and for anyone who’s seen the username Angel around creepypasta (the one who’s a paranormal researcher) that’s me I jut added a heart to my name<3

  57. GOD DANGIT THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME NOT WANT TO GO ON THE COUCH WITH MY CHIPS AND SODA AND WATCH TV FOR HOURS! NOW I ACTULLY WANT TO GO OUTSIDE!

  58. Awesome sauce with some awesome bread. ‘-‘ anybody like? *DERP FACE* “oh sonny you had a wild imagination with yer pirate show yohoho! Argh I’m gonna grind yer skin now! Granny? It’s not Granny it’s me the skin taker -.- I’m new here and I’m random. So who’s gonna see equestria girls movie on June 16th? MLP BRONY? MONSTER HIGH? EITHER?

  59. I watched all Candle Cove videos on YouTube and really freaked me out at all even though I do not understand what was going on with Janice the girl, the skin-taker (the one with a bony thing) and a toy which was I really didn’t get the picture of it. So creepy!

  60. Angelwithashotgun

    Doesn’t Candle Cove sounds a little familliar with The Misadventure Of Flapjack?Or is it the other way round?Oo” I mean think about it..best friends with pirates?Pirate has a wooden body?Seems almost exact?Anyone notice?

  61. At first I was expecting this to end with some tragic accident that happened to all of the people that watched “Candle Cove”. As I read on, I though it was just going to be about the show getting creepier and creepier. I was really surprised by the ending! Great pasta.

  62. It may just be the quality of the writing, or it may be strange stuff I saw when I was real young, but I remember shows with similar elements to this. Not Candle Cove specifically, and not shows that adults saw as only static, but weird and wrong pirate puppet TV shows…

  63. JohnSparrowcrust

    Very intriguing. But it ends just as it starts to become really interesting. Would have liked more. But I guess that’s the point, leave the reader hungry.

    Well done. :)

  64. This was very interesting. I’m sure the show isn’t real, though. If it were I’m glad it was on back then and you could only see it in Ohio.

  65. Oh my gosh guys! It’s a story, it’s not meant to be real! Fiction? Ever heard of it? If you think there is any reason why it would be real, no. It’s not real.

  66. I really remember this show. My mother does as well. She remembers me sitting In front of the tv while she did dishes. She saw static

  67. OMG. People actually watched shows like that back then. I’m serious. My mom told all about that stuff. They were weird people. And Walt Disney? He was a cocaine addict. And a sex-addict. And so many other creepy addictions. Snow White and the seven dwarves? If you actually LOOK at their names, those are the seven symptoms of cocaine. He was a sick man. But people actually watched such like that in the seventies and sixties. If you don’t believe me, ask your grandparents.

  68. First off Candle Cove wasnt as weird as it is made out to be. The skin taker’s cape looked more like a quilt than human skin sewn together. Although there were some dark scenes, it was generally an upbeat happy show.

  69. OMG AFTER I READ THIS I SEARCHED “Tv show Candle Cove” and a suggestion was “Candle cove tv on YouTube” IT’S REAL OMG WTF

  70. This isn’t a fiction, it was a forum from another website.
    And it’s quite freaky if you look into it. The reason so little people know of it was because it was a locals how that only like aired in one state

  71. Loved the story. But you, people, have surprised me. So you really prefer to think that numerous children were having visions/hallucinations of the very same show? mike_painter65’s mother is in a nursing home and we don’t know her diagnosis and story (we cannot rule out possible mental illnesses she has) and maybe she was the only one who was seeing static while everyone else was peacefully watching the show. Although, judging by the comments I read here, common sense seems to be too much to ask.

  72. oh and at 0.37 of the video/episode some weird thing shows with big teeth and hat and mask and something like a pig face

  73. i just watched that episode of Candle cove i swear, it was just screaming skeleton thingy some weird long armed guy and small girl crying and screaming then screen went black and white and weird lines showed like someone was blinking then it went off

  74. I don’t mean to be one of ~those~ commenters, but the entire time I was reading this pasta, I was positive that I was familiar with this show, like, maybe it was on YouTube and related the Courage the Cowardly Dog or something.

  75. I was really hooked when it looked like a conversation in a thread, it seemed real. The ending creeped me out. So meaning, Candle Cove wasn’t really a TV show from the start. Well children can see more things than adults.

  76. The name candle cove sounds very familiar….when I first read this, a memory just flashed into my mind. It’s a pirate, but it didn’t have skin. Just bones. And what’s weird is that the bones were coloured gray. He had a bandana, which was coloured greenish blue. He had red eyes, big brown boots and he wielded a weapon, which I think is called a scimitar.

    I’m not lying, I swear! Candle cove DOES sound familiar. I think I had a dream about him, the pirate I was talking about earlier. I woke up in the desert, and I saw a figure from afar which seemed to be wielding a weapon. And then suddenly, my body started moving towards the figure. Like in most of my dreams, my body sometimes moves on its own and I can’t control it. As I got closer, I managed to get a clear look on him. From his right hand, was a scimitar and from the left hand…was my decapitated head. The pirate let out a blood-chilling scream and that’s when I woke up..

  77. Alexendra Olafson

    Why do I actually remember watching this show? I’m only 17 and I vaguely remember parts of a show like this…

  78. I love this creepy pasta, so much nystery makes you want to research into the show yourself. Thats the element here I love. I like the idea of the show being real. For a continuation. A great spinoff of the original Candle Cove could be that the first season was made, the puppets in the show had some sort of paranormal force that made the writer make the show, then slowly go insane and turn the show extremely dark causing it to get canceled and the actors going into hiding for mysterious reasons. Then the original can kick off after that having people recal a second season that never existed. Instead only static…

  79. The idea is awesome. Unfortunately subsequent sequels (where the show and the way it was made is explained) fucking destroys it. I love the idea of a weird tv show that only kids can see, but when they explain that it’s actually a real show made by some mad man in the sequel… fuck that shit.

  80. Its a pretty fucking good story. the part where those characters screamed the hole time creeped me out, and that girl crying the hole time made me think of “yui”. and that part also made me think: why would they send this out on tv? then i read the end and i got my answer…

  81. The genius of this story, as I’m sure has been pointed out somewhere in the nearly 500 comments, is that even after nearly 500 comments there is still no good consensus on the nature of the show. It’s creepy without being forced, and vaguely threatening without drawing a drop of blood or lost sanity. Masterfully executed “somewhat unsettling” beats clumsy “and then everyone went insane and ripped their own eyeballs out” every single time.

    This story and Paranoia are my two favorites. They accomplish the same thing, despite being nearly polar opposites of each other in terms of content. They tell you everything you need to know to come to a conclusion, but they don’t draw the conclusion for you. They make you think – and whatever you decide is happening, it’s creepy.

  82. When i read the ending to this i dont think mass hysteria, but some kind of static mind controlling frequency. Im sure the writer wasn’t goin in that direction but thats where my mind takes it.

  83. I vaguely remember my mother once mentioning this show to me, back when I was a young lad. Strange, although I wasn’t around in the seventies, she was about 10 years old, then.

  84. Wow, that was creepy. I had to think a bit but when I got it, I freaked. And the weird thing is, everytime I read ‘Candle Cove’ in the story I could remember me sitting infront of my Granma’s TV when I was younger laughing at the static on it. . .

  85. This is probably one of my favorite pastas, just because its a classic, and something about that mix of childhood memories and modern child-friendly-entertainment-turned-bad is creepy for me.

  86. OH MY DEAR JESUS GOD ALMIGHTY HEFFER SATAN!
    That was absolutely terrifying!

    I googled it and the stories from like, 500 people came up, and they all ended the same way!

