Gothic Short Stories

Four ghost stories from England’s historic shires present a heady brew of the Gothic, folk horror, historical fiction and satire. The Ghost of Scarside Beck A newly-wed Cumbrian vicar and his wife experience a night like none they could ever have foreseen. He may have answered his calling, but who, or what, is calling her? At Fall of Night A ghostly excursion into the Victorian Gothic; a tale of obsession, terror, and vengeance. Welcome to Wiltshire in the autumn of 1843. Monsieur Benoit Lavarnier, toast of the Parisian art world and a man of cultured accomplishments, finds himself ...

As the pupils of St. Joseph's Academy for Boys stream through the gate towards the chapel for assembly, there is one who remains behind. He is named after a saint, but everyone at St. Joseph's knows there is nothing saintly about this boy.

In a plague-stricken medieval convent, a nun works on a forbidden mystic manuscript. In rural South Carolina, an alligator named Dragon becomes a beloved pet for a precocious, tough-talking twelve-year-old. During a long, muggy July, an adolescent girl finds unexpected power as her family obsesses over the horror film The Exorcist. On the outskirts of a Southern college town, a young woman resists the tyranny of a shape-shifting older professor as she develops her own sorceress skills.

Beneath the brilliance that was behind The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome was a dark side. A dark side which produced magnificent tales of the unseen influences in our lives, such as "Mr. Jones", "The Eyes", "Kerfol", "The Ladie's Maid's Bell", and "The Looking Glass".

A ghostly presence in “The Lady’s Maid’s Bell” desires revenge against a tyrannical husband. In “Mr. Jones”, Lady Jane Lynke inherits an estate unexpectedly, and can’t make sense of how to manage the servants - especially since the caretaker has been dead for decades, but keeps giving orders. Meanwhile, in “Afterward”, a newly wealthy American couple moves into a large, isolated house in southern England complete with a ghost...and the mysteries surrounding the husband’s business are slowly uncovered.

Theodora Goss's first major short story collection showcases such stories as "The Rose in Twelve Petals," "The Rapid Advance of Sorrow," "Lily, With Clouds," "In the Forest of Forgetting," "Sleeping With Bears," and many more.

The Vampire’s Fertile Valentine — A Paranormal Romance Short Story A deadly curse. A forbidden love. One chance to save them all. In the village of Lupercalia, Valentine's Day is more than a celebration—it's a sacred ritual for love, lust, and fertility. Each year, maidens draw the names of eligible bachelors from a ceremonial urn, forging a bond meant to bring life and prosperity to the land. But everything changes when the villagers shun a vampire's descendant from the draw—and their punishment is swift: a barren year, and a deadly curse upon their future. Now, the only way to ...

She inherited a house, but discovered something far more valuable within the haunted walls... When Lyra inherits Fairlane Manor from her late great-uncle, she never imagined the secrets it held within its timeworn walls. The legacy of a once-renowned artist lingers like a specter, his eerie and lifelike animal paintings haunting the minds of those who dare to behold them. In a whispered legend, a traveler sought refuge at Fairlane Manor, only to become ensnared in the painter's mysterious masterpiece. Trapped within the canvas, he was cursed to roam as a fearsome werewolf, his fate forever ...

Welcome to Winterhaven ~ Almost Nothing Is What It Seems... But the Sex is Real and the Secrets are Many! Down and out on her luck, Verity answers an ad in in a small country newspaper. The job offer sounds almost too good to be true and the salary is much more than she made in the city. Even with her doubts, though, Verity visits Winterhaven and falls in love with the rural area... but behind the lush green beauty of the countryside lies ugly secrets! Winterhaven Manor holds many secrets, and all those associated with the grand old estate seem to have secrets of their own to protect. ...

Is it a gift if it’s taken by force? Treat yourself to this steamy anthology all centered around love, dominant men and their (mostly) willing Valentines. This set includes six brand new, scorching novellas by USA Today and other bestselling authors… Mr. Imperfect by Carolyn Faulkner Nina is a curvy girl who is wary of men who seem too perfect. She always seems to lose her heart to them when they want nothing to do with her. Then along comes Clete. He's entirely too perfect, although the first thing he does is treat her the way she's always wanted to be treated by a man. But is he just ...

Some witches heal. Some witches curse. Some never die. Step into the shadowed corners of magic with Whispers of the Coven, a haunting collection of witch stories where the line between power and peril is razor-thin. Inside, you’ll discover: 🕯️ A hidden village where every woman is born with a secret spell—one that can only be used once. 🌙 A forgotten grimoire that writes new spells in human blood. 🔥 A witch trial where the accused is more dangerous than the executioners. 📖 A bookshop that appears only to those with unfinished business with the dead. 💀 A curse that keeps...

