psychological
Mind games taken way too far; explore the disturbing genre of psychological thrillers that make us question our perception of sanity and reality.
The Death of the Bird
It was an open casket funeral, and frankly the idea revolted her. The girl had drowned in a lake and it had taken them nearly forty-eight hours to fish her out. True, those two days had been from the middle of the very coldest month of the year, and everyone who was returning from their trip to the casket was saying things like “she could almost be asleep” and “she really was such a beautiful child.” But to Naomi the idea of actually going up to the front of the room and seeing the thing that had once been her cousin filled her with dread. As the cross-country train had carried her here, she could not shake the image from her mind: Madeline’s little body at the bottom of the lake, her hair drifting in the gloom, her blank eyes gazing upwards as those two days passed. Though, it had been so long since she’d visited that Naomi could not even picture her face.
By Tim Oslington4 years ago in Horror
Reconciliation
“Are you a good person?” The child’s voice is small but curious. Up until a few seconds before I was hugging my knees on this rocky beach, listening to the waves, alone in the dark but also relishing in the kind of loneliness that exists when you think everyone else is asleep. It’s easy to believe you are the only person awake at this moment in the entire universe.
By Cassidy Barker4 years ago in Horror
Blue Waters
It was a hot summer day. The air was dry, and the grass had that peculiar smell like it was about to set ablaze. The local children were splashing and playing in the lake nearby, as my grandmother was hanging out the washing with her hard, slender hands. She had greying, shoulder-length hair and wore a faded floral dress. She loved summer. It held memories of happier times, and was when her husband was away hunting. She looked out over the golden field and breathed a deep sigh of relief,
By Matt Malone4 years ago in Horror
Lost
I stood at the edge of the pond. The tips of my toes touched the water. The sun still low on the horizon. I wanted desperately to drift away into her embrace. You would be welcome here. I would provide a home for you. Her still surface soothed me. I wondered if she had welcomed anyone else into her depths.
By A. G. White4 years ago in Horror
Victoria's Pass
Every year, the second weekend of October marks our adventurous trip up the Tennessee Smokies. Nestled just 30 feet from Lake Victoria Pass, the cabins in the mountains of West Virginia has been our go to family destination for the past ten years. My wife, Equinda, and the kids consider all the amenities and scenic sites to be just a small slice of heaven and look forward to the week-long excursion; however, I’ve grown complacent of the trip and feel a bit defeated that my vacation idea was shot down by the family committee. Nevertheless, the truck is packed, the gps is set, and I've taken my position behind the cockpit. The venture starts as planned for the most part, you know, stopping every five minutes to let the kids go to the restroom, or playing the usual game of follow the leader in every convenience store on I-75. What do they call it; “Deja vu” every action of the trip seems routine and a replica of years past. I glance up at the upcoming sign and it reads, Lake Victoria Pass 75 miles, exit 1 mile. This is the part of the journey where I clinch up and put on my reading glasses. The next 75 miles is what I’ve nicknamed the Devil’s Pass. The terrain switches from a four lane US highway, to a 2 lane road wrapped around a serpentine of mountainous wooded forest covered with snow and cliff hangers. The time is now 4pm and I know I’ve only got about an hour of daylight ahead of me.
By Lamont Renzo Bracy4 years ago in Horror
Jump Far
The Lake was always colder at that time of the year. The fall season brought all of the debris and mud up from the bottom, making it seem like there was no longer a Lake, only a muddy patch between two tree lines. The one side, the safer side, was retained by cliffs of varying size. The Lake could only be compared to ice fishing in Alaska, the top blanketed in matter, but without the fish. People, tourists mostly, would attempt to trudge across to the other side with the expectation of a shortcut to better hiking trails. This was never the case. Farther up the Lake was a singular bridge that crossed the length of the murky water, known really only by the people who lived in the area. The bridge was the least traveled path due to its position off of the designated trails, and the countless “Beware of Bears” signs adorning its vicinity.
By Cadence Kliesch4 years ago in Horror
Waiting for an idea to come
I want to write a story that is scary but does not cause me nightmares. I have always been fond of foggy waters. I am sitting in a reservoir with my feet in the sand. It is too cold to swim because winter is coming. How scary the thought—there are many things I wait for; winter is not one of them.
By Sone Kramer4 years ago in Horror
Down the Wrong Hole
Down the Wrong Hole by Dennis R. Humphreys Chance Williams wondered what he was doing here and how life guided him to this point. He was only trying to make some good money, even though it was a little on the shady side. A lot of people did that and never ended up in this position. He read somewhere one time to do what you love, and figure out a way to make money at it, and you would discover your 'bliss'. Yeah...it was a Joseph Campbell thing...some world famous mythologist and religious expert. Maybe that was the problem. Doing that was just a myth. Maybe that's what got him here. That's it...it was Joseph Campbell's fault. If he was alive today he'd make him eat his books. But that was easy to say being duct taped to a piece of plywood with your head taped still and two dental wedges in your mouth to hold it open. He was lying flat on the plywood lying on the floor in a six by eight foot room with about two dozen snakes were lose and slithering about randomly. It was a matter of time before one decided to slither into his mouth and down his throat, choking him to death. Just the thought of it was terrifying, but then that's why the two goons and Victor, that put him here, did what they did. They were instructed to do it, not to just to get rid of him but in the process, use him as the deterrent to any others thinking about doing the same thing.
By Dennis Humphreys4 years ago in Horror
