Ancient Horror

In her second collection from Trepidatio Publishing, award-winning author Gemma Files takes her listeners on journeys out beyond safe borders—from the trackless depths of the sea, to the empty desert frontiers of the Weird West, even to the edges of cracks between worlds. Here, in these narrow spaces between the known and the unknown, behind the paper-thin curtains of reality, lurk monsters both human and ancient: selkies and avenging revenants, voodoo priestesses and pirate sorcerers, ghosts and vampires, and the most famous murderer of all time.

The first man I killed roared like an animal. I tore off his head with my fingertips. I spent a decade becoming the best violinist in my state - but a single letter dashed my hopes of a musical career. Desperate to escape my sheltered existence, I took a mysterious offer from a music school in Bulgaria. The culture and my new classmates seemed magical at first... a little too magical. My blood runs dark and hot as new emotions awaken within me, along with supernatural abilities that take my music farther than I'd ever imagined. They tell me I'm the key to everything, but only if I can keep ...

During spring break, archaeology students Adam Andrews and Eva Lunes fly to the Yucatan to research Mayan pyramids, ruins, and myths. When their island guide, Enrique, offers to give them a private tour of Kukulkan’s Island, also called Snake Island, they seize the opportunity, as it has some of the most fantastic, least-seen ruins of all Mayan culture. When Eva and Adam arrive at Snake Island, they tour Kukulkan’s Pyramid and learn of the legend of the Forbidden Tree and its cursed fruit. Unfortunately, Adam and Eva also encounter a mysterious man who warns them to leave the island. ...

“I binged and splurged the entire series.” – J.L. Lux, Author An outpost at the edge of the kingdom. People who harbor a dark secret dating back to their origins. Menataun’s people are being killed by unexplained wild animal attacks as well as by a shambler—one of their own who has become a creature of the night. Calec and Serileen are drawn to Menataun, attempting to track down the Hunter—a suspect in Serileen’s mother’s death. But they find even darker magic already at work, something carried in the blood of these people. With their ancient remedy unavailable, the number ...

The Victorians were obsessed with Egyptology and mummies. It was during the second half of the 19th century that many of the most significant archeological finds were made in Egypt, and stories of the revenge of the mummies on anyone raiding their tombs, stealing their treasures or unwrapping their corpses abounded. This collection brings together the best and scariest short stories of the period, featuring vengeance-seeking mummies, bandaged zombies, pharaonic ghosts and ancient curses.

When Corra's daughter is murdered by the edge of a river, she begins her hunt for the killer and the person who ordered it. (A Novelette.)

Maria Dahvana Headley blends history, romance, and the supernatural for a fantastic tale set in ancient Egypt. Upon hearing news of her husband Antony’s death, Cleopatra is distraught. In an effort to resurrect him, she summons the fearsome warrior goddess Sekhmet. Striking a deal with the deity, Cleopatra pays a terrible price in the bargain and is transformed into a terrifying vampire-like creature whose lust for blood is only matched by her desire to exact vengeance upon those who have wronged her.

Follow Christoph Swift and his diverse band of companions as they navigate the treacherous waters of the Traders World. In a realm where minosium—a gem of extraordinary power—fuels both progress and conflict, every wave conceals a potential ally or enemy. But in this world where ambition and magic intertwine, every alliance harbors a hidden agenda. As Christoph and his unlikely crew sail from sun-drenched archipelagos to mist-shrouded islands, each discovery brings them closer to the mythical Labyrinth—and to danger. Facing ruthless factions and ancient mysteries, they must master ...

En la historia de Dorian Gray, que gracias a que tiene un retrato que envejece por el puede dedicarse a las mayores depravaciones y vicios, sin que lo afecten, es un personaje universal, cuyas aventuras hasta su tragico final, se consideran entre las obras maestras de la literatura inglesa.

This chilling tale of a gruesome monster unleashed into the world by an unthinking scientist was first conceived by 19-year-old Mary Shelley on a dark, rainy night on Lake Geneva. Lord Byron and Percy Shelley challenged their friends to see who could come up with the most horrifying story imaginable. Mary Shelley did, terrifying them all with her nightmare-inspired tale. It is followed by "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge which was an early haunting influence on the young Mary Shelley.

