Scary Folklore

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen…but do you recall the most petrifying Christmas figures of all? Not all children fear just a lump of coal in their stockings. Discover the terrifying Yuletide fables, folktales, and folklore that have horrified kids (and adults) for generations...

Step into the haunted past of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Trail is a place of natural beauty—but also of unexplained horrors. For centuries, travelers have reported eerie whispers in the fog, shadowy figures between the trees, and chilling encounters with spirits that refuse to rest. In this collection, 15 terrifying true ghost stories are brought to life through immersive, narrative-driven retellings. From legendary haunted cabins to mysterious vanishings and encounters with vengeful spirits, these chilling tales will make you think twice before stepping into the woods at ...

Every city has a story. Some will chill you long after the last page. From the neon glow of Las Vegas to the haunted tunnels beneath New York, America hides dark secrets in every skyline. This gripping anthology dives into 50 terrifying urban legends, each rooted in real locations, whispered folklore, and chilling mysteries that refuse to stay buried. 👻 Inside, you’ll discover: • Ghostly apparitions roaming iconic landmarks • Cursed objects and sinister doppelgängers • Unexplainable creatures lurking in lakes and alleyways • Vanished souls who demand to be remembered • ...

Step into the mysterious and unknown with Ghostly Tales from Around the World, a chilling collection of ghost stories that crosses borders and cultures. Perfect for brave young readers aged 8 and up, this anthology brings together spine-tingling tales from across the globe—each crafted to send shivers down your spine and spark your imagination. Travel through haunted landscapes and eerie traditions: from the misty moors of Scotland to the shadowy streets of Japan, Ghostly Tales weaves a rich tapestry of spooky folklore. Within its pages, you’ll meet mischievous spirits, ancient ghosts, ...

The forest has a secret, and it is watching. You are not alone in the wild. Something ancient, intelligent, and territorial lurks just beyond the firelight. It mimics voices. It builds structures that defy logic. It observes, it plans, and it waits. This collection of 25 terrifying tales explores the chilling encounters of those who ventured too far and discovered the horrifying truth. From a lone hiker paced by an unseen creature to a camper who hears their own voice call from the darkness, these narratives are a descent into primal dread. These are not simple monster-in-the-woods tales. ...

The next novella in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America. "The audiobook narrated by Avi Roque is delightful." —BuzzFeed News on What Moves the Dead Alex Easton does not want to visit...

"Narrator Avi Roque delivers a perfectly paced performance....seamlessly switching between English, Scottish, and American accents to distinguish the variety of characters." —AudioFile on What Moves the Dead, an Earphones Award winner) The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic...

A look into urban legends through each state in the United States of America. Some of these legends you may know, but many are only known y locals. Many of the stories include eyewitness accounts and some even share the locations and how to get there. Are you brave enough to venture into the unknown and search for these legends yourself?

In the eleventh book of the Urban Legends of the U.S.A series we head to some more creepy places to find legends and folklore from Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee. Inside are Native American legends and folklore from the deep woods and hills of the United States. Drive into legends about werewolves, witches, cryptids, curses, haunted roads, woods, hotels, trains, lakes, cemeteries, ships and roads. Read personal stories from locals about their encounters with the paranormal. Use the directions inside to have your own adventures hunting for legends and lore.

If you are superstitious, or know someone who is, this is the book for you. These pages feature bits of lore--both conventional and somewhat unorthodox--centering around animals, money, romance, vampires, the human body, food, pregnancy, cemeteries, farm life, witches, and more. Running the gamut from the whimsical to the downright disturbing, this collection has something for everyone.

Say her name three times. Watch the mirror. And pray she doesn’t answer. For a harmless dare, Erin Chen whispers the forbidden name: Bloody Mary. The candlelight flickers, the mirror clouds, and for an instant she swears someone else is staring back at her. The game should have ended there. But the scratching in the walls doesn’t stop. The whispers grow louder. And when her friends begin to vanish one by one, Erin realizes the ritual didn’t summon a story. It summoned her. Every version of the legend holds a grain of truth: a betrayed woman, a grieving mother, a witch bound in glass. ...