  87. We all can agree that this story deserves more than an 8
    It’s weird, i’m so used to hackneyed and overused punchlines/"aha!" moments.
    But with the format it’s written in and the progression of the story, i seriously thought that this pasta was a cuisine among gods.
    The punchline and overall idea of it truly chilled me to the bone and had me shivering in my slippers at the very end. Imagination, seems to be a recurring theme in this story, truly took over and i was given the horrible images that these people described. This deserves 10/10 from me.

  88. This is the first pasta that I read, and it’s awesome. Honestly, almost everything else that I’ve read has been a major letdown after this.

  89. …wow. That was amazing! The end really scared me, that they all would stare at static. Amazing pasta! It really got me going. It started slow though…. But the screaming got the story going. A little scary a little late. But with these flaws, it makes up in it in everything else. 10/10 dude! Good Job!!!!!

  90. Yum.. That was some good pasta. I loved it and there should be more like this, though the ending was a bit of a let down… It was still delicious :T Yummy.

  91. Honestly, for me, the Pastas that scare me the most are realistic ones that has the unexpected, creepy endings. Like this. This was perfectly written for me, I sat there with tingle running through me because I was scared to move… Amazing! :D

  92. my god… the best pasta i have read so far (im new…) for some reason when i read a rly creepy pasta my head starts to hurt o_O, is that some kind of side effect or am i crazy?

  93. oh my god.
    oh my god.
    oh my god.
    oh my f*cking god.
    im 15.
    when i heard of this i HAD to check it out but when i watched it on youtube it was all static…
    i never read the end of this creepypasta but when i seen it in popular i knew i had to check it out again.
    is this why i couldnt see it?

  94. Sorry, I forgot to mention I actually submitted this storyline to the creepypasta creator (Kris) and even included him as a "character". Alas, I never got a reply from him.

  95. Is it freaking I can remember this? Like it’s real? I know it’s not but I swear I can remeber the teeth of the skin taker and the boat and Horace! I told my friend about this last night and she could remember it too! We got goosebumps and talked about it, finnished eachothers sentaces. It was crazy!

  96. gabriel buttsecs

    sooo…wait what?
    the TV static was sending transmitions through to the little children of this horrifying puppet show?
    if im wrong please explain.

  97. I hate Candle Cove. I don’t find it scary like everyone else does. I wasted my time reading all the stories tagged thinking that there might be something more to it. Nice concept but there is no reason to elaborate.

  98. I really love the concept of a dark kids show that still haunts it’s viewers even today, but everything i have read about it ranges from a maniacal director of an actual show (with interviews of people who used to work on the show to prove its existence) to something that could only be seen by children when watching dead static on TV.

    That really kills the “this-happend-for-real” factor for me, which is needed to keep an urban legend alive.

  99. SpookyPastaFan: Amber

    The love the whole “old spooky show” part about this story. Very nicely written too. I have to say that the name “Pirate Percy” sounds awefully familiar, is it the name of a pirate on the kids show The Wiggles or something.

  100. Okay, holy shit, this is awesome. I’ve read this story about 5 times now. It’s epic. I truly got a chill reading the last bit. Especially since there was no responses after it. Jesus. I can legitimately say I watch tv a little less now.

  101. I talked to my art teacher who doesn’t know how to use a computer….she used to watch the show and i KNOW shes not lying….

  102. It’s wierd. I read it and thought it was very well written.
    Then as soon as I got up to go downstairs, I got so paranoid and scared. That screaming bit is creepy as fuck…

  103. I’m gonna take a swing at writing a few short stories about this pasta. This pasta has an amazing twist.
    9.5/10
    The only reason I’m not giving 10/10 is because its not so much creepy as really really well written.

  104. candle cove sounds very familiar to me even though i wasn’t born in ’70 and US.. i wonder since when i got all of this deja vu?

  105. Okay, so I went and searched up some of the “original” candle cove episodes, and when got to the screaming episode, and watched it for the first time, i was the most disturbed i had ever been. (Shaking, sweating, and paranoid, the whole macaroon) But when I pulled it up a second time to show my friend, all i got was static. Jesus God it scared me. Could somebody PLEASE explain what happened?? :( Am I the only one who has experienced this? :T it’s freaking me out, man!

    1. … not quite, but MY friend showed ME, and i saw static as he looked like he was actually WATCHING something on screen…

  106. Wow, amazing! There is nothing better than TRUE ghost stories. I have a website full of true ghost stories from around America. Even books on how to ghost hunt. CreepyScaryStories.Com

  107. The reason Candle Cove seems so familiar to a lot of people of a certain age is a memory trick. It sounds familiar because of a popular children’s show of the time called Romper Room.

    Candle Cove
    Romper Room

    Same number of syllables and the alliteration of the letters C and R.

    Still some good creepypasta, though.

  108. For me I think it’s not about children mass delusion about the existence of the show. It’s about the huanted show that can only be seen by children

    creepy isn’t it?

  109. Brilliant. Had me reasearching about it and everything! Chilled me to the spine,absoulutelt amazing! My fabvourite creeoy lasta by far!

  110. Reminds me of an SCP I read recently. Forget which one, but I like the way this one was pulled off a lot better. Anyway, thanks for the pasta. Made a great late night snack.

  111. I loved this!!. Absolutely wonderful. My nephew just introduced me to this site a few months ago, I am in love. So sorry for being so late with the comment, I just genuinely enjoyed your pasta.

  112. Good… very, very good.

    This was very creepy.

    Do you like Phil Collins? I’ve been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn’t understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins’ presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group’s undisputed masterpiece. It’s an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Christy, take off your robe. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. Sabrina, remove your dress. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Sabrina, why don’t you, uh, dance a little. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I’ve heard in rock. Christy, get down on your knees so Sabrina can see your asshole. Phil Collins’ solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. Sabrina, don’t just stare at it, eat it. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist. This is Sussudio, a great, great song, a personal favorite

  113. I find this really creepy, because…..
    well I remember this show… I remember watching it when I was really little.
    But the thing is, I was born in 1996……

  114. fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

  115. Oh my cheese and crackers, I remember this show! I would sneak upstairs when I lived with my grandmother and watch it on her old TV. She used to get mad when I did but I didn’t pay any mind. I used to love it, I would sometimes try to make my younger brother watch it with me but he would start crying and screaming and run away…I never watched that last episode but I used to have nightmares like that. What I do not understand though is that I was born in 98, so how did I watch it?

  116. I’m so sorry guys, but
    y̨̧̟̤̦̤̳͆̋͆̽ͤő̧̦̬̏̎ͦ͌ͫ͂͑̈u̷̖̜͙̘̖̐ͩ̀̚ ̶̤̱̳͆̿͛̒͛̌h̯̫̰̠̦͖̦̱̄̆̔ͩ̊̍͑a̵̧͇̬͉̹̣̮ͪ̌̑ͮͮ͌̽v̫̟̒͛ͭ̔́͒ͫ͒̕e̛͚͎͎̯̎́̆͐̊ͣ̃͘ ͔̤ͣ̏t̜̏̅ͅo͍ͥ̎̕ ̗̩̻̟͙̗ͮͥ́ͭ̄̆̄̕͡g̴̨̻̱̍ͬ̒̿͐̒̀ơ̢̖̠͕̠̻͍̘̼͗͠ ̹̫͙̹̞̫͉́̃͗̂͒̍͛i̷̲͎͉͎̰ͪ̊n̫̥̬̺̹̋ͯͮ̇͟͡s̲̹̬͇̮͊́͠ī̧̡͍̬̲̺̝̳̬͓͛̒̽̊͊͡ḏ̷̨͕̼̙̼̟̝̅̾͘ėͭ͏̪͙̠͝/
    now you’re all doomed

  117. This gave me chills, it was so good.

    For those who don’t understand, do you remember watching “The Big Comfy Couch” that 90’s kids used to watch? What if we all were really just watching static, and Molly was just a fragment of our imaginations? O_O

  118. This story is so good! It’s so creepy and the ending really ties it up. What really scared me is where this took place… I live in Franklin Furnace, like 10 minutes away from Ironton.

