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But how good were those original stories, really?
Still, there were plenty of duds.
This proved daunting, given that each book ends with a funny section devoted to lackluster gags.
So here we go maybe dont read this list at night.
Problem is, the toes owner shows up looking for its appendage, but how?
The eyeballs are grapes, which checks out.
The ears are dried apricots, which is ingenious.
Furthermore, reading this how-to isnt even meant to scare you, just inspire you.
The Attic,Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkAttics have a long history of being scary.
Often dark and dusty, the horrors of an attic can range from ritual sacrifice to adolescent incest.
So its confounding that this story is somehow one of the least scary in the series.
He stepped on a nail.
Both are very concerned about the baseball prospects in heaven.
I cant imagine meeting these idiots at a party.
Anyway, Todd kicks the bucket and up to heaven he goes.
Leon is scheduled to pitch tomorrow.
Maybe Im desensitized, but the ending seemed more reminiscent of aMacGyverepisode, not a terror-inducing tale.
Sure, life moves fast, but death moves faster.
The subjects, however, are not dancing.
Instead, theyre dead.
Yes, both OLeary and OReilly are dead in the very same bed completely unaware of one another.
Are we sureba-roomisnt simply the sound of a relationships death rattle?
Eventually, the chair takes a break, and one of its legs seems to be pointing to something.
It opens with a man and a woman sitting on a train.
The woman takes out a book and begins reading.
Like clockwork, the man asks, What are you reading?
So she tells him its a ghost story.
Her response is to vanish.
Not only does she prove ghosts are real, but she also quickly gets away from this dude.
Scary story or dream come true?
Often, after a breakup, your former relationship can seem inescapable.
Seems annoying, right?
How could you strike me after all that we meant to one another?
Talk about getting gaslit.
So where does this extraterrestrial tale take us?
Out of this world?
Immediately, this could mean hes already an alien or a dickhead of a dad.
No, not the fruit.
That thing that people do to babies to make them giggle.
Whether under refers to beneath the grass or into the darkest hell imaginable is unclear.
Either way, it seems inconvenient to meet this fate.
Shes instructed to stick a knife in the dirt to prove she was there.
As a man walks down a dirt road, he comes across his mirror image.
They make eye contact and are instantly terrified by one another.
This is seemingly their eternity.
Seems lame given that were all slated to age.
I suppose if youre an influencer, though, this one might hit home.
Others are not so sure.
Thats surprising given that its a clear warning about keeping vigilant in the wake of backstabbers.
And the story isnt speaking in metaphors.
He doesnt and instead hightails it out of there.
Its a lackluster story that fails to utilize the potential creepiness that cats can offer.
Want to avoid a gruesome death?
Or dont and end up like Bill the butcher.
As with a lot of these stories, which were written for children, theres a clear moral.
In this case, its pretty chill keep your promises or die a gruesome death, kids.
FromCrawltoChicagos Chance the Snapper, alligators are on the come-up.
So how does this set of alligators rank?
Sure enough, her entire family vanishes while three never-before-seen alligators are spotted at a local watering hole.
Terrible advice: Up until this summer, there werent any alligators in Chicago, either.
Cemetery Soup, More Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkSoup is not scary.
This soup, in particular, sounds most appetizing.
The soupbone most certainly belongs to a corpse as it was found in a cemetery.
You remember Vector, right?
Hey, mister, he calls after an employee heading to his car.
Nice sharp knife … cuts nice and easy, he spews his sales pitch.
Hey, man, only three dollars.
he continues before adding, Nice present for your mama.
The mark dodges him by saying, No, thanks.
The scary thing is?
She probably does, because no ones safe from a pyramid scheme in this small town.
More annoying than scary, this one sits comfortably on the chiller, not chilling end of the list.
Its fueled by anxiety, and something like an increasingly frantic drumbeat is sure to set it off.
After Daisy dies and is buried in all her finery, a grave robber goes after her jewelry.
Specifically, he wants her wedding ring and its smaller but stunning ruby companion.
Dude is determined, so he cuts her fingers off.
But to his surprise, her fingers start to bleed and she begins to stir.
Scared, he trips over a bunch of his own shit and falls directly onto his own knife.
Daisy, unaffected, collects her belongings and walks home while the grave robber bleeds to death.
Susannah and Jane are college students living together when Susannah starts hearing Oh, Susannah!
But when she pulls the covers off, Jane she discovers her head has been cut off.
Good, a Jeep bro is going to have his parade rained on.
Passing by a cabin that he knows is haunted, he drives further to a church to seek refuge.
He quickly parks his gas guzzler and runs for cover.
At this point, it seems literally anything could happen.
Maybe the ghouls mercilessly tear Jeep guy apart limb by limb while mocking his chosen mode of transportation.
But no, instead one of them simply says, Baa-a-a!