There is an ancient evil lurking in the mountains of California. One peak over from Friendly, California, there is another, darker place. In that place there are two churches. Displaced from a time and place far distant, an ancient carving watches from an alcove above the door of a nearly forgotten church. When the evil it embodies reaches out and snags the soul of Silas Greene, roots creep down into the mountain and out into everything they touch. There is another church on the mountain. It is made of stone, carved into the stone of the mountain, and also all but forgotten.

Tess Blackwell thought her troubles were over after dealing with the sinister vampire, Lilith. However, Lilith had different plans. Now connected by a binding spell, Tess feels what Lilith feels and vice versa, meaning if one dies, so does the other.

Whether searching for the buried treasure of Captain Kidd in "The Gold Bug" or seeking revenge in "The Cask of Amontillado," the words of the master storyteller will thrill and envelop the listener.

“There is something out there,” a Cheyenne a troubled brave warns Walking Man as they pursue a small band of soldiers across the desolate prairie. The Cheyenne warrior is uncertain of the meaning until he is visited by a spirit that warns him of an ancient enemy of the tribe; a hideous beast from the past who feeds on blood-lust and fear. The mythical creature attacks the Cheyenne, nearly wiping them out, and Walking Man, frantic to save the lives of the remaining warriors, is forced to strike a bargain with the soldiers.

Still haunted by the horrors she faced on Hell Moon, Janice struggles to build a new life with her makeshift family aboard Fathomscape Space Station, raising the reptilian children they risked their lives to save. But when a moth-like alien queen foolishly unleashes age-old evils, Janice watches in horror as vicious metal beasts—the very monsters that still stalk her dreams—begin consuming their space station from the inside out. With time running out and station-dwellers turning on each other, Janice must gather her courage to battle the stuff of her worst nightmares made real. ...

In 1998, a 16-year-old girl is found dead. She’s posed on a swing on her boarding school’s property, dressed all in white, with no known cause of death. Whispers and rumors swirl, with no answers. But there are a few who know what happened; there is one girl who will never forget. One year earlier: a new student, Violet, steps on the campus of Elm Hollow Academy, an all-girl’s boarding school on the outskirts of a sleepy coastal town. This is her fresh start, her chance to begin again in the wake of tragedy, leave her demons behind.

The St. Charles Players present multi-cast dramatizations of some of Edgar Allan Poe's greatest works, including The Black Cat, The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether, The Purloined Letter, and The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

It isn’t just household debris. It moves. It breathes. It hungers. When Marcie Whitaker inherits her grandmother’s Victorian mansion in the secluded town of Thornbrook, she expects old furniture and outdated wallpaper—not dust bunnies watching her from every corner. Generations of Whitakers have fed these creatures with blood and secrets, maintaining a covenant none fully understood. And Marcie is the new dust-keeper. “Mind the corners,” her grandmother’s final warning echoes. But which is the true threat: the dust that seeks communion with her blood or what they’ve been ...

Passionate hearts. Dark secrets. England, 1819. Augusta Leonard’s childhood memories are terrifying and best forgotten. Even so, when her half-brother Lord Drake Winters sends a letter begging her to meet him at Dunmoor House, their childhood home, she has no choice but to go. After all, she’s never denied him anything. But revisiting the past may require more of her than she anticipated, and righting the wrongs of childhood could cost her everything. A few miles from Dunmoor, Alex Jameson is tasked with finding his murdered lover’s ten-year-old daughter Arabella and bringing her to ...

Vampires don’t exist. That’s what Jake knew. Until that fateful night in a dark alley. Now a rogue half-breed, he will know more than he wants about the hidden world of the inhuman predators who changed his life. And he will have his mortality back, even if he has to destroy them all. With the suspect assistance of a mysterious benefactor, his desperate journey for salvation will take him to the demonic myths of the distant past, lead to war with various vampire clans, deadly battles with different species of their kind, and test his unique skills as never before.