urban legend

Urban legends have captivated us from ancient eras to the modern day; a deep dive into scary lore and 'could be true' tales about Bigfoot, Slender Man, the Suicide Forest and beyond.

The Ones That Got Away!
I've written about "urban legends"--those apocryphal little horror stories told around offices and break rooms, and now shared as "creepy pasta" on the wild, terror-filled domains of the Internet--for many, many years, publishing one book, Scary Urban Legends (Schiffer, 2010), as well as an unpublished sequel Scary Horror Legends, that I have, nonetheless, cannibalized, off and on, whenever the occasion arises. I'm pretty much enamored with the genre--the weird, dislocating, timeless anonymity, the "everyman" nature of the undeveloped narrative protagonists; the way it exposes the hideous truth lurking just below the surface of bourgeois, suburban American society. Each legend has about it a sense of BEWARE: THIS could happen to ME, YOU, ANYONE OF US. Each nightmare vignette reminds me of what Stephen King once wrote about a short story being like, "A kiss from a lover in the dark."
By Tom Baker8 years ago in Horror
Quinceañera
Part 1 The bustle and fluster that occurs around the quinceañera (kínseh - ani - éra) is a tradition that dates back to the Aztecs from around 500 B.C. Boys were psyched up for warrior-hood, and girls were prepared for marriage. Prior to this turning point, a girl would have been taught to cook and weave, and she would have been talked to about childbearing. After the arrival of the Europeans and with the mingling of cultures, girls came to be seen as the carriers of heirs, the ambassadors of feudal clans, the hope of familial extensions… and for some, it may have been decided that they might best represent their parentage by consigning themselves to nunneries.
By r. nuñez8 years ago in Horror
Legendary Lives
Vampires, werewolves, and time travelers—the stuff of horror movies, comic books, and bad television pilots, typically for shows that last about ten episodes before finding their way to the mass grave of cancellation, never to be resurrected. Such beings exist only in the childish fantasies of writers and artists, dreamers and gamer-geeks who refuse to grow up—or grow old. Right?
By Tom Baker8 years ago in Horror
When the Abyss Stares Back
Ever since I was a child, I have been afflicted with what I have recently dubbed “the horror gene.” It runs in my mother’s side of the family and skips a generation. My maternal grandfather had it; the varying four-foot tall stacks of horror films in his house certainly attested to that. Now, I have him to thank, for that very same morbid fascination with darkness and fear is in my own blood.
By Becca Volk8 years ago in Horror
Mirror, Mirror
They say that Marie will never be the same again, and I sure believe it. The way she careened out of that bathroom that night, her face bloody, horrible claw marks stretching across her right cheek, well, you can bet it was an image not one of us would soon forget! But I better explain.
By Tom Baker8 years ago in Horror
What Kind of Dog Is That?!
The cemetary was a place she often visited. Day, night, it didn't matter to her. This was a place of comfort for her. Her Grandmother was laid to rest here, how could any wrong come from visiting her dear Grandmother.
By Susan C8 years ago in Horror
10 Haunted Hot Spots to Visit in Michigan
Are you a native Michigander looking for a little bit of freaky fun? Or are you just passing through our beautiful state? Either way, if you have a vested interest in the paranormal, here are some of Michigan's weirdest reputedly-haunted locations to add to your "must-see" list.
By Jen Chichester8 years ago in Horror
Hangman's Road
So, you want to learn the mystery of "Hangman's Road"? You want to know, exactly, why they call it Hangman's Road? Have you got a minute, my dear? Because it is rather a lot to relate. All true, by the way. I got it, first hand, from a friend of a friend, whose chiropractor's dentist got it from his dental assistant; she heard it straight from the mouth of the aunt of the policeman WHO WAS ACTUALLY THERE. So, as you can tell, it comes from an unimpeachable source.
By Tom Baker8 years ago in Horror
The Five Most Frightening Creepypasta Stories
The internet has spawned many fun and fabulous user-driven sites over the years. However, there’s one that’s guaranteed to frighten: Creepy Pasta. Creepypasta (a mash-up of the words ‘creepy’ and ‘copypasta’ – viral copy-and-pasted content), has been around for several years, and over that time, has generated some legendary paranormal tales.
By L.A Banks8 years ago in Horror
When Mary Came Home
Bill looked out of the driver's side window and did a double-take. Standing at the edge of the road was what appeared to be a young girl. She had long blonde hair, was wearing a white dress, long. Kind of old-fashioned.
By Tom Baker8 years ago in Horror
The Creep on the Phone
She shivered on the couch, the bowl of popcorn resting across her crossed legs. "We interrupt this program to bring you a special bulletin: a maniac has escaped from the Cravenshurst Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The man, who is described as extremely dangerous, has been locked down since the Sixties, when he was found unfit to stand trial for the murder of his mother, a priest, and a trio of Eagle Scouts. He is described as being large, burly, and having a menacing hook for a right hand..."
By Tom Baker8 years ago in Horror
The Mystery of the Casa Grande Domes
I'm a paranormal freak. I love stories about the paranormal, especially ones that are true ones. My favorite stories are ones based on urban legends. Urban legends like the Mothman or the Haunted Highways are mysterious and fascinating. Mysterious, in that no one knows how they got started, but are prevalent in their geographical area. Fascinating, because so many people have had their own personal experiences, making one wonder if the stories are actually true.
By Verona Jones8 years ago in Horror