All it takes is one sheep noise and the story takes a turn for the worst.
While Liz is doing homework, she swears she hears someone in the house.
(Sarah, you’ve got the option to use ketchup for this.)
Like Cats Eyes, Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your BonesGlowing animal eyes are the No.
1 cause for alien conspiracy theories, and this story illustrates that perfectly.
Theres only one way to find out.
Hit the light, if you’re able to manage to find the courage to expose the truth.
Why does Bill blame this woman for the death of his livelihood?
Because earlier in the story he ran over her cat and killed it.
As with the majority of stories that involve a mystic, her word goes unheeded.
Eventually, Bess dies.
After all, a dead horse cant kill you.
John is told the horses bones are in a far corner of the familys farm.
Its a solid tale, but not all that original or compelling.
It is instead very predictably about a ghost that will not shut up about its bloody fingers.
Seemingly solid advice, if the dude wasnt, you know, dead already.
A couple traveling to visit family stops at a complete strangers house to see if they rent out rooms.
They dont, but they will for this couple.
But then the stranger makes them cake and coffee and refuses to accept any money for their kindness.
A visual treatment makes sense, given that the story pales in comparison to the haunting illustration accompanying it.
In the same vein as The Guests, this is an odd no-stakes story about an overnight stay.
Lucy Morgan, an artist, decides she needs a change of scenery and heads for a hotel.
She decides to change her plans based on this premonition and travel to a different town.
This sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?
Well, it isnt.
Lucy escapes without a scratch.
Fred acquiesces and doesnt ask at all why she went to the dance after a car accident.
Thats when he sees a wreck ahead and a car caught on fire.
Upon closer inspection, he sees Jeanne pinned to the steering wheel with tinsel in her hair.
Instead, they will be the reason you die.
Luckily, at least one of these is easily avoided.
Perhaps discovering that the person youve fallen for is literally a ghost.
The kind gesture blossomed into a burgeoning relationship, until one day Joanna seemingly stands him up.
Unfortunately, that doesnt make for one of the best.
A classic poltergeist tale, its told through dated entries and feels reminiscent ofThe Amityville Horrormovies.
This clearly raises the question, could you push your partner out of bed and get away with it?
Is this real or an elaborate breakup scheme?
The ghost ship vanishes without harming anyone but makes for a great story.
It does, however, have a weird connection to the trials of childhood stardom.
Well, the horror relies heavily on the neglect of a kid.
When they do finally come to her rescue, whatever was tormenting her seems to have left.
Perhaps Ellen just needed a little parental attention.
Remind anyone of being raised by Baby Boomers?
Theres nothing like inherited horror that will inevitably trickle down through generations to come.
Seriously, these books take some sick pleasure involving animals in their devilish ways.
Does he take it lying down or does he buck?
May I Carry Your Basket?, Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkYes, kindly.
Seriously though, I would love for you to carry my groceries.
Here we have Good Samaritan Sam offering to carry a womans basket.
He cant really make out this womans face because its bundled up in a scarf.
Sam freaks and the womans body and her disembodied head began chasing him and biting at his legs.
Why is this scarier than some of the other stories?
A woman of little means is invited to a dance but has nothing to wear.
Her thrifty mother suggests she rent an outfit, so off to the pawnshop she goes.
She has a wonderful time dancing the night away until she feels dizzy and decides to leave early.
Once home, she goes to bed.
The next morning, her mother finds her dead.
The enjoyment of this story comes from its insanely specific explanation for her death.
An autopsy indicates the woman was poisoned by embalming fluid.
Word to the wise, wash your second-hand items before wearing them.
After traveling to the church, she stops to rest awhile.
By the time she gets to the door, she thinks to herself, Ill rest some more.
This lady knows whats up.
Set up as a ballad of star-crossed lovers, a farmers daughter falls for the farmhand.
To keep the two apart, the farmer sends his daughter across the country to live with an uncle.
The farmhand dies of a broken heart, which the father keeps from his daughter.
Basically, this is the worst version of Trisha Yearwoods Shes in Love With the Boy.
Sams parents insist they bring the puppy across the border so he can have a companion.
They manage to accomplish this, only to discover their beloved pet is actually a rabies-infected rat.
The Haunted House, Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkThis story is a killer tale of female-executed revenge.
After being murdered by her lover for her money, a woman haunts the last place she was alive.
A well-meaning preacher catches wind that this haunt is happening and sets out to remedy it.
Luckily for him, this spook is more than a game.
The preacher does as hes told.
The following Sunday, when the murderous dudebro gets passed the collection plate, the finger sticks to him.
What sweet justice this is.
I get it, though.
There are only so many ways to describe decomposition to children.
Sounds suspiciously like some sort of Flutternutter sandwich for the underworld.
I bet its delicious.
Ham, bacon, you name it, Jeds smokehouse was no match for this black she-cat.