  119. This is flawless. Wonderfully written (even the little typos here and there add to the style making it feel even more real), excellent pace and the ending is creepy as hell.

    Good job!

  120. The show isn’t real, it never existed and people saying that it did are lying, the creator of this FICTIONAL STORY is Kris Straub.

  121. I’m trying to figure out how all the kids remembered a show that was supposedly made out of imagination. Like, I wonder if it was something only kids could see. or something paranormal that only THOSE select ones could see..or.. whut. but very great pasta(:

  122. Marie Antionette

    I really liked this one! It wasn’t scary but I like how it’s written, and how some parts remind me of other kid shows for some reason lolz.

  123. Makes you think

    This is a delicious pasta. It was perfect, and even had a twist at the end… 9/10 for you sir or ma’am.

  124. Honestly, this terrified me. I now want to know if this was a worldwide thing, like children all over the world watching this ‘show’ at that time.

  125. I had wa n experience similar to this. But mine was about a show with these little creatures that lived underground and sang and it kinda creeped me out. But later when I askey mom abouut it she looked at me and said “You’re remembering Fraggle Rock”..-_-…..

  126. This was one of the first creepypastas I had heard, as my initial creepypastas were narrations from theLittlefears. Still easily one of my favorites, and a great and unnerving story

  127. Wow. Scrumtious (is that spelled right? XD) pasta. I actually thought that this was a real forum and I was about to look up Candle Cove on YouTube XD Blonde Moment

  128. oh ma gawd you know what?!
    i watched that serise on youtube when a friend told me (because i like scary stuff) her mum used to watch it. AND THAT F*CKING EPISODE OH MY GOD! after that i never EVER IM MY LIFE
    watched it ever again and since then i look up programs like that before watching them.
    scared of pirates ever since

  129. Yep, it was me in the video. Funny how people keep commenting “pause at 0:37” and “0:38.” I’m in neither of those. I’m right in between.

    In all actuality, this is one of the few creepypastas where I do NOT enjoy people playing along. Don’t know why, it’s just annoying with all the people saying “I only see static” on the final episode video, or the opposite, “I like the part at ” on the fourth episode video.

    One person even went so far as to go past the video’s end!

    *watches video that’s a minute long*
    I liked the part at 4:20.

  130. Yeah the fact it was rerun in the 90s is interesting. My kid watched it on our Analog noncable 3-network BnW TV.

  131. candlecove.wikia.com/wiki/Candle_Cove_(Program)

    this show existed!
    i’v never watched, and now I know what types of episodes to avoid.

  132. I didn’t realise! I walked into this page not knowing what was going on. I immediately noticed two things: pictures and what looked like responses to the pictures. I then started reading the “comments” and quickly realized that they weren’t. But I read them anyway, swiftly forgetting the pictures. I didn’t realise until the very end, though, that I was reading a story. For a first pasta, this wasn’t a bad choice.

  133. For those of you who say it stinks just keep in mind that if you google this well not spscifically this but once i was looking for the name of a book ibwas goinh to read forva project an i found this exact thread on some website i read this eithbthe creepiest sense of dejavu

  134. NO FUCKING WAY. My dad told me about this while we were sitting at a campfire when he was alive, 12 years ago. He only told me about the screaming/flailing scene but he didn’t remember any names or anything. IM SCARED AS FUCK RIGHT NOW HOLY FUCKING SHIT!WEJKDQ#R@T#R#*Urew4’/f

  135. How can candle cove be a children’s show when its creepy?

    and on youtube I don’t know what the heck is going on in the show
    really after or before you saw the episode it has a white picture and it goes beep I don’t know what the heck is going on seriously.

  136. Andrea, the thing is that the video is only a crappy static show…
    But for unknown reasons, some people says that they see other things… like puppets and stuff.

    Just a few.
    Crearly, disturbed people.

  137. Andrea, the things is that the video is only a crappy static show… but there’s some people who see other things in the video, but there are just a few.

    Clearly, disturbed people.

  138. Andrea, All these people specifically remember a show, in visual and in subconsious. They all believed they had been watching some show. but in actual fact, they were all watching static, and yet share the same memory. They all remember the show, and yet, turns out, the show never existed. Is this good enough?

  139. Can someone explain to me the story? I read it but i dont fully understand why is scary. They are talking just about a show but at the end one of them mentions static, but i dont understand :S. Is it saying that the entire show was pure static? but the video that there ir about this show is with normal images.
    please explain me!

  140. Ok, so I read this but I dont really understand :S. What the scary part? sure, the show was bizarre but i dont understand the end. I mena, whats got to do the static with the show? Is it saying that all kids saw static thinking it was the show ? :S.

    Please someone explain to me.

  141. There’s shit that’s scary because it represents clear danger to your wellbeing, like a huge bear or something. And then there’s shit that’s scary because it threatens to redefine what constitutes “danger”.

    Man, I can just see that uncanny stop motion crap now. This story comes alive for anyone who grew up with those nightmarish puppet or claymation shows, when your child’s imagination was still not enough to let you pretend that the stop motion had anything to do with how normal people move.

    Format is great, concept is great. Only stumble is the ending, which was a bit too much of a traditional “and then IT WASN’T THERE. Oooooh” campfire scare for such an unusual and outstanding story.

  142. I just had to comment.

    I didn’t know anything about CreepyPasta or any of these sites until today. I think not knowing that this was meant to be “creepy” had a huge affect on how I saw this. A lot of you were saying “I don’t get how this could have been creepy”. So I wanted to point out a few things that helped give me chills.

    1: I did not know it was from some site writing creepy stories.
    2: When I started reading it the posts looked like a real conversation. A normal reminiscence of an old show. People do that online all the time. Plus there is no “real” ending because it is just an online conversation! Online conversations end suddenly all the time. And because of that it gives this more realism.
    3: Candle Cove sounds insanely familiar to me. And I have heard other people who read it say that the name “Candle Cove” sounds strangely familiar to them too. (Did they get the name from something else?)
    4: For my generation a lot of things from the “70s” have been forgotten. A lot of things that were great entertainment back then is not even mentioned anymore. It offers the reasoning that because it was in the “70s” that it makes sense that you don’t know it or adds to why it “sounds familiar” but you can’t remember where you heard it from. My parents may have seen it a long time ago and I may even have happened upon it when I was younger without realizing it.

    Form a person that loves a good scare but rarely gets creeped out by anything anymore I thank you for giving me chills. :3

  143. This is one of those creepy pastas where you\’ll either think it\’s lame or you\’ll be freaked out. The fear doesn\’t apply to everyone because not everyone has the same fear!

  144. Fantastic pasta. I saw the episode before reading this,thanks to a friend who’s active on here. Creepy as hell. I think I’m going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.

  145. ohmygodohmygodohmygod
    creepy pasta is creepy
    feels like mealworm pasta with quality goresauce poured down my back
    hair is standing. it’s 3.21am. I’m not going to sleep.

  146. LOVED IT.

    Its great to tap into those vaugue childhood memories and just twisting them into something truely creepy.

    Wish I could write stories this awesome.

  147. I told my mom a few days ago about Candle Cove. She’s not at ALL an internet person, and she grew up around the time the show was supposed to be on. Though I told her right away it was a creepy story and not a real show, when I had mentioned Horace Horrible to her, she suddenly got this serious look on her face and said “What did he look like?” I said it was just a puppet with a giant handlebar mustache, tall narrow smile, and a monocle. She looked at me again and said “Are you SURE this wasn’t a real show?” I kinda got spooked, and thought she was kidding but said, “yeah, why?” She then told me something that gave me chills. She looked right at me and said “I remember Horace Horrible…”

  148. I grew up in Phoenix in the 80’s, and I swear I remember a show like that. The name sounded familiar when I read the title. I remember Pirate Percy, though I don’t recall it being the boat that said that. I thought it was his parrot, and I remember the camera zooming in and out at that point in the show. I don’t remember the skintaker, but Horace I remember… :shudder: creepiest damn puppet I’ve ever seen. I always found an excuse to go get a snack or something when he came on.

