Halloween is drawing near, and we've picked 10 underrated tales from Nightscribe's authors to get you in the mood. Some offer a quick scare; others might follow you to bed. Choose a story below and settle in for a little pre-Halloween dread.
An ancient demon feeds on human curiosity. Over the centuries, the legends about it have faded into an innocent childhood game. The demon remembers, though, and it's hungry. Resisting the urge to look might be harder than you think.
An abandoned theme park still holds secrets among its forgotten rides and decaying buildings. Something brought this tropical paradise to a sudden end, and exploring the ruins may reveal why it was left to rot. Not everything was left behind.
A man finally fulfills his lifelong dream of exploring a mysterious cave. Once inside, rising water cuts off his escape, and the terror of being trapped gives way to something worse. Whatever else is in the cave, he's stuck with it.
A ragtag group of travelers ventures into a haunted forest on a mystical journey. Deep in the woods, they encounter the restless souls of a forgotten civilization and must confront what remains of its people.
A private investigator searching for his missing niece arrives in a seemingly quiet town. As he digs into her disappearance, he uncovers the supernatural horrors beneath its ordinary surface. A slow-burn mystery for readers who like their dread to build.
A boy reports a brutal murder, sending a police officer to investigate a local pub. Inside, the officer finds dead patrons and signs of an ancient force at work. This case will take him beyond any ordinary murder investigation.
An innocent interest in picking locks grows into an obsession with breaking into abandoned buildings. One night, that curiosity leads to something far more dangerous than the thrill of getting inside. Some locks are best left untouched.
Two friends trade city life for a dream rental in rural Montana. Then they discover a mysterious red mold that devours everything in its path. As it spreads, their country escape becomes a place they need to escape from.
While clearing out an old house, a family finds a newspaper clipping about the Glawackus, a creature long dismissed as a myth. Strange events make the account harder to laugh off, and the family begins to suspect the creature is real.
In Harvest Hill, farmers compete to grow the largest pumpkin for the annual festival. For one farmer, winning uncovers ancient secrets buried beneath the soil. There's more to his prize-winning crop than he bargained for.
We hope you find a new favorite among these macabre tales. We'll announce the winners of our #halloween2024 contest soon, so sign up to our newsletter to receive the winning stories.
Happy Halloween!