So Jed sets out to catch that cat burglar, lying in wait with a shotgun.
You hate to see it.
There is never room for one more.
In turn, if someone is insisting there is room for one more, theyre up to no good.
Sure enough, someone says, Theres room for one more.
Joseph squishes in before realizing its the hearse driver, and off to hell they plummet.
Jokes on her, of course, and she faints but that isnt punishment enough.
Tom wanted to scream, but the terror, or perhaps the guilt, silenced him.
Let that be a lesson.
If youre a dog lover, these are not for you.
The Wendigo, Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkThis story comes from a long tradition of campfire tales.
Set in the cold, dark woods, were introduced to the namesake creature.
Its a mythical man-eater unable to satiate its murderous intentions and greedy desires.
The Wendigo is real.
I never saw a ghost.
Turns out, I was doing the last part all wrong.
The book suggests you say the name anywhere from 47 to 100 times.
Why didnt I think of those arbitrary and somewhat exhausting numbers?
The Hook, Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkHeres a car-related classic youve probably heard before.
Two kids hit the road, then park to get frisky without their parentals interrupting.
While getting down to business, a news report interrupts the music playing on the stereo.
The couple argues about whether they should pack up and leave.
When he returns to his door, he sees a hook attached to the door handle.
An oldie but goodie.
An aggressive truck driver tails the protagonist while flashing his brights.
Its the twist however, that reveals the true horror.
Its confusing at best and seemingly completely open-ended.
So what ghastly thing are we dealing with here?
The plague in Paris, baby.
Apparently Paris couldnt bear to let word of the death get out, because it would cause total panic.
Not much is scarier than a large-scale government conspiracy against you and your own.
This is the punishment for indirectly losing (read: murdering) two of its pledges.
Are we sure this one isnt a news article?
Set in a hospital, theres one good bed to die in.
Its by the window and supposedly offers a spectacular view.
So spectacular, patients start plotting to kill one another so they can get their turn in the bed.
Talk about a postcapitalist nightmare.
A boy heads into the small-town square near the farm he works at and is beckoned by death.
Thinking he can escape his fate, he begs his grandfather to let him drive to the city.
The grandfather allows it and, in a show of strength, goes back into town to confront death.
Wonderful Sausage, More Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkButchery is a fine trade backed by hearty tradition.
Samuel sounds like a real jerk, so of course the townspeople buy it.
But a strange thing happens.
Blunt finessed his sausage recipe, and it became a huge hit.
Greed took over, and he began killing anyone he could to feed his newfound fame.
It dawned on the dim townspeople that they had been eating human meat all along.
Seeking revenge and one last taste of the special sausage, they fed Blunt to his own grinder.
Its also pretty worrisome that this entire town is now down with cannibalism.
The Dead Mans Hand, More Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkWhats spookier than blatant sexism?
Perhaps the sort that is explicitly perpetrated by women upon other women.
At a school for nurses, everyone gets along with everyone else except Alice.
Whats so bad about her?
This made the other students resent Alice and plot to prank her.
Sure enough, when she goes to get something from her closet, she gets spooked by the hand.
What no one anticipated, though, is that shes so scared her entire career is derailed.
Whats scarier than that?
This story takes it one step further by taking not just the brides individualism but also her life.
Cue the Dead Wife think piece.
It also features one hell of a horrific asshole.
And when the widow gets a chance to remarry, do you think Aaron allows it?
Absolutely not; instead, he makes sure to chase off her suitor.
One of many seeking-shelter-from-the-storm stories in the series, this is by far the scariest.
Then blood begins to drip from the ceiling.
screams a woman, followed by a mans voice yelling, Ill get you!
Once she arrives and takes a seat, she starts to realize the congregation looks unfamiliar.
Finally, she recognizes a friendly face, only to remember the person died a long time ago.
Its a relatable, real-life nightmare that transcends your basic late-for-work and naked-in-front-of-co-workers disasters.
One day, a neighbor dies and Mina mentions it to George, who brushes her off as always.
While hes out, shes feeling peckish and begins to pick at the liver she had cooked up.
Before she knows it, shes eaten the entire thing.
Cannibalism as a means to avoid abuse?
Thats what happens in this super-scary-because-it-could-so-easily-happen-to-you story.
Is it a pimple?
Maybe its a bugbite.
Oh God, is it bedbugs?
The possibilities are all unpleasant, as is the transformation that occurred during the night unbeknownst to you.
Add to that the unavoidable urge to pick, and youre screwed.
Harold, Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your BonesThis is it, the scariest story.
Fittingly, its featured heavily in the trailer for the movie, although its clearly been updated.
As the story says, They would curse at him, even kick or punch him.
And what is Harolds payback?
Why, he skins the farmers and spreads out their bodies to bake in the sun, of course.