They knock. They whisper. They want to come in. It starts with a midnight knock. Two children wait on the porch—pale, polite, insistent. At first glance, they seem normal. Until you notice their eyes. Solid black, empty, endless. Daniel Mercer thought they were pranksters. Then the power failed, the pets vanished, and his sister swore she saw them watching through the window. Everywhere he turns, people whisper the same warnings: Don’t invite them in. Once they know your name, they never stop. As the children spread through town, more neighbors vanish. Phones glitch, reflections warp, ...

Step back into a land of plague, prophecy, and whispers that burn. In Ashes of the Sick, acclaimed horror writer Silas Toombs brings you ten terrifying folk horror short stories from the darkest corners of Old England—where disease isn’t always the deadliest curse. Meet plague doctors who walk with shadows, scarecrows who remember too much, spectral bellmen, witchfinders, and ancient spirits that dwell beneath stagnant waters. From fog-choked moors to crumbling cottages, each tale drips with historical dread, blending superstition and survival in an era ruled by faith, fear, and ...

With the secrets of the sun becoming exposed to reveal its true form, to the return of Henry Miller, a down on his luck monster hunter, to the survivor of an alien invasion being a literal psychopath, these and other people will give their detailed accounts of a Mothman, other dimensions, and field trips gone array. Henry Miller, the man who can’t seem to save his house, now finds himself working for a mysterious old man who takes a liking to his trio. Samantha, the girl with no identity, and Kushim, their monster partner in crime. But they’ll have more to deal with investigative and ...

The heroes and heroines of myth and folklore always have to overcome extraordinary challenges: and more often than not, these challenges involve a giant, a ghost, or a goblin. Jerry Nelson, the voice behind some of the most famous characters in children's television, including Sesame Street's Count von Count, narrates this action-packed collection. His inventive repertoire of growling giants and squeaky goblins will delight young listeners as the drama of the stories sets their imaginations on fire.

A quirky local legend about a monster and a steak dinner challenge is the perfect story for Cole Henrikson’s podcast. He arrives in the sleepy town of Monroe, Michigan, a professional skeptic ready to document a classic American farce. But the deeper he digs, the more the laughter fades. He uncovers a secret history of terrifying encounters, chilling disappearances, and a conspiracy of silence that has gripped the town for centuries. The stories of a silent, intelligent giant in the woods aren’t just folklore — they’re a warning. When Cole’s investigation leads him to a haunted ...

From zombies to cannibals to star-crossed, shapeshifting lovers, this cross-genre anthology written by superstar YA authors from across the Latin American diaspora offers bold new thrills for every monster fan. In these fifteen original short stories, bloodthirsty vampires are hunted by a...

She only wants a ride home. But her journey never ends. Truck driver Daniel Morse thought the endless miles of Route 6 were lonely enough—until the night he picked up a pale young woman in a white dress. She called herself Emma. She smiled. She whispered she needed to get home. Then she vanished from his passenger seat. Determined to prove he isn’t losing his mind, Daniel digs into the legend of the vanishing hitchhiker—a ghost story whispered in truck stops and diners for decades. What he uncovers is far darker than folklore: a sixty-year conspiracy, a killer protected by an entire ...

He comes from the fog. He leaps from the rooftops. He leaves behind only fire and fear. London, 1838. Panic grips the city as a clawed figure in a cloak terrorizes young women in the gaslit streets. Witnesses swear he leaps impossible heights, breathes fire, and vanishes into the mist. The newspapers give him a name: Spring Heeled Jack. Nearly two centuries later, the sightings return. Historian Eliza Crane thinks she’s chasing folklore until claw marks appear outside her window and terrified Londoners whisper the same name that once haunted their ancestors. A cloaked figure leaps across ...

The Dark Trails: Women Rangers and the Unexplained by G.J. Fene The wilderness holds more than beauty, it holds secrets that were never meant to be found. In this chilling collection of first-person stories, women rangers stand watch over America’s most remote landscapes, only to discover that not all dangers come from nature. From the Smoky Mountains to the redwoods, from frozen rivers in Alaska to fire towers in West Virginia, their patrols lead them into encounters that defy logic and shake the soul. Lantern lights that lead hikers off the map. Children’s laughter echoing in empty ...