Short Stories Occult

More than a decade after Kelley Armstrong first opened the doors to the Otherworld, fans are still clamoring for more. In response to their demands - and to coincide with the Syfy Network show based on the series - Plume has signed up three Otherworld anthologies, each of which revolves around a different theme. The second in the trilogy, Otherworld Secrets, features fan favorites such as Cassandra, Savannah, and Adam in rare and never-before-published short stories - plus a brand new novella.

Jessica Niemi is put on leave after a violent altercation between her and a belligerent man makes headlines. To escape the unwanted scrutiny, Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago and rents a room at a small seaside inn. She is hoping to be left alone as she faces the possibility that she is losing what is left of her sanity but three elderly visitors have arrived at the inn for their yearly sojourn.

In "The Abbot’s Shadow," set within the serene confines of the Monastery of Saint-Michel-du-Valais in southern France, Brother Luc, a devout monk, confronts a chilling temptation that shatters his tranquil existence. One fateful night, he is awakened not by sound, but by an otherworldly presence; a succubus, a demon of seduction and desire, who disrupts his peaceful slumber with her intoxicating beauty and allure. As she materialises in his dim cell, her enchanting essence brings forth a conflict between his vows of piety and the primal urges she awakens within him. Despite his training ...

This volume covers H.P. Lovecraft's "apprentice years" - roughly the first half of his literary career, the half written before his return to Providence in 1926. Every story written for publication under his own name is included in this volume, from 1917 through 1925.

In "Presence in Prague", Father Thomas O’Neill is enjoying a solitary evening in his top-floor apartment in Rome when he receives a troubling call from a Cardinal at the Vatican. There's a crisis at St. Bede's College in Prague involving disturbing supernatural phenomena—grotesque manifestations, eerie sounds, and a series of incapacitated priests. As reports reveal walls screaming and strange writing appearing in ancient catacombs, the church's usual methods have failed, necessitating Thomas's unusual expertise in confronting genuine evil. Recalling his own past encounters with ...

Survivors trapped in a sunken vessel find themselves hunted through the depths by a deadly adversary. A skeptical journalist discovers the sinister inhabitants of a fake haunted house are all too real. And a husband commits murder to protect his wife, only to learn he has created something even more dangerous....

A physically wounded soldier living his last days and an emotionally wounded woman about to commit suicide, through the aid of a visitor from the future discover they're related in a startling way.

A man sees a girl living alone in a vacant home, presuming she’s a runaway or abandoned, he attempts an intervention and discovers she’s a ghost, then continues his intervention by solving the puzzle of her.

When a beautiful woman approaches Emmet asking for no strings-attached fun, he thinks he's finally hit the jackpot. He's not about to let a little thing like her claiming to be a witch get between them, whatever kind of spell she thinks she's going to cast with his "pent up sexual energy". Mary knows Emmet doesn't believe her, but she doesn't care. He's the perfect specimen for her ritual, just bursting with sexual energy. What she doesn't know is that Emmet isn't only pent up - he's a virgin. And when the spell grows out of control and escapes, it's up to them to go track it down.

When I was a child, one of my favorite stories was about a haunted house on the edge of town. The tale was embellished with gory details and bone-chilling twists, leaving me both terrified and fascinated. Despite the fear that crept into my bones, I couldn't get enough of these gruesome tales. As I grew older, I found myself seeking out horror stories in books, movies, and even podcasts. The adrenaline rush that came with each jump scare and the thrill of being transported to a world of darkness and terror became almost addicting. I reveled in the feeling of being scared out of my wits, yet...

From the author of “Tales from Beneath the Crypt” comes another collection of short stories that are sure to scare even the most devoted of horror fans. From creepypastas to true horror stories, urban legends to stalkers, there’s a story for everyone who wants to know what is truly lurking in the darkness.

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! is the darkest, the living-deadliest, scariest - and dare we say most tasteful - collection of zombie stories ever assembled. It's so good, it's a no-brainer. There is never a dull moment in the world of zombies. They are superstars of horror, and they are everywhere, storming the world of print and visual media. Their endless march will never be stopped. It's the Zombie Zeitgeist! Now, with his wide sweep of knowledge and keen eye for great storytelling, Otto Penzler offers a remarkable catalog of zombie literature.

The fading memories Jacob has of his deceased mother are buried on a few VHS home movies. Recently haunted by recurring dreams of her, he sets out to pick up a used VCR, and finds one at a local yard sale. However this is no ordinary VCR. According to the owner, this particular model not only plays movies, but it allows one to communicate with the dead. Fueled by curiosity, Jacob takes it home and soon discovers that what he possesses opens a doorway to darkness, death, and lust.

In "The Cursed Village," Father Thomas O'Neill, a seasoned exorcist dispatched by the Vatican, arrives in the sleepy village of Western Thane, Hampshire. His presence disrupts the quaint tranquillity as villagers, wary and fearful, whisper rumours of a sinister force lurking nearby. A priest has been found dead, and Thomas is tasked with investigating the dark undercurrents of the community, which include missing young women and strange occurrences connected to the ominous Manor House on the hill. Amidst polite nods and forced smiles, Thomas senses the deep-seated fear that permeates the ...

Here are 23 terrifying tales, dark reflections of the silver screen from both sides of the camera. James Dean gets a second chance at life and death. The Wicked Witch is out of Oz, and she's made some very unlucky friends. When God decides reality needs an editor, what and who gets cut?

A young librarian receives a request for an obscure Hebrew book from a sinister gentleman, unaware of its contents. Montague Rhodes James was a noted British mediaeval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918) and of Eton College (1918–1936). He is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature.

After crossing paths with fire imps in Paris, Samantha Moon and the gang continue their whirlwind European tour... Next stop: Prague. Dealing with Anthony's mind-numbing "Czech" jokes is one thing...but dealing with magic-wielding vampires is something else entirely. It begins after a few peaceful days in Prague. The sites are awe-inspiring. But the sounds not so much. Especially the banging at night. And then the screaming. Sam and Allison investigate...and come across something they're not entirely prepared to see... A monster of epic proportions, controlled by a nefarious group of old ...

In the quiet, seemingly idyllic neighborhood of Eden Gardens, the ordinary collides with the extraordinary in this thrilling collection of supernatural, fantasy, and horror stories. Suburban Tales: Book One unveils three dark and mysterious tales that haunt the hearts of its residents. In “The Rock Star,” a drum technician’s late-night bike ride takes a terrifying turn as he encounters a ghostly presence that refuses to let him go. “The Piano” tells the story of a recently divorced man who wakes up to find an old street barrel piano on his lawn, but its haunting melodies soon ...

The Lurking Fear includes examples of Lovecraft's earliest weird fiction including "Hypnos", "What the Moon Brings", "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs", and "Memory" (inspiration for the 2014 film of the same name), as well as the title story, "The Lurking Fear", a traditional horror study commissioned by George Julian Houtain to be run as a serial in Home Brew magazine in 1923 that has served as the source material for multiple films and been adapted into a comic book.

Who has not been thrilled and not a little frightened by tales of ghosts, spirits, hauntings, and monsters? Some of the most fascinating accounts come from the dark hollows of the Ozark Mountains. For generations, these scary, mystifying legends have been told around campfires and family gatherings and handed down through the generations. Now, for the first time, the best of these tales have been gathered together and presented in this volume.