The Bottle
As I sit here now beside my pond and watch the autumn fog dance along the water, and as the leaves whisper and chatter to one another as the wind lets them, I think of my wife, and how sorry I am I can’t live the rest of my days […]
Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances
We May Have Rented a Home From a Serial Killer
Sometimes you live through things that haunt you. Sometimes; no matter how many yearsgo by, you can’t seem to break free from a place, or a memory. There is a place like that for me… When I was in the sixth grade my family moved to a place in the
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The Glawackus
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
Cannon’s Shining
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
The Bag
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
The Beauty of Death
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
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Nights of Fear
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
Faces in the Pumpkins
“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.”
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The Tained Vase of Białowieża Forest
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
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All the Stars in the Sky
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
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Sympathy Card
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
Dr. Greenwich’s Flesh Golem
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
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The Haunted Toy Car of Anamosa
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,
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The Haunted Candle of Cloutierville
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
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The Cursed Brass Bell of Trussville
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
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Plot Thirteen
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
The Horrors Of The Backrooms
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
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The Door
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
A Man’s Home is his Castle
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
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Paranoid Claire
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
Your Life: The Final Season
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
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I Wish I had Wings
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,
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From Bones To Bones
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
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The Body
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