Creepy Short Stories

It is said that dreams are harmless, that they are nothing more than the meaningless fancies of an unconscious mind. It’s only a dream. It’s only a dream. It’s only a dream. This, of course, is something we tell ourselves when we wake up screaming in the dead of night. We repeat the mantra in order to bring ourselves back to reality, in order to remind ourselves that there is nothing to fear.

From the mind behind The Mountain and The City, The Body Farm, Bleeders, and A Chemical Fire comes Brian Martinez's most daring endeavor yet: a short story collection that promises to plunge readers into the depths of horror like never before. Thirteen years of cultivating terror have led to this ominous tome, a blood-curdling compendium of nightmare fuel designed to thrill, chill, and downright terrify. In this haunting collection, discover stories that will sear themselves into your memory. Twenty in total, each tale is an exploration of the macabre, a journey into fear. Prepare yourself ...

In this book, I'm only going to tell you the tales that are true. The true paranormal experiences from around the world that are sure to keep you up at night. These stories come from everywhere - little country roads in the middle of Kentucky to incredible subway networks running underneath Sweden and everywhere in between. Get ready to embark on a journey of the supernatural, and get a glimpse of the real-life things that take place in the world around you, every single day. These are the stories that can't be explained, just told.

A terrifying, thrilling collection of must-listen horror stories chock-full of nightmarish supernatural beings and the murderously disturbed that are sure to keep you up all night long.

Ghostly encounters can be around every corner and not just in a house that sends chills down your spine, when looking at it from the outside. Instead, these spirits can inhabit anywhere they wish - meaning you could potentially meet one at any point. To show how that is true, we are about to take you on a journey around the world and illustrate how ghosts can indeed stalk different locations. From spas where you are supposed to be relaxing, to forests. From a normal looking house in a quiet town in South Africa, to Disneyland, and so much more.

What is it about sitting round a campfire with friends that makes us want to tell scary stories? Is it that being out there in the woods adds an extra frisson of excitement to stories that might not seem half as frightening if they were told in the security of our homes? Or is it just that people have enjoyed scaring their friends for as long as there have been humans and campfires?

A quick read for those looking for dark fiction that you can devour in one sitting. These are creepy, crawly, and grotesque stories meant to make your stomach churn and your toes curl. The fierce auction of an abandoned storage unit leads to a mysterious box finding its final resting place. Assigned to a military post, a man watches security cameras capture the end of the world. An unusual illness leaks into society and leaves a man isolated and battling for his life. On a dark fall night, a happy family is tormented by an invisible beast from under the bed. A man with an overbearing mother...

In the title story, set five minutes in the future where you not only have a credit score but also a dating score, a woman who’s been banished from all dating apps attends a weekly help group with others who have been “banned for life,” and finds herself falling in love. In “Backwards,” a twist on Benjamin Button, a woman reconnects with her estranged father as he de-ages ten years each day they spend together. In “Welcome to Oxhead,” all the parents in a gated community “shut off” when the power goes out.

The Balance of Wonder and Terror Learn the truth of the secret war in space with both the Soviets and dark technomancers bent on world domination in Gods in Darkness. Thrill to incredible truths buried in the sands of ages or in our own Area 51 in The Dig. Ride along with some crazed truckers dealing with Lovecraftian horrors in At the Highways of Madness. Know the stark terror of reading a forbidden book of the damned when the stars are not right. Love knows no bounds through time and space--especially for one of Lovecraft's Elder Things in The Queen in Shadow. And finally, go beyond the ...

A man desperately seeks to validate his life. He finds the perfect vice and meets the perfect girl. He then meets a mysterious stranger who offers dark and cryptic advice. Charles Pierce hasn't been good at anything in his life. As he journeys toward middle age, he has felt like the captain of a rudderless ship. He desperately seeks to fit in, belong, and finally be good at something. He finds just the thing to pour his heart and soul into and prove to society that he is somebody. Dedicating every ounce of his being to marathon running, Charles finds himself in the middle of an intense ...

Ghosts, monsters, and the horrors of the human mind are just some of the scary things awaiting you in this collection of Christmas-themed flash fiction stories. Some stories are right at 300 words. Some are over 1,000. All are ready to give you the creeps. Christmas Creeps! This is the third book in the series, but they can be read in any order. This final volume contains: Cookies for Santa The Last Holiday Karen and the Christmas Monster and nine more creepy little stories to keep you scared and reading during the holidays.

From the author of Tiny Terrors and Flashes of Fear comes a new collection of flash fiction horror stories. And all are Christmas themed! Some are just 100 words. Some are a little over 2,000 words. All are full of wintery, holiday creepiness! This is the first book of a three-book series, but they can be read in any order. This volume contains: Christmas Snacks Black Friday Trimming the Tree And 9 other flash fiction stories!

A boy discovers the answer to one of the great urban mysteries: Why are pigeons always pooping in parks? A second-grade class learns why they should always be nice to their math teacher. An ancient predator uses the internet to search out its prey. A young girl and her little brother escape a campfire weenie only to encounter something even more terrifying: a troop of Girl Scouts singing campfire songs.

It was supposed to be easy money. A temp job as a night guard on some deserted island. But why wouldn't anyone tell me what I'd be guarding? Do you know what a Body Farm is? I didn't, either. Apparently it's a research facility where decomposition can be studied in a variety of settings. How, you ask? By letting a bunch of corpses lay out and rot. Yeah. Fun stuff. But that doesn't explain the voices I'm hearing over the radio. Or the strange lights I've been seeing outside. Or why some of the bodies have this funny habit of disappearing when I'm not looking. And it definitely doesn't ...

Master of the macabre David Lubar is back with Check Out the Library Weenies, his ninth collection of Weenies Stories. Here are 30 more scary stories for the middle grade audience - perfect for both avid and reluctant young listeners who like a few chills and a lot of laughs. Don't be a weenie. Listen to these stories. If you dare!

A town is overrun by road weenies - a.k.a. joggers - who never smile. A girl thinks she's too old for Halloween...until she finds a special pair of gloves. A boy takes a shortcut to an unexpected place. A mummy takes his revenge, one little piece at a time.... These 35 tales ranging from the silly and offbeat to flat-out horrifying are just right for listening alone in the dark.

Nefarious Things is an anthology of horrific tales proven to give you chills. With 7 mind-scarring lovelies, this anthology delivers something for everyone. If you're a fan of the dark and deranged, seeking the unspeakable, Nefarious Things has a thing for you.... Includes Black Willow A Parade of Clowns Porta Pot The Mailman Words Kill Me The Followers Apex

Push past the curtains of your rational, safe world and explore the unnameable horrors living in the darkest corners of our conscience. This is the realm of monsters and shifting shadows, where a single wrong step can plunge you into a terrifying fight for your life

From the award-winning author of Hidden Talents, two remarkable short-story collections - Kidzilla and The Witch's Monkey - together for the first time. Plus several brand-new stories. Each hilarious and harrowing. A substitute teacher finds out she has some monsters for students. A group of kids attempts a levitation trick with hair-raising results. A neighborhood is so boring the grown-ups are turning into...well...you know. And dozens more.

Tresor Day dawns bright and beautiful. As the village gathers for its annual Well-Drop–sending children down into a well to find an elusive key–elderly Miss Cabe knows deep in her bones that a thing about this day simply is not right. A quick read, Tresor Day was inspired by a haunting image encased in a glass paperweight the author's grandfather gave to her. The photo is included in the book so that you, dear reader, will be haunted, too.