When my grandfather passed away during an early winter, my family scrambled to rid the house of his belongings before the first major storm. The asphalt-shingle roof of his one-story home was collapsing inward after years of neglect and most of the windows were boarded up with cheap plywood. Instead …
I was an artsy kid growing up. With clay, scissors, or glue I could have busied myself until judgment day. The walls of my bedroom were covered with sketches and paper masks. Clay dragons and warlocks stood at attention atop my desk and dresser. Mobiles with gods and ghouls hung …
October 31st… Some love it, some hate it. Uber Christians claim Halloween is a day full of devil worshiping and witchcraft. While on the other side of the eerily festooned fence, creepy and depraved individuals seem to use the day as an excuse to grow even more alarming. Then, somewhere …
IT TAKES THE SADNESS OF LIFE TO APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF DEATHThis Story Is Dedicated To My Grandfather Elmer. Who Took His Own Life. Many wonder why some commit suicide. Perhaps this story will help explain the reason. His best friend had been dead for about a month. When the …
I usually have to do some explaining when someone finds out that my official title is Head of On-Site Security. Most people assume that the title means that I’m in charge of all of the security aspects of the amusement park I’m employed at. That isn’t actually the case. The …
“She was right again.” Old Farmer Bill threw one more load of hay in the trailer.“I thought I’d be able to finish it today. Agnes knew what she was talking about when she said I was overdoing myself. Almost fifty years of marriage and she’s been right every single time.” …
I must admit that when I first obtained The Tainted Vase of Białowieża Forest, I did not think it was an item I would one day part with. At best, the trinket is a chilling reminder of a tragic affliction; at worst, it is something much darker. The truth is …
When my daughter Violet was born, I didn’t have much to offer her. My wife and I both worked, but housing was expensive where we lived and much of our income went towards renting our cramped two bedroom apartment. Owning our own home was still just a dream then. All …
I can remember getting my first sympathy card sixty years ago when I was a junior at Nichols College in Massachusetts back in 1962. I was a twenty-year old Finance and Accounting major back then. My name was handwritten on the envelope in a slightly messy, scribbly fashion, as if …
Read Part One Here I’d come back from another visit to the forest by Dr. Greenwich’s former ‘clinic’, when Harlowe gave me another of her trademark looks. I was barely two paces into the precinct when she ushered me aside to her office.“Out for another unauthorised reconnaissance, officer Suthers?”“Yes m’am.”“And …
In December of 2002, I visited an orphanage in Anamosa, Iowa. I visited this orphanage because Irene Walters, the orphan keeper, indicated that there was something amiss with a child in her care. I am not an expert on children, but I am well versed in demonology and the paranormal, …
In August of 2013, I visited the small town of Cloutierville, Louisiana, to investigate the cellar of a small, abandoned farmhouse. I was drawn to this farmhouse because, in 1932, a woman was murdered here, and in 1933, her husband mysteriously vanished. While this situation alone was not of particular …
The following is the history of the Brass Bell of Trussville, as I have come to understand it. I am remiss to admit that I have not been able to determine its origin, nor do I know of how it came to reside in the rural farmhouse inherited by Daniel …
I open my eyes, yet they do not see. I reach out with my hands, yet I am constrained. I inhale deeply, but dank air fills my lungs. Where am I? My mind races as I try to remember how I got in this predicament. It is pitch blackness that …
I moved into my current house with my parents three years ago in 2006. Seems so long ago now that the number is in front of me. But, you’re not here to listen to me reminisce about times that have since passed. So, I’ll try my best to get right …
In the weak light of the porch lamp, the door stood illuminated. The wood was splintering and the gray paint was flaking heavily. At eye level there were patches of paint missing, showing where years’ worth of knuckles had rapped against the wood. To the left of the door, encased …
The problem with authentic, unaltered vintage homes is always in the basement. Walking through the upstairs, Christine and I fell in love. Original shellac finish on the window frames, the glass just starting to show a hint of wave from a hundred years of slow settling. Built-in sideboards and bookshelves …
The rusty black Sedan crept along the road opposite Claire, moving at under 10 mph. Claire stopped walking and pretended to check her phone while ignoring her shaking hand and rising heart rate: the signs of an on-coming panic attack, worsened by alcohol. The Sedan finally stopped, but she heard …
I’m sorry for this. Recently, I received a package in the mail. I didn’t recognize the sender. It seemed harmless enough. So, I opened it up. It was a DVD. The box was completely black except for white lettering on the front. It read Your Life: The Final Season. Interesting …
We’d been dating for only a month, Gregory and I, but It seemed as if we’d known one another for years. I was addicted to him, addicted to us. Addicted to his touch on my waist, the way he softly stroked my hair, the smell he left on the pillowcase, …
It all started with the missing hikers, then it was the missing hunters, the second group of hikers, and now it’s a jogger. They couldn’t find any of the others, Ted didn’t have much faith that they would find this lady either. Who jogs mountain trails? Overachievers, that’s who. Ted …
In the pitch black darkness of nightfall, many unsavory things can and often do take place. We are told at a young age that nothing can get you in the dark… that you’re safe. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the truth. There are indeed monsters in this world… sometimes they’re in …
May 9th. Another murder. The newspaper says it all. The headlines read: “Third Tape Given to Police”. The page says the following:“Yesterday afternoon, police received a third tape. As per the previous two, the tape was delivered outside police headquarters with a note, this time labeled ‘Number 3’. Leading Detective …
Superintendent Harlowe and I stepped into the interrogation room. It was strange performing an interview in here with one of our own, and not even for a crime. Officer Molloy was still in a sweat, his eyes raw and puffed out from crying. Poor bastard. If the report we both …