  149. OMGWTFBBQ!11!! This was good! Totally made my flesh crawl. I don’t know if I should thank you for posting this or be pissed at you for ruining the peaceful sleep I was planning on having tonight. Lol! Win. So much win. : D

  150. Ok, this is fucked up. The name Candle Cove sounds familiar D:

    …I swear to god, if my mind is making me remember the store Treasure Cove in order to creep me out, I am going to kill someone

  151. I really liked this creepypasta. It wasn’t super scary, but the way it was written was awesome. I also very approve of the ending. Mass hallucination is a very interesting twist.

  152. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

  153. I have quite a good imagination… Any creepy pasta freaks me the FUCK out because I imagine it so well. This one is no exception… I can just see Laughingstock’s close up and the screaming episode so vividly on my televi… OH SHI-

  154. The Murderlady

    @ YumYumVagoo: The voice of Ed Wynn is probably familiar if you have seen Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Ed Wynn did the voice of the Mad Hatter.

    1. Actually, I live in Freakazoid. I would rather be in a TV show than a "demonic" puppet show that’s only visible to children.

  155. Really liked that one, actually had a very nice twist. And most of all the show itself DOES sound like something you’d really expect to exist back then.

  156. I want to make a story of this. I mean full length novel. I have researched about this and i have alot of info on it. i just need more. tell me what you know about it on my email at [email protected].

  157. So, what’s the creepy part? His mom’s going senile in the nursing home? While the thought of gradually losing your mind, separated from your friends and family and reading through the obituaries every day to watch for names you recognize even as your ability to know them diminishes is heartbreaking, it isn’t exactly creepy.

  158. Got a wrong number phonecall right in the middle of reading this, answered and it was just someones kids in the background. ALMOST SHAT MYSELF OH GOD.

  159. Great story, the show sounds really scary and the story is good even without the ending, which I think could have been done better, great story though.

  160. Fantastic story, and, even though I’m only 16, I’m convinced I’ve seen something along these lines. I had no idea who Ed Wynn was until I read this, banged the name in on YouTube, I’ve never seen the man before, but the voice is hauntingly familiar and I can really picture that ship clearly. I’ve got a feeling if I DID see this show (big if, seeing as 1, it doesn’t exist, and 2, I’m from the wrong country and the wrong age to have seen it even if it did) then it was at my childminder’s when I would have been aged around 3 or 4.

  161. A few minutes after I read this, I was watching TV and flipped to a static channel and almost screamed. LOL. Creepy shit.

  162. @Alter: No, dude, that was an actual episode. It was the series finale, but they did end up eating the kid’s uncle or something.

    (My mother doesn’t remember the episodes at all, just the series in general. My big sister used to watch it, though. They had to eat Roy. She remembered!)

  163. Two Words… Holy Shit. This freaked me out!!! I have know fucking idea why, because I’m only 16, but seriously, I can perfectly imagine this! Creepiest pasta ever!!!

  164. WHY IS THIS SCARY?! D:
    This isn’t scary to meee… But that’s probably because, when I was younger, I didn’t watch any low-budget puppetry crap. My mom was like, purebreeding me on Blue’s Clues and Bear in the Big Blue House. Closest thing to puppets was some sort of hand show. ._.
    I can easily imagine the characters, and the storyline, but I feel no sense of nostalgia whatsoever. When I think of the characters screaming, and the camera cutting to their faces, when I’m lying in bed with my dog at night and it’s dark, THEN it’s scary… But other than that, this was awesome. 10/10

  165. I can just imagine it… all the characters and the screaming… god, if I saw that, on tv or on the internet, I wouldn’t watch/get on for a long time. these kinds of thing scare the shit out of me.

  166. This is disturbing as shit. Same here, I seem to remember a second run of this show around ’97, either the author’s an absolute genius with making things seem all too familiar, or I may have actually seen it. I was harder to scare then most kids at that age (I was about 7 or 8 or so) but I seem to recall it creeped me the hell out anyway. But either way, absolutely excellent, eerily realistic pasta. 11/10

  167. Well done! That’s a great, really really imaginative form! Now I must go attempt this style of writing/storytelling…

  168. Meh. Wasn’t that bad, but wasn’t that scary or creepy either.

    Never used this site before, but I’m hoping there’s some others as good as this or better.

  169. I’m pretty sure i saw this somewhere…
    And i’m only sixteen.

    And this was like three or four years ago.

    I remember something like the skeleton and the little girl.

    I don’t know man, this whole thing is fucked up.

  170. Woah. Hella creepy.
    I have to admit, I at first imagined Percy to be fucked-up-puppet Captain K’nuckles (from Flapjack) but… damn.

    The ending freaked me out.

    Especially since, according to my mom, when I was really little I used to watch static. Can’t have been this, unless it had a second run somewhere around ’97 (when I was 3).

    It would account for some of my weirder dreams though…

  171. wtf… I remember this… I watched it with my brother. I remember that girl, ant the pirate. I loved candle cove.

  172. what i dont understand is how cood the kids only see it but the parents only saw static i mean its like the goverment is trying to do something its so scary for ex: one person all they saw was static but another saws they saw the girl its just a LOAD OF BULLSHIT TRYING TO SCREW WITH OUR FUKIN MINDS!

  173. the videos on youtube seem kinda like the description of the show but not close enough to it to be really that show, but the description of the show seems so real…

  174. WHAT THE HELL THIS IS THE CRAYIEST SHIT I HAVE EVER SEEN I DONT GET THIS THO WHY WOOD THEY TV NETWORK WANT TO SCARE KIDS!

  175. Absolutely brilliant…. But what scares me even more than the story is the fact that most people here, myself included, seem to remember something along the lines of that… Definitely sent a shiver down my spine.

  176. When i was in preschool the teachers would get mad at me because i would stay awake at nap time. I kept all the other kids up talking so the teachers locked me in a small white room with a staircase. I kept playing with my toys on the railing of the staircase so they took me to a new room with a small tv. On the TV was the show candle cove. I remember the intro. I also remember the little girl going into the forest and dancing with a big tree made out of cheep brown cloth. My sister kept talking in the other room so they brought her in my room and we both watched it. The other day i asked her if she remembered it and she said she had no memory of it what so ever.

  177. I find it interesting to theorize that, if this was real, what could be the causes and implications of such events.

    What I find weirdest and perhaps the key to it all is: how could a little girl appear and play a role in a show that nobody filmed?

    Which leads me to believe that the show would be some sort of mental projection from some distressed and probably “psychic” little girl. The whole show is her invention, but she’s only in control as far as her emotional state remains stable.

    At first, the show is innocent. Puppets, fun activities such as treasure hunting, a kiddie setting, infantile calliope music… But her fears (or something) make their way in and manifest in the later bizarre characters and scenes described in the forum posts.

    Still, a question that remains unanswered is, from where or what could possibly these “fears” come? Is something else having a hand in her fantasies?

    It’s not far-fetched to imagine that a girl who had paranormal perception could be in contact with a world and/or beings outside normal human experience. Perhaps their contact with her mind is what warps the show into the disturbing thing it becomes.

    The screaming episode is perhaps a manifestation of her mental distress reaching critical levels beyond her control. What I think is more scary is that perhaps the screaming puppets are then no longer being controlled by her, but by whatever she’s in contact with. And in that case, what could they expressing by the screaming and twitching? another unanswerable question.

