Curse of the House of Glamis

The following story is found in The Hamlyn Book of Ghosts, Part III by J. Allen Randolph, published in London in 1987:

When I was a young man living in London, I used to frequent the old Strathmore Club, and there I was once treated by a close friend to a remarkable and terrifying tale of familial bonds and the monsters they make. After dinner, as my friend and I repaired to the library for brandy and cigars, he remarked that he hadn’t heard a good ghost story in a very long time, and he lamented the practice’s lapse after his years at university. I was familiar with the form and so I challenged him then and there that we would drink and smoke until one of us was told a story that left the other’s blood cold.

A curse on this house!

Next Week on Scary True: He rules from a secret room! He is a dead king! He is a mad monster! He is the father of us all! Fall under the "Curse of the House of Glamis."
And check out this week's vampire story, "Dragons of the Old World."

Every so often, Scary True would like to spotlight websites, books, films, and other fun stuff that promote scares, creeps, and the heebie-jeebies. This time, Scary True turns a blood-red eye to The Obscure Hollow, a blog filled with love for haunted film decor. The Hollow cuts right to the heart of scary and distills what I can only call pure creepiness, featuring all the dark shadows, gloomy castles, and giant fireplaces that haunted the classic horror films. If you love a graveyard in sumptuous black and white, or a creepy shadow cast on a castle wall, take a trip to The Obscure Hollow.

Dragons of the Old World

When Ana’s grandmother arrived in New York after World War II, she, like many other immigrants, was trying to escape the turmoil of her home country. But Ana’s grandmother wasn’t just fleeing from the wreckage of endless war; she was also fleeing from an ancient curse, a curse that she hoped she could outrun, a curse that would cross the oceans to claim her.

Ana writes to tell me about the wonderful life her grandmother lived and what happened after her death. Ana’s grandmother fled Yugoslavia because of the destruction of World War II and the chaos of the political upheaval that followed. But she also left her home for other reasons. “My grandmother was her own woman,” Ana writes. “She did what she thought was right for herself and her family and she was ostracized for it.”

The vampires are coming!

Next Week on Scary True: A blood-sucking creature of the night stalks the shadows for its next victim in "Dragons of the Old World."

And check out this week's Midnighters' story, "The Midnighters: Bogeyman."

Every so often, Scary True would like to spotlight websites, books, films, and other fun stuff that promote scares, creeps, and the heebie-jeebies. This time, Scary True celebrates the old-timey ghost stories of M. R. James. In tales like "An Episode of Cathedral History" or "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book," James' deft storytelling gifts will give your spine a tingle it will not forget. Read these stories at night, preferably when the wind is howling and the moon is full, in front of a cozy fire with a glass of something warm and comforting. They make perfect ghost stories for Halloween or Christmas.

The Midnighters: Bogeyman

For over thirty years, Jerry worked as a police officer in Pittsburgh. In his time on the force, Jerry had seen some bad things, some worse things, and some downright evil things. Cleaning up when people got mad or got crazy was part of the job, but there were other things that Jerry saw, things that most people never see, things that prowl the night, things that refuse to die.

I interviewed Jerry several times in 2002. The following incident is just one of the many stories Jerry shared in hours of audio recordings. I have transcribed them just as they were told to me by Jerry.

“This was back in 1970, when me and Frank – that’s my partner, Frank – we were on the outs with the department after all that trouble with the zombies and all the people gettin’ eaten, so they busted us down and put us back on the street, driving a car, just like in the old days.

Check under the bed!

Next Week on Scary True: There's something hiding in the closet! The Midnighters are on the case in "The Midnighters: Bogeyman!"
And check out this week's Civil War ghost story, "In Darkness We Wait."

Every so often, Scary True would like to spotlight websites, books, films, and other fun stuff that promote scares, creeps, and the heebie-jeebies. This time, Scary True calls out Ghost Hunting Theories where Autumnforest will blow your mind with everything from sprucing up Halloween costumes to zombie-blogging to the social implications of finding Bigfoot. Autumnforest grew up in a haunted house, so she knows what she's doing, and that makes GHT a one-stop shop for all things paranormal.

In Darkness We Wait

The following story is found in The Hamlyn Book of Ghosts by J. Allen Randolph, published in London in 1969:

The American Civil War killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers, far more than any other war fought in America; indeed, more than any other war fought by Americans. If a violent death is a prerequisite for a haunting, then the American Civil War must have produced a plethora of ghosts or at least as many ghost stories.

One such story comes to us from a correspondent in the American state of Tennessee. Civil War ghosts are as numerous as the stars, but this particular tale struck me as intensely intriguing, resonating as it does with a mythic past almost forgotten on these shores.

They're waiting for you!

Next week on Scary True: They fell in battle and now they wait to fight again! A horror-filled history lesson from the Civil War, "In Darkness We Wait!"
And if you already haven't, please take a look at this week's scary faerie story "The People Underground."

Every so often, Scary True would like to spotlight websites, books, films, and other fun stuff that promote scares, creeps, and the heebie-jeebies. This week, Scary True turns an evil eye to Ghost Stories and Haunted Places where Jessica Penot somehow always has something new and engaging to say on ghostly topics from folklore to hauntings to shadow people.

The People Underground

When Katie was a child, something inexplicable and terrifying happened to her family. This is a story about things that lie waiting just below the surface, things rarely seen, and how, when they suddenly come crashing into the sunlit world, they change everything. This is the story of what Katie’s mother saw.

In the fall of 1975, Katie was eleven years old. The previous summer, Katie’s family had moved to a newly-built neighborhood just outside of Los Angeles. While Katie and her brother, Jeff, went off to their new school and their father crisscrossed the country on business, Katie’s mother was home alone in the new house.

Katie’s mother was not just alone in the house; she was also alone in the neighborhood. Katie’s family were the first to move in and, while magnificent new homes lined their street, they all stood empty.