Tales to Keep You Up at Night

"The Smiling Man"

When I was a kid, my mom always told me not to talk to strangers. It was good advice, but it didn't stop me from noticing the man who smiled at me from the end of the street. He was always there, waiting for me to walk by, with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. I never saw him do anything wrong, but something about his smile always made me uneasy.

Years went by, and I forgot about the smiling man. I grew up, went to college, got a job, and moved to a new city. But one night, I saw him again. He was standing outside my apartment, smiling that same twisted grin. I froze, unsure of what to do. But then, he spoke. "Hey there, kiddo. Long time no see."

I couldn't believe it. How did he find me? What did he want? As I stumbled backwards, the man stepped forward, still smiling. And then, I saw it. His teeth. They were long and sharp, like fangs. I turned to run, but it was too late. The smiling man had caught me, and his mouth was already opening wide.

The Black-Eyed Children"

I never believed in ghosts, but that all changed one dark and stormy night. I was driving home from work when I saw them. Two children, standing on the side of the road. They were young, no more than eight or nine, with black eyes that seemed to stare right through me.

I should have driven away, but something about them called to me. I rolled down my window and asked if they needed help. That's when I saw their eyes up close. They were like black holes, sucking in all the light around them.

"Can we come in your car?" they asked, in unison.

Something about their voices made me shiver, but I couldn't say no. I unlocked the doors, and the children climbed in. But as soon as they did, the air grew cold. And that's when I saw their true form. They weren't children at all, but demons, with claws and horns and teeth like knives. They laughed as they tore me apart.

"The Shadow in the Corner"

I always felt like someone was watching me in my bedroom. But it wasn't until one night, when I turned on the light, that I saw it. A shadow, lurking in the corner, with glowing eyes that seemed to follow me wherever I went.

I tried to ignore it, but the shadow grew more and more present. It started moving around the room, getting closer and closer to me each night. I tried to leave the room, but the door wouldn't budge. I was trapped with the shadow.

Days turned into weeks, and I grew weaker and weaker. The shadow had taken everything from me, my sleep, my food, my hope. I knew I was going to die. And then, one night, the shadow spoke.

"Hello, my friend," it said. "I've been waiting for you. Are you ready to join me?"

And then, I realized the truth. The shadow wasn't just watching me. It was me.

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"The Whispering Forest"

I was on a hike through the woods when I heard the whispers. They were faint at first, but they grew louder and more insistent with each step. I tried to ignore them, but they seemed to be coming from all around me. As I walked deeper into the forest, the whispers grew more urgent, more frantic.

"Leave now," they said. "Run while you still can."

I should have listened. I should have turned back. But I was curious, and I wanted to know what was causing the whispers. And that's when I saw it. A clearing in the woods, with a circle of stones in the center. And in the center of the stones, a figure.

It was humanoid, but not human. It had a head like a deer, with antlers that stretched up to the sky. Its eyes were black and empty, and its voice was the one that had been whispering to me.

"Come closer," it said. "Join me in the circle."

I knew it was a trap, but I couldn't resist. I stepped into the circle, and that's when the creature began to change. Its antlers turned into tentacles, and its eyes grew brighter. It enveloped me, and I was consumed by darkness.

"The Skin-Crawling Feeling"

It started with a small itch on the back of my neck. I thought it was just a bug bite, or maybe an allergic reaction. But the itching didn't go away. It spread to my arms, my legs, my face. It was like something was crawling under my skin.

I went to the doctor, but they couldn't find anything wrong. They told me it was probably just stress, or my imagination. But the itching continued, day and night. And then, one day, I saw them.

Tiny creatures, no bigger than a pinhead, crawling out of my skin. They were black and wriggling, with tiny legs that seemed to propel them forward. I screamed, but there was nothing I could do. They kept coming, in a never-ending stream.

And then, I realized the truth. The creatures weren't coming from outside of me. They were already inside me, feeding on my flesh and bone. I was their host, their home. And they were never going to leave.

I tried to scratch them out, cut them out, but it was no use. The more I fought, the more they multiplied. They consumed my body, making me their slave. And then, one day, they spoke to me.

"Thank you for your hospitality," they said, in a voice that was too high-pitched to be human. "We'll be leaving now."

And with that, they disappeared, leaving me alone and empty. But the itching never went away. It was a reminder of what I had lost, and what I had become.

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