fiction
Horror fiction that delivers on its promise to scare, startle, frighten and unsettle. These stories are fake, but the shivers down your spine won't be.
My Security Camera Recorded Something Impossible
I installed the cameras after the second break-in on my street. Nothing had happened to my house, but the police report was enough to make me uneasy. So I bought a mid-range system, nothing fancy—just four cameras covering the front door, backyard, hallway, and bedroom. I told myself it was for peace of mind.
By hasnain pathan6 months ago in Horror
Seal island revisited
Not sure if you will remeber but I told you a story about seal island. We were on holiday last year and went to visit the island in the photograph. I said it was once a manned lighthouse and that a few people could live on the island at a time. By the time we saw it there was no people, at least not officially.
By ASHLEY SMITH6 months ago in Horror
The CCTV Footage Shows Me Leaving… But I Never Did
**The CCTV Footage Shows Me Leaving… But I Never Did** *I watched myself walk out the door—while I was still inside.* --- The first time I saw the footage, I laughed. Not because it was funny—but because it was the only reaction that made sense in that moment. It had to be a mistake. I rewound the clip. There I was—clear as day—walking out of my apartment at exactly 8:42 PM. I locked the door, checked my phone, and walked down the hallway like it was any other normal night. Except… it wasn’t. Because at 8:42 PM, I was sitting on my couch. I remember it clearly. The soft glow of my laptop. The half-finished cup of coffee on the table. A message I was typing but never sent. I hadn’t moved for at least an hour. I know I hadn’t. So who—*what*—was that on the screen? --- I manage a small apartment building, which means I have access to the CCTV system. It’s nothing fancy—just a few cameras in the hallway and at the main entrance. Enough to keep track of who comes and goes. That night, a tenant had complained about a missing package. “Can you check the footage?” she asked. Simple enough. I pulled up the recordings and started scanning through the timeline. That’s when I saw it. My door. My hallway. And then—me. --- At first, I thought the timestamp was off. Maybe the system had glitched. Maybe it wasn’t actually 8:42 PM. But the clock in the corner ticked perfectly in sync with my watch. 8:42. 8:43. 8:44. I watched the version of me walk out of the building and disappear. I didn’t come back. --- I checked my phone immediately. No calls. No messages. No movement. My step counter hadn’t changed. There was no sign I had left my apartment. My chest tightened. “Okay,” I whispered. “Think.” There had to be an explanation. A prank? No—no one had access to my apartment. A lookalike? Impossible. It wasn’t just someone who *looked* like me. It *was* me. Same clothes. Same posture. Same small habit of adjusting my sleeve before locking the door. It was too precise. Too personal. --- I didn’t sleep that night. Instead, I kept replaying the footage. Over and over. Looking for something—anything—that didn’t make sense. And eventually… I found it. --- At 8:41 PM, the hallway camera showed nothing unusual. At 8:42 PM, my door opened. I stepped out. But just before the door closed, there was a single frame—barely noticeable. A shadow inside the apartment. Still. Watching. --- My stomach dropped. I paused the video and zoomed in. The quality was grainy, but I could see it. A figure. Standing just inside the doorway. Not moving. Not leaving. Just… there. --- That’s when I stopped laughing. --- The next evening, I decided to test it. I set up my laptop to record the living room. I kept my phone on me the entire time. I made sure every second of my night was accounted for. At exactly 8:40 PM, I sat down on the couch. I didn’t move. Didn’t blink more than I had to. Didn’t even breathe too deeply. 8:41. 8:42. Nothing happened. I exhaled, a small wave of relief washing over me. “See?” I muttered. “Just a glitch.” I almost believed it. Until my phone buzzed. --- A notification from the CCTV system. *Motion detected: Hallway Camera.* My heart skipped. Slowly, carefully, I opened the app. And there it was. --- Me. Again. Stepping out of my apartment. --- My hands started shaking. I turned my head toward the door. It was closed. Locked. I hadn’t moved. I was still sitting on the couch. So how— --- The footage continued. I watched as the other *me* turned, locked the door, and paused. Just for a second. As if it knew I was watching. Then— It looked directly at the camera. And smiled. --- I dropped my phone. “No,” I whispered. “No, no, no…” This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t real. But the video kept playing. And then— It did something worse. --- Instead of walking toward the exit, the other *me* turned back. Toward the door. My door. --- My chest tightened. “No… don’t…” The version of me on the screen reached for the handle. Opened the door. And stepped back inside. --- The footage cut off. --- I couldn’t breathe. My eyes snapped to the door in front of me. Still closed. Still locked. Still silent. But suddenly, it didn’t feel safe anymore. --- Then I heard it. A soft sound. From the hallway. --- A knock. --- I froze. Every part of me screamed not to move. Not to answer. Not to even *exist* in that moment. But the knock came again. Slower this time. More deliberate. --- And then— My phone buzzed once more. Another notification. *Motion detected: Inside Camera.* --- My blood ran cold. Inside? I hadn’t installed any cameras inside. I opened the app with trembling hands. And there it was. A new feed. A camera angle from inside my apartment. Facing the couch. --- Facing me. --- I stared at the screen. At the image. At myself. Sitting there. Frozen. Terrified. --- And behind me— Standing in the shadows— Was another version of me. Watching. Smiling. --- The knock came again. Louder this time. Right behind me. --- I haven’t turned around. I don’t know what will happen if I do. I don’t know which version of me is real anymore. All I know is this— The footage didn’t lie. I did leave. And something came back instead. --- And it’s still here.
By Diana Joseph 6 months ago in Horror
The Night My Reflection Didn’t Copy Me
It started with something so small I almost laughed it off. I was brushing my teeth, half-asleep, barely aware of myself, when I noticed it—the faintest delay in the mirror. My hand moved, but my reflection followed a second too late.
By Diana Joseph 6 months ago in Horror
The Message I Received From a Number That Doesn’t Exist
At first, I thought it was a glitch. The message came at 3:17 a.m., the kind of hour when the world feels thin and unreal, like it might dissolve if you stare at it too long. My phone lit up on the bedside table, and the notification was simple:
By Diana Joseph 6 months ago in Horror
The Walking Mystery. Content Warning.
Chapter 1: He's everywhere, walking amongst the people on the street. He watches everything that goes on around Him. No one knows that He's there, waiting. He's waiting for the perfect opportunity. He's hungry, hungry for the flesh of those idiots called humans. They don't notice Him. If they ever saw Him, they'd never know. Everyone just passes by Him, never looking toward Him. At least during the day. Tonight was the night that He would feed. Every week, He has a giant feast on flesh. The humans die quickly that night. He smiled to Himself. The feast would be a success He thought, and He ran into the dark mountain range.
By Jay Jaeger6 months ago in Horror
The Smell That Watches
I didn’t notice the smell at first. That’s what unsettles me now—the idea that something so… wrong could exist in my apartment for days, maybe weeks, without me recognizing it. It wasn’t rot, not exactly. It was sweeter than that. Like fruit left too long in a sealed room, fermenting into something faintly alcoholic and deeply, quietly alive.
By Rohit Kalsariya 6 months ago in Horror
