It’s funny how tales like this cling to you, worming their way into your mind, gnawing away, festering like a wound. They say truth is stranger than fiction, but sometimes the stories we pass down—the ones we whisper in shadowy corners or over drinks at seedy bars—are more chilling and grotesque than any proven fact. This is one of those tales. A fable, sure, but one that sits far too close to reality. Told by those who find comfort in the macabre, and believed by those who understand that the scariest monsters are always human. Ever heard of Helen? The lonely, gaunt old woman who ran that ramshackle diner out on Highway 22—the one no one seems to remember until…

October 29th The announcement hit the internet like a bomb. Cochran Brothers Tech, famous for their viral mobile apps, had outdone themselves this time.  Crypts and Corpses, the latest offering from the tech giant, promised to bring Halloween to life like never before.  It was an augmented reality game designed to transform the last 2 days of the month into a twisted scavenger hunt.  The trailer alone was enough to send chills down spines–grinning skeletons, decaying zombies, and creepy crypts, all superimposed onto real-world locations through your phone. David stood in line at the coffee shop, scrolling through his phone as the buzz about the game raced across social media.  His group chat was already lit. “Yo, you see the…

Mr. Zimmer didn’t want his last Halloween to end like this, alone in a dark cold room, an invalid while children and parents alike roamed the streets outside asking for candy and dressed in costumes. He remembered when he was young and fit, and when he hadn’t shattered his spine by falling off a roof setting up spooky decorations. At his old age, and with what little money his family possessed, it was easier for everyone to toss him into a nursing home. Easier for everyone except Mr. Zimmer himself. It scared him how easily they became frustrated and annoyed by him, a constant factor in their lives that suddenly turned into a burden, just like that. When he was…

“DRINK MOTHER FUCKERS, DRINK MOTHER FUCKERS, DRINK!” The noxiously artificial taste of blue raspberry slid down my throat with sickening sweetness. This was only my third drink of the evening, but I was already feeling pretty lit. “Alright you, stupid pledges now it’s time for the main event.” I gulped down the last remaining bits of my sugary swill before taking a deep breath. I just needed to make it through one more event and it would all be mine: the booze, the babes, the blow, everything. “Since 1908 every Alpha Delta at the University of Virginia has been bathed in the blackness of the Raven.” A burning belch worked its way up my esophagus. “If you want to be…

I hope this message finds you well. I want to apologize for all the stress I’ve caused these past few months, and the least I can do is explain why I had to leave so abruptly. I do understand if this is a huge red flag to you seeing we’ve only been dating for eight months now. Here goes nothing. October has been an anxiety overhaul since I was ten. Well, even before that if I were to be completely honest. Remember that city I grew up in? That wasn’t true. Never even been to Stockton. You’ll also understand why I don’t bring you around my family too once you’ve finished reading through this. I grew up in a small…

I hate pumpkins, I hate jack-o-lanterns, and I hate Halloween. I guess I hate Halloween mostly because it means I have to see those disgusting things all over the place. On every porch, in every yard, and at every store I see them. They leer at me with crooked grins and empty eyes. Empty eyes that somehow follow my every move. I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about them. Even now I can peer out my window and see one on my neighbor’s stoop. It sits there, still as a cadaver. God, it’s looking back at me, I can feel it. It’s drilling into my skull, my soul. You think they’re horrible too, right? Do you feel…

Dude, I fucked up so bad. Now I’m in the hospital waiting for the cops to ask their questions that I don’t even really know the answers to. Trying to help me get my story straight? Alright man, here goes nothing. So, Ben and I got stuck working an overnight shift at the liquor store since Pops got the bright idea that trick or treaters might stop by throughout the night. We knew it was bogus, but the old dude had his heart in the right place. Ben was pissed. I didn’t care too much because I don’t really do shit anyway. Took it as a free soda kinda night. I got a little stoned before my shift because I…

There are a select few hidden among the population—those who are often keenly aware when they are dreaming. They can recall their dreams in vivid detail for days afterward. People like me, who can lucid dream with little effort. If you’re one of them, you know that lucid dreaming can sometimes draw your consciousness into liminal spaces, places that exist between the familiar and the unknown. One of these spaces is what I call the Pumpkin Farm. You begin on a long, straight road, driving if you have a vehicle license in real life, with a military-tan camping backpack in the seat next to you. If you don’t have a license, you’re riding a bike or scooter, the weight of…

I tended to hate Halloween. Don’t get me wrong; the candy was always something I would look forward to. Hershey bars were especially my favorite. No, what I disliked about Halloween was dressing up. I’m certain you would find it odd as to why that is. My family had been through some hard times and as such, we often recycled cloths to create Halloween costumes. I was always made fun of because of my raggedy costumes. One time I went as a ghost and the costume was a mix match of fabrics that were different sizes. It was grotesque in appearance. It was badly stitched with different colors of yarn. I could barely leave home without someone laughing it off…

