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.

A yellow green candle flame
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. It just so happened to be the night three friends were hiking by while on a camping trip to the island.
By Brian Carney4 years ago in Horror
The Flayers
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. “Is that the old Flayer place?” Darrin asked, pointing toward the glowing orb of light shining through the trees.
By Aylya Mayze4 years ago in Horror
The Cabin in the Woods
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The townsfolk had been waiting to see if what the sign said was true. The sign first appeared on the cabin door the week before. The day was November 28, 2012.
By Hillary Arroyo4 years ago in Horror
Light the Way Home
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. I say this as a last-ditch effort, I need you to understand something: you’re in danger. If you’ve gotten this far, I’m sorry to say it's too late for you.
By Adri Soto4 years ago in Horror
The Woman Who Lives In the Cellar
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. An unholy odor akin to wet wool with a hint of singed hair told Marjorie something was wrong before she could make sense of it or even notice the innocuous little light flickering through the sleeting rain and darkness. Her feet were carrying her toward the ramshackle dwelling even though she willed them not to and she found herself repeating a kind of prayer in her head: This isn't real. This isn't real. This cannot be real.
By Tiffany Morgan4 years ago in Horror
A Cabin on an Island
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Or at least I think it was a candle. I squinted and focused my eyes on the window trying to see past the sharp glare of the setting sun. There was a temporary tear in the thick cloud cover and the last bits of orange a yellow sun were poking through the dismal grey.
By Jessica Sid4 years ago in Horror
The Keeper of Good Souls. Runner-Up in Campfire Ghost Story Challenge.
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. As its warm light spilled out onto the black canvas of the night, Silas Northam opened his eyes.
By James Farrell4 years ago in Horror
The Wash
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. At least, they had assumed it had been empty, but the soft glow suggested otherwise. When Sorsha and Olivia had received the letter, crested with the emblem of the notary in Glasgow, the images of the plot of land showed an aerial view of the shabby roof surrounded with an unkempt garden. Their inheritance, they assumed, was unoccupied. Pulling into the crescent shaped parking lot, Shorsha hit the breaks on the rental car as Olivia stopped the Fugazi tape just before it flipped to the B -side.
By Rowan4 years ago in Horror
Take Me Back, Jack!
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. I stopped and stared, listening to the incessant hum of buzzing insects. The air was thick with mosquitos and flies, swarming around my face, biting at the exposed flesh of my arms and legs. “Hello?” I croaked, “Hello, is anyone out there?” My mind struggled to produce an explanation for the candles presence but stalled in confusion. There was no pane left in the window. If the candle toppled in the breeze, it would drop into the overgrown brush that surrounded the cabin. The woods were dangerously dry that summer, and I began to envision an inferno blooming from the seed of that flickering flame. In good conscious, I could not leave the candle burning.
By Austin Spring4 years ago in Horror
The Witches Tongue
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Five young children sought out fortune and fame by sneaking out toward the forbidden cabin of Woven to record their experiences of what they found. They lit the Witches’ candle to perform the ceremony that would lift the curse from the town.
By Justin Contreras4 years ago in Horror
The Kangalaree
"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. - M." The text message blurred and flickered as Kal's phone ran out of battery. The moonlight sprinkled through the canopy of eucalyptus trees. The frosty wind sent a whispering howl through the forest as leaves rustled amongst the Kooraringa forest floor.
By Leucius Verda'ant4 years ago in Horror
Grandmother
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The darkness of the night was thick, the flame only illuminating the dirt covered square in the center of the frame. The forest had become completely silent. Crickets froze in limbo and the creatures of the shadows had stilled themselves. The only sound present was that of a young girl shuffling about the inside of the small structure that time had preserved in its decay. She placed her backpack on the dusty floor. Gently, she removed the old book she had found in her grandmother’s attic, an old leather strap between the marked pages. Her grandmother had passed away a week ago and the family had trekked into the backwoods of Tennessee to sift through her belongings. She had never really known her grandmother. It had always been a sore subject in her family. Occasionally, her father would mention growing up here, but his childhood had always been somewhat of a mystery, one he kept behind locked doors.
By MLCash4 years ago in Horror