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Tag: short stories

vault in church of the dormition of the mother of god saint petersburg russia
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Let Loose by Mary Cholmondeley

“Let Loose” by Mary Cholmondeley, published in 1890, is a gripping and atmospheric ghost story with vampiric overtones. The narrative follows an unnamed protagonist, an artist, who is commissioned to restore an old mural in a remote English church. The gentleman relaying the story wonders why his travel companion Mr. Blake never takes off his high collar around his neck. While working in the eerie setting, he accidentally releases a malevolent spirit that had been confined within the mural for centuries. This unleashed entity begins to haunt and terrorize him, exhibiting vampiric qualities as it drains his vitality. 

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a statue inside a cemetery
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The Death Of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce

“The Death of Halpin Frayser” by Ambrose Bierce, published in 1893, is a chilling and enigmatic story that blends elements of horror, the supernatural, and psychological terror. The narrative follows Halpin Frayser, who experiences a vivid and horrifying nightmare in which he encounters the ghost of his deceased mother in a desolate forest. The dream foreshadows his own death, with eerie details that blur the line between reality and the supernatural. Although this is not straight up a vampire story, it is a supernatural story that involves a ghostly encounter with a vampire-like entity.

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"For the Blood is the Life" by F. Marion Crawford, published in 1905, is a haunting and atmospheric vampire tale set on the coast of Italy. The story unfolds through the eyes of two friends who discover an ancient, abandoned treasure hidden in a lonely field marked by a sinister mound. They soon encounter the spectral figure of a beautiful woman who rises from her grave to drain the life from a local shepherd. As the friends delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover a tragic love story intertwined with the curse of vampirism.
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For the Blood is the Life by F. Marion Crawford

“For the Blood is the Life” by F. Marion Crawford, published in 1905, is a haunting and atmospheric vampire tale set on the coast of Italy. The story unfolds through the eyes of two friends who discover an ancient, abandoned treasure hidden in a lonely field marked by a sinister mound. They soon encounter the spectral figure of a beautiful woman who rises from her grave to drain the life from a local shepherd. As the friends delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover a tragic love story intertwined with the curse of vampirism.

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"Good Lady Ducayne" by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, published in 1896, is a vampire tale that explores the themes of aging, exploitation, and the quest for eternal youth. The story follows the young and impoverished Bella Rolleston, who becomes the companion to the elderly and enigmatic Lady Ducayne. As Bella becomes increasingly entangled in Lady Ducayne's web, she discovers the horrifying truth behind her employer's unnaturally prolonged life—Lady Ducayne survives by feeding on the blood of the young. Braddon's narrative skillfully blends elements of Gothic horror with social commentary, shedding light on the darker aspects of Victorian society while also delving into the timeless allure and dangers of immortality.
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Good Lady Ducayne by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

“Good Lady Ducayne” by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, published in 1896, is a vampire tale that explores the themes of aging, exploitation, and the quest for eternal youth. The story follows the young and impoverished Bella Rolleston, who becomes the companion to the elderly and enigmatic Lady Ducayne. As Bella becomes increasingly entangled in Lady Ducayne’s web, she discovers the horrifying truth behind her employer’s unnaturally prolonged life—Lady Ducayne survives by feeding on the blood of the young. Braddon’s narrative skillfully blends elements of Gothic horror with social commentary, shedding light on the darker aspects of Victorian society while also delving into the timeless allure and dangers of immortality.

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white and red boat
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The Rival Ghosts by Brander Matthews

The Rival Ghosts by Brander Matthews was written in 1884 and published in the collection Mystic-Humorous Stories. It tells the story about a group of passengers crossing the transatlantic by ship and debating if Europe or the States have the best ghost stories. They gather around one that has tales about both with a humorous twist.

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flowers of wisteria vine
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The Giant Wistaria by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman‘s short story The Giant Wistaria from 1891 is less known than her iconic story The Yellow Wallpaper, a feminist classic. “Wistaria” like with “Wallpaper” deals with patriarchal values and the repression of women’s sexuality and motherhood. It starts off with a story about an unwed girl with a child and the family discussing what to do with her. The father wants to marry her to her cousin and leave the child behind when they leave the country. Years later, a young couple rents the house and starts to joke around with it being haunted. And perhaps they are right.