“Good morning, Mei-Mei” every morning waking up I greeted the small doll usually tucked into my arm, snuggled closely into my chest. For a while Mei-mei was my only friend. For you see, I was born with a crippling condition that keeps me wheelchair bound, so you can guess how most of my life has played out…Hospital trips..bad days where I could hardly get out of bed, All the painful surgeries. Each time Mei-Mei has been by my side helping me through it. A gift to me on my 6th birthday, as I opened the box my eyes lit up seeing that doll box for the first time. I was so happy.. Now Mei-Mei is a small doll with a…

The year was 1976 Olivia looked in the mirror for a moment; her reflection stared back at her with the same shape, size, and movements. She was a short and chubby little girl, only eight years old, with white skin covered in freckles and orange hair curled down to her shoulders. This year, she was dressed up as a scarecrow for Halloween- one with overalls, a straw hat, and painted-on stitches. She liked how she looked. It was a well-made costume in the eyes of a child who had crafted it, but one that would bring embarrassment when looking back on it in the future. Leaving her room, Olivia slowly walked down the steps to the grand floor of her…

She touched her, but pulled her hand away and glared at the woman with angry green eyes. She began speaking in a low voice that only the reflection could hear. The confusion and frustration was simmering white-hot now. Was the ornate mirror talking back? “I hate you. Leave me alone. You make me sick.” Someone called her name and she snapped to attention. “It’s not my fault. She’s the one who started it. Can’t you see that?” Angela Mitchell had seen the same face all her life. She had grown up looking at that face. The same person was always looking back, no matter what she was going through in life. She would always see the same face. Yet, a…

The last Heather spoke to her mother was on Halloween of 2015 when she was twelve years old. Now, it is Halloween of 2024, and she is reminded of the lore that ruined every Halloween for her. People said a creature would lure the person to water. Sometimes the creature would be a beautiful woman, a child, a scared man, or anything a person could imagine would be conjured. The creature used its sixth sense to find a person’s softness to others. Heather’s mother apparently saw a little boy with blonde, curly hair and a cherubic face. The creature ran through the woods after almost being hit by Heather’s mom’s car. Her mother frazzled chased the boy until she reached…

I’ve learned throughout my life that there are specific things that you should never do in your dreams. I’ve learned how to control my surroundings in a dream state, how to remember dreams, but the thing I will never forget was how I created a demon. It was simple to do, and completely accidental, but for those of you wondering how to do it, it is quite simple. All you have to do is break the three rules. Rule number 1: NEVER tell anyone in a dream that they are in your dream. Rule number 2: DO NOT try to prove it to them. And finally, Rule number 3: NEVER leave a conversation unfinished before you wake up. Step 1:…

“Amen… Amen…” It was Sunday, Halloween day, and after the gospel singer was finished with her lyrics of praise, Pastor Newman spoke to his small group of church attendees in his lavaliere, which was attached to his shirt. He smiled warmly to the small gathering. It was a small room, but the main room of the Church was still under repair from the fire that happened 2 months ago, so everyone had to gather in this room for now. Luckily, no one was hurt, much to the pastor’s relief. No one knew how the fire started, but the police that day said that it was likely due to the heat generator that was under the room, in the basement. Some…

Welcome the Horrify, A Halloween, and October tales. Where monsters roam wilder, and demons pass through. There will be 31 stories to tell. Throughout October. We had begun with the Haunted series. The tale and horror of The Ballerina. Let’s begin and enter the shadows of night. Chapter 1: Tragedy A stage filled with people and lights. The shined of the lights makes the stage look like it’s made of gold.  A woman with long brown hair dressed in white. Feathers adorn her tutu in vibrant and various colors. She dances with the lights. With grace, and unknown gentleness that captures the audience. Unknown to all, what would come next would lead to her death and downfall.  A snap of…

It was a chilly October night, the kind where the wind howled through the trees and the moon cast an eerie glow on everything it touched. I had just moved to Willow Creek, a small town known for its quaint charm and haunted history. Halloween was approaching, and with it came stories of the old Wright house, an abandoned mansion on the outskirts that everyone whispered about. I was intrigued. My friends, however, were hesitant. “You shouldn’t go there, Max,” my friend Lucy warned, her brow furrowed. “They say it’s cursed.” “Cursed?” I scoffed. “It’s just an old house. I’ll be fine.” That night, armed with nothing but a flashlight and a sense of adventure, I made my way to…

Cheap masks and Halloween themed clothing were the only ‘costumes’ at the Sprucer Halloween Festival. People in barely decorated Trunk-or-Treat trunks shoved canned food and/or random secondhand objects into kids’ hands. The ‘craft stations’ were several ancient fold-out tables someone had covered in literal trash. Only one man was all smiles and high energy as he strolled about the scene with his sons. His sunshiny attitude brightened up such activities as accepting cans of beets from Mrs. Whitley and cutting Jack-O-Lantern faces into duct-taped soda bottles. In such hard times, it felt so good to see and hear such a man. I started stalking him around the festival just to absorb some of his energy. But when I heard and…