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.
Pact to be Made
Sitting alone in an abandoned warehouse, I finished the last verse of the chant, the blood from my hand already drying black on the cryptic symbols sprawled across the floor. I knew it had worked as the runic symbols began to glow a deep crimson. Ash rose from the floor, slowly amassing, taking the shape of the one I wished to speak to. The surface smoothed, and before me stood the slim figure, wearing a crimson suit, he almost appeared human; save the curled black horns, nine-foot frame, pointed ears, and slate grey skin. Before me stood a demon, warden of the damned, ascended from hell.
By James Stacks4 years ago in Horror
The Forgotten Train
I awoke to a shrill shrieking noise. My head jolted so quickly as to ruffle the brim of my hat. With no idea how long I’d been asleep, I stood collecting myself as I prepared to intervene, only to lose my balance as the ground moved under me. I realized, or perhaps one cannot call it a realization so much as its opposite: that I had utterly no clue where or who I was. I was in a classic-looking railway car, and I had fallen to the ground like a babe from the womb in the hands of a particularly unqualified doctor, yet I stood again: a full-grown woman. I looked at the booth across from me, where a couple seemed not to have noticed my fall. I patted myself down and was quite pleased with what I found. I must have been some sort of athlete or builder, perhaps I was even military. My confidence became reinstated and my tight suit no longer uncomfortable.
By Kennedy O'Donnell4 years ago in Horror
Atelophobia
"Bathing under the warm sunlight feels like a spa, but all I can think is whether or not I deserve this kindness?", I said to myself. The warmth touches my skin and it helps me to wake up. Slowly I open my eyes, my vision starts to adjust and I look where I am. Sitting on a soft cushion seat as I gaze outside of the window, seeing the world passing by me. I stared deeply through the window and it calmed my heart. I wish I could stay like this and wonder onward.
By A LITTLE CROW4 years ago in Horror
The Trees Swallow People: Part 9
It had been days since we were trapped. What little light was managing to penetrate the forest of people outside my windows came in stages of intensity; soft bars in the morning, sharp beams by lunch, and an illuminating haze by dusk before quickly plunging the house into darkness. It felt like we skipped Summer with how early night came.
By Conor Matthews4 years ago in Horror
Beware the Bell
Chloe’s head throbbed, waking her abruptly. Stars danced before her eyes as she sat up on the edge of a rickety cot with gray, frayed blankets. She was in a small room, roughly five feet in any direction. A curtained window hung above the cot, which ran along the wall. The opposite wall held the solitary wooden door. The other walls were bare save for two oil lamp sconces. The wallpaper was dingy and faded, the original color or pattern no longer discernible.
By Lauren Rachet4 years ago in Horror
The Dinner Train
A sudden jerk wakes me from my deep sleep. I catch myself before I fall off the red velvet seat. My vision is fuzzy, and my body is weak, but I manage to sit myself up. The bright lights from overhead cause me to close my eyes. I rub them for a moment, hoping it will help them adjust. Where am I? The thought suddenly appeared in my mind. I look around, my eyes now focused. Is this a train? I look out the large window next to me and see the night sky as we zoom down a track. Why would I be on a train? I check my pockets. I can't find my phone or any ticket. I retrace my steps from what I can remember. I walked home from the grocery store down the block. When I got home, I cooked dinner and ate it in bed. I put on a movie, and did I fall asleep? I can't remember. I think someone knocked on the door. My head begins throbbing from overthinking. I need to find someone to talk to. Maybe they can help me figure this out.
By Rebecca Vorasane4 years ago in Horror
No lifeguard on duty
All day it had been hot. The beach was crowded, sticky, stifling—like most places with too many people. You wandered through the day in a daze, agreeing with your companions and drinking ale as blonde as the seabirds perched on the pier. Some of the heat had evaporated with the evening, but your brow was still damp as the dusk sunk into a deep blue. One of your companions, Grant, complained that you should have bought the good-looking brunette at the bar a second round. She smiled at you and made good conversation, and her hair moved over her shoulders like sea foam across the ocean’s surface. You didn’t tell Grant what happened when you turned away for only a moment—how she had gone, how a seabird sat in her place. It cocked its head at you and squawked queerly. You could have sworn you recognized its eyes.
By Argyle Oswalt4 years ago in Horror