In a forgotten corner of the Slavic lands, where the trees grow thick with secrets and the rivers whisper ancient tales, a grim tradition lives on. Once a generation, the villagers of Ternok offers a sacrifice to the creature that stalks the night—the vampire who has haunted their hills for centuries. This time, the lot has fallen upon Nadia. She must resist the sexual temptations of the vampire throughout the night, hoping to slay him with sunlight. Will her betrothed, Branek, make it to the sacrificial altar in time to save Nadia, or will she fall victim to a vampire who will stop at ...

After the publication of her short story “The Lottery” in the New Yorker in 1948 received an unprecedented amount of attention, Shirley Jackson was quickly established as a master horror storyteller. This collection of classic and newly reprinted stories provides listeners with more of her unsettling, dark tales, including the “The Possibility of Evil” and “The Summer People”.

My name is Lance Steel. I’m the owner of Caprice Casino and Club Moroii, located on the Las Vegas strip. I’m a husband, a damned good father, and I’m also a vampire. I’ve lived many lives over the years, having been turned in the twelfth century… the year 1113 AD, to be exact. Throughout my life, I’ve known many women but have only loved two women. But only Leila has touched my heart and very soul. My wife, Leila, is completely human, and I aim to keep it that way. I wish I could become human again for her. In fact, I dream of it. There is nothing that I want more than to have a...

This omnibus brings together seven of H.E. Bulstrode’s ghost stories originally published between 2016 and 2018. These are: The Ghost of Scarside Beck A newly-wed Cumbrian vicar and his wife experience a night like none they could ever have foreseen. He may have answered his calling, but who, or what, is calling her? Old Crotchet The year is 1920, and it's Twelfth Night by the old reckoning. Festivities are about to commence at Hinton St Cuthbert Manor when something sinister stirs from its protracted dormancy, awakened, it would seem, by the arrival of two young guests. The old ways, ...

This is a story from the Fall of the House of Usher collection. The horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, with its dungeon of death, and the overhanging gloom on the House of Usher demonstrate unforgettably the unique imagination of Edgar Allan Poe. Unerringly, he touches upon some of our greatest nightmares: Premature burial, ghostly transformation, words from beyond the grave. Written in the 1840s, they have retained their power to shock and frighten even now.

Beyond the Veil: Three Dark Tales of Life, Death, and the Unseen Step into a world where the line between life and death blurs, and the shadows whisper of things unseen... Cappuccino Heaven: Journey into the afterlife with Elizabeth Walker, who discovers that Heaven isn't quite what she imagined. Amidst familiar faces and endless cappuccinos, a darker realm looms, pulling her toward secrets that could unravel everything she once believed. Dead Dreams: For Adam and Summer, living on society's fringe seemed like the perfect escape—until they realize not everyone can see them. Plagued by ...

Step into the heart of Victorian London with “Mirror of the Damned,” a thrilling gothic horror story set in the hidden corners of Notting Hill. This tale revolves around the mysterious and cursed Mirror of the Damned, found in the peculiar shop of Mr. Abernathy. Here, the wealthy Sir Reginald Harcourt becomes obsessed with uncovering his future, leading him down a path of madness. Will the curse consume him, or can he break free from the mirror’s dark grip? Join the adventure in “Mirror of the Damned,” where the power of the human spirit is tested against the backdrop of time, ...

A thrilling collection of the first eight Samantha Moon short stories, including: Teeth - What happens when a child is born with a rare throwback gene, a gene that produces two exceptionally long teeth? Vampire Nights - Samantha Moon meets someone unexpected on a late night trip to Denny's, someone who seems to know all her secrets and has all the answers. Vampire Blues - Samantha Moon discovers that even a routine case can offer a few surprises―and that not all men are created equal. Vampire Dreams - Samantha Moon sets out to find the answer to a mysterious, haunting dream...a dream in ...

Delve into the darkest corners of the human psyche with "Nightmare: Blood and Bones," a chilling collection of 10 Gothic horror stories guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Each tale is steeped in mystery, suspense, and the macabre, transporting readers to eerie settings that range from haunted mansions and underground labyrinths to sinister laboratories and cursed villages. This anthology features a diverse cast of tormented characters, each struggling to survive in a world filled with malevolent spirits, insatiable bloodlust, and deadly secrets. Witness the terror that unfolds as a...