psychological

Mind games taken way too far; explore the disturbing genre of psychological thrillers that make us question our perception of sanity and reality.

Knock, Knock
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. Vera had never been one for rules. They begged to broken. Day after day, the door lurked in the distance of her desk. Like a large red button or the array of numbered circles on an elevator, it begged to be pushed. Or in this case, pulled.
By E.K. Daniels2 years ago in Horror
Spooky Spin Class
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. Yureum's hands brushed against the smooth handle of the door knob. She could feel the tormented spirits of anorexics and bulimics of past sessions vibrating within the metal, begging her not to step inside. It was almost as if the spin class beyond the door was like a real-life manifestation of fWinstagram's algorithm, playing on its members biggest insecurities about their bodies and making them feel like everyone else was fitter and healthier and happier than they could possibly be.
By James Bao2 years ago in Horror
A Cautionary Tale
"There was only one rule: don’t open the door.” Those words still dripped deep crimson down the wall above a pool of congealing blood when I walked into the darkened bunker. To my left, a black door stood ajar, a useless padlock hanging from even more useless metal chains, crushed into a jumble of what was once a metal handle. A drop of unknown liquid dripped into some nameless pool, breaking the silence as I stepped toward that gaping maw of shadow.
By Laura Pruett2 years ago in Horror
Slight Opening. Top Story - October 2024. Content Warning.
“There was only one rule: don’t open the door.” I would say this to myself several times a day. Mam would not like it! “Don’t open the door, you little brat!” A slap would soon follow. A punch or maybe more names. I would try to be invisible. As though I did not exist. Yet I still caused her discomfort.
By C. H. Richard2 years ago in Horror
The Shelter . Content Warning.
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. If she does, they’ll both die. Her best friend Robbie tells her, pleading. ***
By Sam Spinelli2 years ago in Horror
The Art of Sacrifice. Top Story - October 2024.
The commission had been irresistible, a studio furnished with rare pigments, including mummy brown—the infamous paint ground from ancient bones. The patron knew of Harper’s fascination with the occult. He gestured her in, leaving a single cryptic instruction: “Don’t open the door, not until it's complete.”
By H.M.Warden2 years ago in Horror
66.6 Feet
"There was only one rule: don’t open the door …" When the NEMO-5 submersible vessel discovered what to all eyes seemed to be a seal on the ocean floor. The scientific world went crazy, as did the religious world. The vessel had been made to withstand the pressure of diving to the bottom of the mariana trench, the lowest point on the planet. The crew were stunned and shocked, hoping to find undiscovered sea life, no one expected to find a large circular seal, covered in markings that no one could translate. Whatever the language, it was older than recorded writing, and felt like a warning.
By Savannah K. Wilson2 years ago in Horror
Not Every Door. Runner-up in Spooky Micro Challenge. Top Story - October 2024.
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. Tali had participated in dozens of studies to supplement her paltry waitress’s income. But this one was excruciating; hours in a white-walled room with nothing but a door she was not allowed to open.
By Emily Fine2 years ago in Horror
Win a Prize!
There was only one rule: don’t open the door... 'Step right up!' The carny kept up his blare as he stood with the black-lettered rules leaning over him. On a simple plywood board, lacquered in white, the game was clear:
By Kendall Defoe 2 years ago in Horror
Curiosity . Content Warning.
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. It was a rule which I iterated to Jenn (11) many times. And I never explained the why.
By Sam Spinelli2 years ago in Horror
Last Moments When Life Flashes
There was only one rule: Don’t open the door… Self-sacrifice is an interesting thing when you're staring down the barrel of what stands between you and mortality.
By Ly Anna2 years ago in Horror
His Goodbye
There was just one rule: Don't open the door. Jasper couldn't help it, he was irresistibly drawn to it. Wouldn’t anyone? In a house meticulously explored from cellar to attic, a door had emerged.
By Jordan Flynn2 years ago in Horror