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green tree forest
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The Wood of the Dead by Algernon Blackwood

“The Wood of the Dead” is a story written by Algernon Blackwood. It appeared in his first collection, The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories, in 1906. The story is set during a summer where a person is making a solo summer walking tour of England’s west country and has stopped for a meal at a village inn. A local man tells the traveler to meet him at midnight in “The Wood of the Dead”. According to local lore when a person entered the nearby wood singing, he knew that person would soon die. Instead of continuing on his journey, the traveler decides to have a closer look at The Woods of the Dead.

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landscape mountain with clouds
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The Dead Valley by Ralph Adams Cram

“The Dead Valley” by Ralph Adams Cram from 1895 is a chilling tale that unfolds amidst the haunting landscape of rural New England. Set in the secluded valley of a decaying village, the story follows a young traveler who stumbles upon the eerie remnants of a once-thriving community. As he delves deeper into the desolate surroundings, he uncovers dark secrets and encounters malevolent forces that lurk in the shadows. Through vivid imagery and evocative prose, “The Dead Valley” explores themes of isolation, decay, and the supernatural, leaving readers captivated by its unsettling portrayal of a world teetering on the brink of madness.

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the famous gisborough hall in england
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Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance by M. R. James

“Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance” is a ghost story by British writer M. R. James first published when he included it in his 1911 collection More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. The story is set in the late summer in England, when Mr Humphreys, arrives in Wilsthorpe. He has recently inherited an estate from his uncle, who died a mysterious death and the history of the strange maze and temple next to his new home.

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blurred castle with tower and bridge
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The Room in the Tower by E.F. Benson

“The Room in the Tower” by E.F. Benson is a chilling ghost story that centers around a recurring nightmare experienced by the narrator. In his dream, he visits a friend’s house and is always assigned to sleep in a foreboding tower room, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of dread. One summer, he finds himself invited to a real-life version of the house from his dreams. Despite his apprehensions, he is given the very room he fears. As night falls, the nightmare becomes a reality when he encounters the ghost of a previous occupant, revealing a dark and terrifying past. The story masterfully blends psychological tension with supernatural horror, leaving a lasting impression of unease and fear.

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landscape photography of beach
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The Sand-Walker by Fergus Hume

The Sand-Walker is a short story written by Fergus Hume. It was first published in the collection: The Dancer in Red, and Other Stories in 1906. It’s about a man coming to the beaches in England one summer where he is warned: Whatever you do, don’t go on to the beaches at dusk, or the Sand-Walker will come to your window at night.

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hill on cliff over town in france
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The Horla by Guy de Maupassant

“The Horla” by Guy de Maupassant is a psychological horror story that delves into the mind of an unnamed narrator who becomes convinced he is being haunted by an invisible entity. Set in the oppressive heat of a French summer, the narrator’s initially peaceful life is disrupted by a series of unsettling events, leading him to believe that a supernatural being, the Horla, is draining his life force and controlling his actions. As his paranoia deepens, he struggles to discern reality from delusion, culminating in a descent into madness. The story explores themes of mental illness, the supernatural, and the fragility of human sanity.

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white building beside body of water
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The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford

“The Upper Berth” is a short story written by F. Marion Crawford, first published in 1886. The story takes place aboard a transatlantic ocean liner in June. A passenger named Brisbane travels this distance frequently. When the steward behaves oddly while taking his luggage to his stateroom, number 105, he thinks it’s odd, but continues his travels. In the middle of the first night his roommate suddenly leaps down from the upper berth and runs out of the cabin. The morning after he finds out that his roommate has gone overboard. According to the rumors, he was the fourth person staying at that very upper berth to have done the same.

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rickshaws and people on street in delhi india
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The Phantom Rickshaw by Rudyard Kipling

“The Phantom Rickshaw” by Rudyard Kipling is a haunting tale set in colonial India at the end of the monsoon season, where British officer Jack Pansay is tormented by the ghost of his former lover, Agnes Keith-Wessington, whom he had callously abandoned. Following her death, Pansay begins to see her spectral figure riding in a rickshaw, relentlessly haunting him. His repeated encounters with the ghost drive him to the brink of madness, as his fiancée and friends dismiss his experiences as delusions. The story explores themes of guilt, psychological torment, and the supernatural, blending an eerie atmosphere with the complexities of colonial society.

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brown binoculars on brown textile
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A View From a Hill by M.R. James

“A View from a Hill” is a short ghost story by M.R. James, first published in 1925. In June, an academic named Fanshawe travels to the English countryside to spend his summer vacation at the home of his friend Squire Henry Richards.

Fanshawe finds a couple of binoculars, made by a man who died in mysterious circumstances some years earlier. Through the binoculars, Fanshawe is able to see objects which no longer exist.

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