Short Stories Occult

SURREAL, SUPERNATURAL, PARANORMAL, TRANSCENDENTAL, UNCANNY?The Axe: The desolate Australian outback is not a place to become stranded without water. Is it the stone axe which leads the desperate man to think he has been saved? Or is it all in his mind and is death creeping up silently?Alfredo: Is it possible to place a curse on a violin, a curse which will hunt down the members of just one family? The Mist: The becalmed yacht drifts into a misty haze in the hour before dawn, gliding into the raging fires of an oily hell of wartime death and destruction. A wounded sailor in the water fights ...

When outside a man’s home, a bush, inflamed, but not burning says to him, “I am the God of thy father,” knowing nothing good comes when God speaks to you in person, he acts.

At the end of our days we will most likely lie for eternity in the cemetery or graveyard. Many of these, now wreathed in time, have a romance and overgrown beauty as nature keeps and shelters the dead. For our varied and talented authors, a major theme, or indeed character of the stories in this volume is that very location, and how they weave it into their narratives is both fascinating, enlightening and a wonderfully distinct way of telling classic short stories.

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?

Hunter of the Light Series: Book 8 of 15 Rachel is worried her new visions may be putting her in even more danger! After her last disturbing vision, Rachel is unsure how much she wants to share with Adam. But before she can make that decision, another conundrum is thrown their way … a dead body shows up on Rachel’s doorstep. Who is she, and where did she come from? As Adam and Rachel look deeper into Patel’s dark past, they realize she may be the answer to all their questions. But are her stories plausible, and do they hold the key to stopping death?

First published in 1917 by Alfred A. Knopf, this collection of Algernon Blackwood's short stories includes some of his most beloved classics.

SECRET GENIE WISHES JASMINE purchases a mystical “jinni” for her young niece, but fate has other plans for the peculiar “toy”…and for Jasmine’s complicated love life! LYNETTE returns to an abandoned beach house where, as a child, she played happily at the ocean. Once she lost her grandmother’s “genie bottle” to a huge wave that swept it out to sea. The decorative decanter containing mysterious secrets can’t really be back after all these years…can it? MARLEY directs a children’s play about genies at a local theater. Who changes the script when a real genie visits in ...

When a teenager discovers a way he believes will summon the dead, driven by insanity or genius, he forces his friends down a path, he should have never chosen.

Early retirees Maria and Richard Wilcox adore their new home out in the country. The past six months have been sheer bliss as they settled in and prepared for their golden years. Until the night they answer a knock on their door. The unexpected visitors are a pair of children. Richard tries to be cordial, but something about the kids is off. Something sinister, something menacing, something inhuman. And then the children demand to be let in. What do they want? Is this all a prank? Can Maria and Richard get them to go away, or will their dreams of a peaceful retirement together go up in flames?

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.

The fourth volume in the Max Porter Paranormal Mystery collection is here and it’s explosive! New allies, new foes, and a rivalry centuries in the making all come to a head in one fantastic showdown. And if that wasn’t enough, Max’s family faces its toughest challenge yet, one that threatens to tear away the Sandwich Boys just as they’re settling in. It’s all here and much, much more!

Hearken, O seeker of mysteries, to a tome of shadows and dread portent! Within these hallowed pages lie sixty and six harrowing tales, each a journey into the abyss of human desire and the perils that await therein. Set amidst the fog-laden landscapes of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, these narratives chronicle the fateful deeds of those who dared to invoke the mighty spirits of the Ars Goetia through the sacred tongue of the Enochian chants. Boldly do these stories unveil the souls who, in their pursuit of power, love, vengeance, or forbidden knowledge, summoned entities whose ...

An ancient legend comes to life when a savage creature stalks a terrified girl through the jungle. A mission to Mars takes a grisly turn as the last surviving astronaut encounters horror beyond comprehension. And the shadows that lurk in a young boy’s bedroom become sinister protectors, lashing out at the child’s cruel and dysfunctional family.

Deep in the quiet town of Garibaldi, Oregon, lies a dark and mysterious secret. Zoey follows her heart from Idaho to the Oregon coast where she is drawn into a world filled with romance, mystery, and danger as she navigates the small coastal village plagued with ghosts, dark magic, murder, and even a dragon. Will Zoey find what she's been searching for, or will the evil lurking in the mists of Garibaldi consume her completely? Join Zoey and the other inhabitants of this tiny fishing village as they move through perilous challenges and uncover hidden truths. If you enjoy thrilling tales of ...

Jack Nightingale knows the dangers of doing a deal with a devil, but sometimes beggars can't be choosers. And when his nemesis Proserpine comes up from the bowels of Hell to ask for a favour, he has no choice other to help. Which is why the supernatural detective finds himself going up against the Undead, and putting his own life on the line.

An anthology of short stories based upon/inspired by, and in loving homage to all of those great gore-fest movies and books of the 1980s (not necessarily based in that era, although some do ride that wave of nostalgia), the golden age when horror well and truly came kicking, screaming, and spraying blood, gore, and body parts out from the shadows.

Silent Night. Not Calm. Not Bright. Reggie was alone for Christmas. He liked it that way. But when he goes to a secluded cabin in the woods, he encounters something sinister among the trees. A strange red velvet sack waits for him along his hiking path. Inside is the gift of terror. Soon, Reggie finds himself thrust into a bizarre and horrifying world where the trappings of Christmas are deadly perversions of what he's always known. The only question is: will he escape with his life, or will he become fuel for a dark entity's fire and sustenance for its meal? Walking in a Winter Terrorland ...

Dive into a world of madness and cosmic horror. J. M. Nelson's anthology of short stories is filled with dread and sheer terror, all revolving around a lost city known only as “The Necropolis”. This collection features 16 tales of pure dismay.

One of Canada’s most acclaimed horror writers, Gemma Files presents a mosaic of interconnected stories about interconnected families. After fleeing Scotland, five clans settled in the fictional town of Dourvale in northern Ontario. Known as the Five-Family Coven, they are the descendants of witches and witch-children, none of whom were spared persecution in their native country. Now shamans, spellcasters, singers, and thieves, the members of the Devize, Druir, Glouwer, Roke, and Rusk families survive by trading their occult powers and talents.

Based on Japanese literature and foldlore, Kwaidan contains 17 stories. The story of Loichi, the blind biwa player who was called to perform for the dead; of Muso, the journeying priest who encountered a man eating goblin; of the samurai who outwitted the ghost of a dead man. All these plus 14 other spooly tales are included in this collection.