  178. This is good for a lot of reasons. I come from Mexican mountain stock, so I have heard a lot of stories quite close to this. My mom told me stories about children who would see little people who would befriend them. After a while, the children would play more and more with these little people only they could see until they would start to neglect everything else. She said that at that point, it was too late. The kids would get out of the house and disappear soon after. The only way to stop this is to recognize what was happening, take a broom and chase it out as if it was a large rat. I have seen scary things as a child. The only reason I’m not scared about those things now is because NOBODY ELSE saw what I saw. Imagine what you would feel if the creepy crap that happened to you was not only validated by people you don’t know, but proof that you should not have been able to see it in the first place was so blatantly provided?

  179. While more unsettling than truly “scary” per se, this is definitely one of the most well-written and cleverly executed creepypastas out there. What makes it creepy isn’t some distinct monster – though the Skintaker counts as one – or even the paranormal aspect, but rather the fact that we ALL have vague recollections of creepy kids shows. So the idea that there might have been one before our time that was creepy INTENTIONALLY is actually fairly plausible to us.

    It’s well-written because, even though it leaves out elements that perhaps could have enriched the fear-factor, the discussion evolves organically and in a way that keeps you off your guard. You’ve seen this forum discussion before – someone remembering something, another user saying “oh! I know what you’re talking about!”, and third popping in to add more information, etc. The sense of realism here is spot-on.

    But what makes this truly brilliant, what puts it at a level above any other simple scary story, is that Candle Cove might very well have been a real show on some public access channel. Look at the posts. Pay attention to who says what. Only ONE of those users needs to be a troll. The one with the final post. Everyone else in that possibly-real thread could have honestly been struggling to remember a real kids show that never expanded past a collection of small towns within reach of some UHF station.

    And that…that is a creepy thought.

  180. The scariest part for me was having actually seen some stuff on youtube about Candle Cove like… an hour ago.
    Had me believing it was a real thing, since it showed a video of part of that final episode. I knew what all the characters they meant were. And the end of the video was all static, with those little youtube pointers describing what i assume i was supposed to be seeing.

  181. for some reason the second i read this i started thinking “aww yeah i think i used to watch something similar to this when i was younger” and when i read the end i was like :|
    thats what makes it creepy. it makes you think you were a part of it.

  182. Oh Christ, I just looked it up on YouTube and found the screaming episode. When I paused it (because frankly, that shit is creepy), there was a dude in a fucking bear mask in some basement apartment or something staring at me.
    Fuck that shit.

    Delicious pasta.

  183. This is one of my favourite scary stories, ever. It doesn’t devolve, it’s not cheesy (“I am being watched by a girl with long black hair and no face, and she’ll come and get me any time… Now that you’ve read this she’ll get you too…”), and it’s not too far fetched either. A lot of horror stories are well written, but just SO out there that you just can’t relate any more.
    This is just simple, subtle, CREEPY. I love it forever. :D

  184. I’ve read this pasta like 4 times now. :L It’s my favorite.

    When I read when they describe the Skin-Taker and the girl asks, “why does your mouth move like that?” and he says “TO GRIND YOUR SKIN” freaks me out everytime.

    Nom nom nom nom nom.

  185. ok…i watched the static, i got nothing, however, from watching the static, minutes later, my head began to spin, per say, my stomach was in a twist, and i began hallucinating, i still am, its been nearly an hour, this is either a sickness, or the video is just down right haunted, dont think im weird, this is probably the best mystery i have ever heard of

  186. I finally gathered up the courage to watch the video. Of course I’m the only one still awake now. This is great.

    Also @Lazy: What the hell. It started playing, even though it said it was paused.

    Well, definitely not sleeping tonight.

  187. i’ve read this story more than 10 times now, and i still absofuckinglutely love it. it’s one of the few stories that make me feel all chilled up and i can’t help but look behind me. ten thumbs up to it.

  188. Why is this familiar? I’ve watched it when I was 7 or 8. I found this playing when I was in Germany. This was a creepy show to begin with, but after seeing it again, I can see it in my mind all over again.

  189. Well if the show had existed, I’d theorize that everybody screaming at the end was Janice going insane. The plot took place in Janice’s imagination, didn’t it? So the last episode was Janice losing her mind, thus Candle Cove being destroyed. That’s why the characters were screaming. They were dying agonizing deaths.

    Also if it does seem familiar to anybody, it could be that you’re thinking of LazyTown, theodore tugboat, or various other low-budget kid’s shows this is patterned after.

  190. Now THAT’S creepy, and original.

    Lol, the show reminds me of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, though. Perhaps this is why everyone feels like it’s so familiar? Or maybe this author is just really good at implanting false memories.

  191. Hey posters. This reminded me of something long ago that I saw on TV. You absolutely must email me if you remember it…

    I was really little and was watching what I think was Sesame Street. They decided to sing the alphabet, and proceeded to do so. It was so happy and kiddy… The letters were colorful and would dance around the screen. Nearing the end of the song- around Q,S, or T- a giant red and black 5 intruded on the song. It announced itself with a loud creepy voice screaming “FIVE!” as the music stopped… for hours…

    I never watched the Sesame Street again. It scarred the hell outta me…

  192. Disturbing.

    But fascinating how each poster slowly changed a simply memory to a bad memory, then a chilling memory, and finally onto a nightmare.
    First it was nothing and no big deal. Then it was the Pirate Percy made from random parts, like some Frankenstein monster. After that you had the ship, which probably had some freaky crazed, axe murderer style grin on it. Then Horrible Horace, with the single eye. And the Skin Taker? That’s just a little messed. The scream episode was just.. I mean, what would make something called the Skin Taker scream like that? Think about it..

    Something I found really interesting is the brothers that watched it together…

  193. Me and My boyfriend tripped over this, and it gave him some creepy dreams. For me, it didn’t do anything, but hey… The show seems really really REALLY familiar…

  194. Yikes. The Skin-Taker… reminds me of when my parents showed me Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang when I was 5 or 6. None of this shit is inappropriate for kids really, but the Kid Catcher (think that was his name) freaked me the hell out for a couple of years after that.

  195. I think I shat a hospital, a factory, several suburbs, a highway, and many people before I freaked out too much and curled up on the ground, hallucinating and screaming violently, scratching till my fingers were only bits and pieces…

    This pasta wasn’t creepy..More like a BATSHIT INSANE mindfucking.

    ….Damn pasta made me its bitch…

  196. Thank God, I can finally (not?) sleep tonight for I have finally found a pasta that sent a chill down my spine!

    That is some sick kids’ show- I wanna watch it.

  197. I love this pasta. By far the most delicious I’ve ever had! I find it strange though how as I read a lot of the comments (though not all) that people are set on thinking mass hysteria for being the reason of the show appearing to just them. =/ Honestly, who knows how many kids “saw” the show. (speaking hypothetically for the sake of the story of course) Often children are known to see things that adults can’t. The author could have been playing off of that, and that it was a sort of “ghost” show. A paranormal channel putting on a show for the kids for whatever reason. o-o

    Sometimes I think a few people on this site are far too logical to appreciate these stories. XD

  198. @anonII
    I didn’t pick up anything like that. What I got was that there was something being shown to children that adults couldnt see that took the form of a TV show. Maybe the skin-taker? who knows. But I don’t think it was meant to be ‘real’ broadcasting, but was definitely something else that a generation of kids were aware of and were traumatized by it

  199. I wondered about the authenticity of the video and have come up with this conclusion. This so called “show” was something subliminal that is if this was something that actually aired, etc. Now what we see on the web video could have been what was seen to those who watched it when they were young. However due to the fact that it was a subliminal white screen no parent would even notice what was actually going on. If they could see the screaming or whatever was actually on the show they’d probably keep their kid from watching it.

