No wonder it took me so long to get to this week's Real Life Creepy Place, because it's so creepy even I didn't dare research it after 6 PM. And what's creepy about it isn't just some questionable rumors of hauntings and other supernatural happenings recorded by impressionable people. The Cecil Hotel has had a bad vibe and an unsavory reputation since the 1930's, and incredibly violent and creepy things continued to happen there until recently. It's been shut down and turned into a whole new hotel... whether the strange curse of this place will persist remains t[...]
Monthly Archives
September 2014
4 What could be scarier than Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Their underground lab and chamber or horrors of course! Check out this little taste: Last year I actually took my kids to New York and into this scary attraction. My daughter refused to go past the door, but my son and I were able to go in. Me? I clung to the back of my son's shirt through the entire thing. And we went during the day. At night, it's MUCH more frightening. So, if you live on the East Coast and a lover of the big scare...take the time to check out this attraction. [...]
He was born Herman Webster Mudgett, but he was better know as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, or H.H. Holmes, and he was one of the first documented serial killers in modern America. He was born in 1861 in New Hampshire, and it's reported that his father was a violent alcoholic. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1884, and while he was enrolled he stole cadavers and mutilated them, claiming they were victims of accidents, collecting insurance polices on them. Holmes moved to Chicago in 1886 to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals. He got a job[...]
Yep, you read that right. According to this very extensive article from The Daily Mail, an amateur sleuth, an expert in DNA and genetics, and 7 years of exhaustive work have cracked the case that has baffled detectives and historians for over a century. If you're a die-hard CSI junkie, you HAVE to read this article. But for those who want the short version (but how can you call yourselves horror fans, and not read the article about Jack the Ripper?!?!?!), here it is... You might have watched the movie 'From Hell' with Johnny Depp: And maybe you've pictured thi[...]
Today I'm going to share in the book blitz for Phobic by Cortney Pearson, a book that I expect Midnight Society Member Jolene will be very excited about. This is a ya horror novel involving a haunted house. You can check out the book description and teaser below, and check out the $15 amazon gift card giveaway. Isn't this cover great? Phobic by Cortney Pearson (The Forbidden Doors #1) Publication date: September 8th 2014 Genres: Horror, Young Adult Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it wa[...]
My students teach me new things all the time. Sometimes, I wish they hadn't. During a discussion about genres, I was giving examples of traditional literature. This turned into ghost stories, then into Bloody Mary, and even scarier Urban Legend I'd never heard of...Blue Baby. Here's what the kids told me: If you stand in front of a bathroom mirror, you need to recite the saying "Blue Baby" thirteen times while pretending to rock a baby in your arms. After the thirteenth time, a baby will appear in your arms. If you don't throw it into the toilet and flush it[...]
I was browsing MetaPicture when I came across this picture. The fact that someone actually hates the sea is completely foreign to me. I love the ocean. I live by it. I love being on boats. I do have several friends who feel this way... they're terribly afraid of what lurks unseen below the surface. That said, I thought it would be fun to share a few creatures that per mythology, people used to believe dwelled in the sea. Who knows, maybe they still do! Here are some of my favorite sea monsters! Mermaid A legendary aquatic creature with the head and[...]
With the philosophy in mind that anything can be scary, The Midnight Society brings you Top Scare, a new flash fiction contest. The Contest Post to the comments section below a piece of flash fiction (700 words or fewer) about the seemingly benign noun of the month. This month's benign noun is a mailbox. Here are some images that could get you thinking, but you are not required to use them: The Prize On Sunday, October 5, the Top Scare of all the entries will be announced. The winner gets a badge specially designed for that month. What will it l[...]
Over the past few days, I've been having the "horror" discussion a few times with a few different individuals. What is it? What makes it appealing? Does all horror fall under the same umbrella? Where do you draw the line between the things that creep and the things that scare versus the things meant to titillate and disgust? I think it's all relative -- we draw from experience and expand the lens on the things that dig into our history both as individuals and collectively. What scares me might scare you, but maybe not. In the effort to overturn a few rocks, to p[...]
You think your family is weird? There are some doozies out there, guys. Some of the old photos I've found floating around the internets are pretty creepy. This is the photo for your prompt. Write a little flash fiction piece (or longer, if your little black heart desires) about a strange family, with all of its bizarre members. If you want to share, post it in the comments. For longer pieces, leave a link. And remember: blood is thicker than water. Mwahaha. [...]