    The audio strobe sound reminds me of brainwave files mixed with static. When listened to long enough it would probably induce effects similar to LSD to someone listening and lsd can be used to program people; The thing is, because a kid wouldn’t have that shielded of a mind, it’d be pretty easy to influence the brainwaves of a child through simple static and an audio strobe in the background, if that wasn’t enough the sound of “white noise” is a commonly understood part of psychedelic effects, which again could easily go back to and LSD type effect of some sort.

    After all the brain can pick up on things that the conscious mind cannot, therefore it would not be surprising if someone years later asked about a show simply because the thought came to mind even though back when the show was first watched someone could be around 9 years old. How else would someone remember a show if it wasn’t anything but white noise and static imagery? I don’t know about you but that sounds subliminal to me.

    What are everyone else’s thoughts?

  200. Ugh… During a trip to Portland, Oregon, I got into the habit of reading this site before bed, because it was a time I wouldn’t be disturbed and the worst I’d get is a little creeped out. Then I read this… There go my plans for actually sleeping tonight.

  201. One, what’s in this pasta, it’s AWESOME!
    and two, I’ll contribute to the list of old creepy childhood shows you barely see anywhere with Dinosaurs, it took me the longest time to figure out the name cause I never had a good memory back then. I remember a weird episode, but it was probably a dream, since it had the black and white deal most of my dreams had… But I distinctly remember what I now assume was the final episode… some extinction thing…. As for the potential dream….I think I remember part of it involving them eating someone…

  202. Oh come ON, people are saying this pasta is “the only one on the site that freaked them out” and /I’m/ not remotely scared by it? I understand what’s going on and everything :(

  203. Ugh… If you go to youtube and look up candle cove, you can actually get the last part of the final episode. It is quite literally of all the puppets flailing violently, the little girl crying, screaming, and wailing, and it just sounds like people are dying. *shudders* I watched it and just about cried. It was SOOOO freaky and something just wasn’t right about it. Mind you, I don’t have sound on my computer, but my best friend does. I watched it WITHOUT sound first, and it just gave me the creeps. Talk about something to scare the sh*t out of you for no apparent reason. >.<

  204. Definite mindfuck, lol. I think this pastas greatest strength is that as you get more and more paranoid, you yourself being to remember Candle Cove, and just wait til you yourself gets that fateful nightmare. ;)

  205. whoah…that was amazing.
    whoever wrote this, had an amazing way of making it sound real. this show even sounds vageuly familiar. like all kids have this dark creativity lurking somewhere in the corners of their minds..

  206. This isn’t scary… not even the implications. Wow, we all thought we remembered a tv show, but then it wasn’t real.
    Yeah, terrifying -_-

    Things like that happen all the time. Someone starts talking about a tv show you vaguely recall, and says a specific event. Even if you don’t remember it, you end up nodding along and adding to the grand picture.

    Liked the forum post format though. 3/10.

  207. I don’t usually read Creepypasta on the actual site, so when someone direct-linked me to this, I thought it was an actual discussion page.
    It was such a realistic mind screw that I don’t even feel very confident that the comments section is real. I’m just posting to dead air. Excellent pasta.

  208. What Ralion said. It’s 11 in the morning, (mostly) sunny outside, and yet I’m in some sort of paranoid, semi-freaking-out state.

  209. Holy shit. Even after reading through most of the comment’s I’m still feeling chills. By far the best pasta I’ve read yet. It’s the middle of the day, and there are people in the next room, but I’m still sort of freaking out.

    I’m too scared to watch that video.

  210. This pasta is wonderful. I shat an entire city block, and I certainly wasnt expecting the ending.

    Stories are so much better when what’s behind the ‘horror’ is never revealed.

  211. That was pretty cool.
    I guess it’s like where only a few people can see the show. Idk, anyway grate story.
    Still not scared but grate.

  212. lawl, but that video that goes along with it made me laugh so hard. just some seconds of puppets jumping around and screaming, then white noise. the beginning was hysterical, though; not very creepy. i like that dude in the pig’s mask in a laundry room right before it cuts to static.

  213. now this is a great scary story. there are some lovely gems on this site and this is one of them. wonderful, creepy read.

  214. Angry Priincess

    iif You Go To Youtube And Type iin Candle Cove You Get That Epiisode Of Them Screamiing…………….. iit So Horriibble

  215. Shit I`m fucking shitterefd drunk, but that was fucking insane, definitely soem of the best creepypasta ive read, ever

  216. i have to agree the show seems very familiar and i thought it was ajoke also. i dont remember much of it but i do remember a show where this big old weird pink guy lump thing had a handle bar mustache but the main villian was a chick and they would go around after this little girl and like five or six different puppet people. i dont remember the ship from but when i think about it i think about the puppet from “Big”

  217. You might say I’m just trolling but I swear to god this sounds so familiar to me, i even remember the screaming part, but they were all in once scene together not like in the mock up. the camera’s view didn’t change or anything and the girl was alot older (like 8, the actor was at least) I’m not shitting you or trolling and I’m scared shitless after reading this. I thought the whole show was like Wondershowzen just a big joke at the time.

  218. As weird as this is, this actually sounds really familiar to me, particularly the characters of Captain Percy and the Laughingstock. Although I’m pretty sure the girl’s name was Janine.
    I was thinking about this last night and became genuinely terrified.

  219. The descriptions of the screaming and Janice’s agony are what make the ending so fucking chilling. This is some gourmet pasta!

  220. The descriptions of the screaming and Janice’s agony are what make the ending so fucking chilling. This is some gourmet pasta!

  221. Sanity's Requiem

    Twitch, that video is just 75 seconds of static. Complete and utter waste of time… I thought I’d actually get to watch Candle Cove again.

  222. HOLY FUCKING SHIT I SHAT >9000 BRICKS OVER THAT VIDEO!! It goes excellently with the story and should probably be linked at the bottom for new people reading it.

  223. Thank you guys! I wanted it to feel authentic. The story was actually inspired by that old Onion article about the guy who still had nightmares about the shitty Sid and Marty Krofft show “Lidsville.”

    There was such a treasure trove of unwatchable, awkward, indistinct kids’ programming with puppetry in the early 1970s. I was born in 1979, and cartoon and puppet production values were a little better in the 1980s. I get scared thinking about all those dimly-remembered childhood experiences that were a product of your undeveloped worldview being invaded by something completely alien that assumed you’d be entertained.

  224. i grew up in ashland in the 80s. i remember there being a couple of uhf stations before we got cable, one of which was wtsf. it was mosty a christian station, but would show local programming like a cable access station sometimes. i also grew up with mr. cartoon and beeper woooo!

    i may just have to make some video related to this pasta this weekend, as it really hit close to home and made me shit brix, and i would love to see an episode of candle cove.

  225. When he described the dream part it kinda sounded like what an actual dream would be. No “Slowly walking through a dark alley and a monster jumps out bullshit.” That sounded (read) like a dream.

  226. Holeee Moleeee
    I read this first at… idk, four in the morning? This is scary right now at 5:00 in the afternoon, reading it then just scared the bajeebus outta me. I almost started crying.
    Kudos, this one is definitely one of the better ones.

  227. Di-Gala Dearg-Dul

    Weird, … (which I find a compliment on this site)

    @ DoNotFeedMe: I’ve seen that before and I thought it was pretty disturbing

  228. Patrick Bateman

    Good… very, very good.

    This was very creepy.

    Do you like Phil Collins? I’ve been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn’t understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins’ presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group’s undisputed masterpiece. It’s an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Christy, take off your robe. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. Sabrina, remove your dress. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Sabrina, why don’t you, uh, dance a little. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I’ve heard in rock. Christy, get down on your knees so Sabrina can see your asshole. Phil Collins’ solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. Sabrina, don’t just stare at it, eat it. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist. This is Sussudio, a great, great song, a personal favorite.

  229. The format isn’t really original; it’s an updated idea, but not really original. I enjoyed the story, though. Except for the “twist” ending, this is something that could possibly happen. People think back to old shows from their childhood, and realize “Wow. That was creepier than I thought back then.” Nicely done.

  230. Wait, there was a channel 58 in the 70’s? I thought the max channel was like 12 or something. Anyways, this was awesome, creepy and odd, just the way I like it.

  231. Um….. OHSHI- crap :|

    Haven’t read any creepypasta in awhile and this one really took the cake for me… Especially since nostalgia can be kinda scary sometimes xD

  232. That was very inventive…I love it. I’m now jealous that I didn’t write this, it’s so clever. :(
    Kudos!

  233. freakinothello

    gave me shivers down my spine. i have moments where i remember shows but cant find anything on them. cReePy

  234. Awesome! it takes alot to creep me out. Scarily enough at first I thought it was a real show because alot of it sounded familliar(even though I didn’t grow up in the 70s at all, not even close). It also reminded me of Punch and Judy for some reason. Now that was horrible for kids, anyone else know the old English puppet show I’m talking about?

  235. This, honestly, was the best creepypasta I’ve read yet,a nd I’ve lurked here for ages. The format, the concept. Very realistic and vivid. , unlike most ritual cliches. Relatable

  236. Wait a minute… I think I used to watch this show. I don’t get the ending though. Brings back alot of memories.

  237. !!! Seriously! It was only a few days ago that all my TV channels turned to static!

    BUT WHO WAS DIGITAL BROADCAST?

  238. Ok… creepy… ._. I’m guessing that only kids could see it because they were being targeted by something supernatural… What if some of the shows we watch… *shudder* Ok, discontinuing that thought…

  239. The captivating part of this is that there really are some very creepy children’s shows. Search for “claymation mysterious stranger” on Youtube some time.

  240. OM NOM NOM
    This gave me SERIOUS chills.
    This is better than pasta, creepylasagna
    It makes you think you’ve seen it, and I was born over 20 years after the show was supposedly on. Everything about it… it sounds really authentic.I had to look up ‘calliope music’ on youtube. That shit is scary and it makes you envision the whole thing.
    10/10

  241. This is fucking beautiful. The format alone gets mad points for originality,THE TWEEST was awesome,and once it switched from bizarre to all-out fucked up,I went “holy shit this is wonderfully messed up.”

    DELICIOUS.

  242. this was good pasta. i could feel it building up because it started so mundane and just got more gruesome ;D i was dieng for the plot twist i knew was gonna come…i spelled dieing wrong -.-

  243. maybe it wasn’t the kids who were hallucinating… but the mom? plus she could just have a bad memory since she’s so old

  244. omg omg that show seems familiar to me i wasn’t even born around the 70’s ahhhhhh~! seriously that was an AWESOME story!

  245. Now THAT was a good read!

    Totally did not see that ending coming, and love this pasta for that. I was getting so tired of seeing cookie-cutter stories with predictable turns. Thank Odin for this pasta!

  246. wow, I loved it!

    …There’s this show my sisters used to watch late at night. I think.. It’s called Happy Tree Friends and its about cute animals dying happily ever after… do you know this show?

  247. This is some well cooked Pasta, best one I’ve read yet.

    This really creeped me out.

    As soon it was starting to get further down the conversation, I was like “WTF, what kind of show did they watch when they were a kid?”

    Then the ending was so unexpected, I just shat brix.

    God it gives me the shivers when thinking about what had happened.

  248. I used to watch static channels all the time when I was little.
    Thinking about that right now is so scary I could cry.

  249. the skellington was eating the fat man behind the couch, but I didn’t like the fat man at all….

    (this creepypasta reminded me of that very vivid nightmare when I was a kid and OMG this was great)

  250. @everyone who doesnt think this is creepy: WHY?!

    it totally is

    how many effed up things must be happening if all these different kids saw the same effed up things in STATIC?
    wicked messed up

    idk how anyone could think thats not creepy

  251. I loved this story, although I do have to wonder how all these different people managed to imagine the exact same show. I wonder if it would have been creepier if it was somehow made clear that the initial poster had likewise dreamed up these various personalities and had posted as each person himself.

    But like I said, I really do love this story. Simply excellant.

  252. Excellent, keep up the good work. The only thing that would be good is extending the ending a smidgen and adding in Grammatical errors and the like for realism. Otherwise, Great.

  253. That was really good. Very sinister.

    I think it works because, not only does it use a believable format, it plays on childhood memories, and how even simple things could terrify you as a child, once your imagination distorts them.

    Really good, I thought the ending was a little bit too abrupt, but apart from that, really good stuff.

  254. Jesus Christ.

    I just … I …
    This is now my favourite story on this site.
    One of the few creepypastas that really made me stop and think.

  255. OH MY GOD NEW FAVORITE. The people who said this wasn’t scary apparently don’t know what scary is. Seriously, think about this for a second. Put yourself in this situation. You and a bunch of other people all remember a completely fucked-up children’s show only to find out that you were watching absolutely nothing.

    The vague implications are mind-blowing and horrifying. The scariest part is just how vague they are.

  256. it was a very good pasta… im now intrested in the idea of an actual case like this happening, i remember hearing somthing about it before a couple months ago…

  257. That was really great. The dream is probably gonna leave a lasting impression. I wish somebody would make that episode into an actual video…that’d be excellent.

  258. Why does everyone love this pasta so mucho?

    I really liked the format and such… I just don’t get what makes it super creepy.

    Maybe i just dgi.

  259. Hmmm. Intriguing more than terrifying. But still, oddly creepy. Not ‘gah, something’s going to GET YOU’ creepy, but I don’t know….just….SOMETHING that we don’t understand is in control of something. Maybe I’m just creeped out because I have those moments of remembering a TV show or movie, but I can’t quite remember because I was so little……

  260. Am I the only one who doesn’t think it was a hallucination? I assumed it was something only children could see, or some sort of paranormal message.

  261. Comment Leaver

    Hollllly sweet mother. This was amaziiiiing. I loooooved loved loved the setup. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

  262. I loved this. I mean, I completely freakin loved this. The only thing was that the ending was a little off. I can’t get into a group hallucination thing, but everything before that was pretty much perfection.

    1. It’s not about ‘group hallucination’. It’s about SOMETHING only childrencan see, something paranormal.

  263. Sarahhhh's Insane

    I loved this. Set very realistically, and it gradually descends into the paranormal so gracefully I barely realized. All the characters were extremely believable.

    I’m not sure about the ending – could have left us guessing, but then it might have felt incomplete. I dunno – it kinda needed closure, I suppose.

    And the nightmare part was absolutely /perfect/. When I first began that section, I was thinking “oh, great. Another OMG SCARY NIGHTMARE story” but nononono.
    Mass nightmare.
    Genius.

  264. ok, no joke.

    When I was a little girl there was a programme about witches on, always at weird times. I thought it was really cool and I decided to get a disposable camera and take a picture of it on the tv…

    I got the film exposed 6 years later, after finding the camera…

    every picture was normal, except the one of the tv.

    …the tv screen was black.

  265. Awesome. The whole time I was reading it, I was wondering how it could have a scary ending… but then it did anyway! Great story, didn’t see the ending coming. I like it.

  266. Oh. I like this one. =)
    It slowly panned from normal discussion to something very wrong.

    I was wary about the forum format, because I’ve seen so many format deviation types (emails, journal logs, scientific files) that didn’t really work out in terms of the writing, but this one was a pleasant surprise. The one other format deviation type of story I loved was the Dionaea House.

  267. Honestly, I thought you were going to say it was Mr Cartoon and Beeper. But you didn’t mention Huntington, WV.

    I’m still creeped out!

  268. MisterVercetti

    WHOA.

    Way to start out innocent, then freak us right the @$#% out at the end.

    First genuinely creepy one I’ve ever read. Well done.

  269. A very well done twist at the end, though it was slightly predictable that the show didn’t actually exist. It felt unnecessarily long building up to the finish, but in the end it was actually a pretty decent pasta. I’d come back for seconds.

    8/10, one of my favorite pastas in quite some time.

  270. Mass hysteria?

    though I think if I saw that “screaming” episode I would let out a laugh along the lines of “lolwut?”
    Which I did upon reading it.

      1. scared ass 12 year old

        O.O I looked at link and i saw it please help me i still hear them make it stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP ME

  271. I don’t get how it’s creepy. I mean yea the characters and screaming was creepy but the ending seemed cut off. I really don’t get it at all.

  272. Holy crap, this scared me! It was kinda dull, just people talking about a old kids show (like we’ve all done at some point), then BAM! Chills racing up my spine.

  273. FAVORITE. EVER.

    Love the format, love the growing sense of nostalgia being replaced by thank-god-thats-over, love the lack of “and now it’s going to eat YOU THE READER” at the end, love the sudden BUT WHAT CHANNEL WAS PHONE?! twist.

    This is delicious bacon alfredo pasta and I don’t care if I get fat!

  274. Wow that was SCARY. I didn’t get how it was going to turn creepy at first, just adults reminiscing.

    The thing is, the show’s description was so vague, it can sound familiar even if it never existed. The skin-taker was my favorite part though. Seems like it could actually happen so A++ on this creepypasta. This is why I love originality.

  275. I thought it was gorgeous! I loved the format, quite refreshing, and this was a great concept.. childhood memories are so often vague that it was a good idea to tackle them and make them creepy. OMNOMNOM. Delicious!

    1. Ahem here’s my creepypasta

      THE. NIGHTMARE

      Jay was adicted to horror.he went to bed.had a dream he was in a room he looked around the
      Room the saw a horrible bieng with a face with no face(or just blood and gore).with a dildo
      Saying fuckduckmuckimaretardfuckfuckfuckfuck wanna bite my cock

  276. So much imagination for children to think of everything like that. It’s quite good and very original. I liked it though what if such a show might have existed?

  277. I’m loving it…finally one of those stories that ain’t litter with I’m watching you and you don tknow it, so many “you’s” even Soulja boy is scared.

    1. I know!! It seem familiar somewhere in the back of my mind!! now that i look back on it *quiet sobbing in hands* ;-; HALP ME

    2. Okay, so I’m NOT the only one who thinks it’s sounds familiar?!?! Dude I was born in ’93. Like I wasnt even born when everyone claims to have watched it! Yet it sounds so familiar

        1. This reminds me of a Russian claymation I was told to watch for one of my Russian classes. Didn’t understand it, but at least there wasn’t any skin taker. There where pirates and a doctor of all things.

    1. Candle Cove is actually a show only childeren can watch for some reason. Most parents played it off as an over-active imagination & didn’t think it was anything else.

        1. Of course there was. Don’t you remember the candles? The candles were from the Skin-Taker. That was how he worked: candles around the altar, and they called to you.

    2. That’s the idea the author implied in order to scare the readers. But think logically: his mother saw static while numerous children watched the show. Would you believe in the mother’s insanity or insanity of group of people from totally different places with exactly the same hallucination? The answer is kind of obvious.

      1. There’s some speculation that it was some gov operation to see if they could simulate a show at a frequency only children could see – that seems the most likely explanation, but the whole “ogm it wuz GUVERMENTS!” thing is so overused that I sincerely doubt it.

  278. holy FUCK that was a delicious pasta. really digging the original format of a forum, and i shat a house when they described the screaming episode.
    this is what all pastas should strive to be.

  279. me scared.. a bit

    really a nice one.. love the begin, like the end. but it could have been made a bit better by stretching the end for a few lines..

    1. what about the fact the persons mum said she had imagination with the static when it was on and lots of people remember it, also i asked MY mum about it and she said `I REMEMBER THAT SHOW, MY GRANDAD USED TO SAY I WAS WIERD WHEN I TURNED IT TO STATIC AND WATCHED IT.` almost exact words from her

      1. Yeah, my mom (born in 63′) told me she remembered the show, but couldn’t remember what it was about or when she watched it.

        Changed my life.

  280. Whoo I’m tingly now :D

    I was curious what the ending would be for this one, since I didn’t really see how it could have a scary… punchline, or whatever.

  281. i’m scared now D:
    i must say, one of the first creepypastas i’ve read lately that made me so freaked out.
    written perfectly.

    1. Stephan D. Harris

      That’s because Josef K is a borderline genius when it comes to writing compelling micro fiction. Which reminds me: anyone know if he’s still active?

      1. He contacted me to get his links updated a month or two ago, so I assume so.

        Unfortunately, going to his site makes my antivirus freak out, so I can’t tell if he’s updated recently. Seems he may have fallen prey to similar issues that we’ve been having here.

        1. Hey, guys! It’s the famous DerpButt!!!

          WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        1. I know what you’re thinking, and please do it. That story would be amazing if you did it right.

      1. Ben is an awesome creepy pasta, I even had some conversations with clever bot, and I said Ben drowned and it said no he was murdered

        1. Yeah. Sometimes the cleverbot just brings BEN up out of nowhere. Like one second your talking about your day and the next second he brings up BEN…

        2. What?? I’ve been trying to start a conversation about Ben with clever bot and it turns into something completely different!!!!

    2. This does not sound creepy at all. Im from finland, and when i was 5 or 6 there was a kids show that had an horrible puppet in it. Type “morso” to google and watch the pictures for a thing with milk glass.

        1. I know. It had an easily scared horse in it and morso would scare the shit out of it.

      1. OK Morso… Fireplace… Fireplace… Dead ferrite with its stomach ripped out… Fireplace… When do you get to the creepy puppet?

        10 hours later. Oh there it is.
        A little creepy i guess?

    1. It’s not a person. Have you ever turned on your TV to a channel you don’t have and you just see the black and white dots constantly moving with that loud noise that sounded like things being scraped together? That is static, also referred to as white noise.

        1. Eh? What are you all talking about? That’s just when Candle Cove is on. So wait, TVs can have static?

        2. No, this was back in the 70’s. They didn’t have programming on all the time like we do now, so when there was free time in the middle of shows, it’d have nothing. But the signal of the tv would still read, causing the static.
          In a nutshell:
          “Oh, there’s nothing on next? Okay” *static until 30 minuets ’till an hour later* “Hey look, another show is on!”

        3. Er no it’s because old TV’s had to be tuned manually, with a dial, how one would tune a radio. great story, though.

        1. “white noise” is another name for T.V snow/static. it’s not a person; it’s like when you turn the channel and see nothing but black and white dots mashing together with the sound of scraping/crunching.

        2. Tsuki-hime:
          “white noise” is another name for T.V snow/static. it’s not a person; it’s like when you turn the channel and see nothing but black and white dots mashing together with the sound of scraping/crunching.

          Sigh…

      1. SoundedHilariousToMe

        I thought it was hilarious, seriously, I was thinking of the videos where people make Garrys Mod ragdolls look like they’re on drugs and running around all the time, flailing there arms like crazy

    2. MUFFIN MUFFIN MUFFIN

      BUT WHO WAS THE PERSON WHO SAID “BUT WHO WAS THE STATIC”

      That’s right, I just made a freaking reference-ception. Deal with it, I’m a muffin for crying out loud. How else am I supposed to get my kicks?

      1. MUFFIN MUFFIN MUFFIN:
        BUT WHO WAS THE PERSON WHO SAID “BUT WHO WAS THE STATIC”

        That’s right, I just made a freaking reference-ception. Deal with it, I’m a muffin for crying out loud. How else am I supposed to get my kicks?

        But who who was the person who said but who was the person that said who was static? BOOM! Double refrence -ception!

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