Want to Get into the Halloween Spirit? Listen to These Three Spooky Stories (Two from Local Authors).
by James Coulter
Halloween is right around the corner. What better way to get into the spirit of the season than with a good scary story?
In the olden days, people used to enjoy stories by turning on the radio and listening to radio dramas. Now, thanks to podcasts and audiobooks, these audio dramatizations are making a real comeback.
Recently, the Chattin on the Ridge podcast presented three dramatizations of scary stories: one based on a classic ghost story, and two based on selections from novels written by local authors.
Check out the Chattin on the Ridge podcast, play the most recent episodes, and take a listen for yourself. And prepare yourself for a frightful presentation. (Just be sure to leave your lights on–or off, if you’d prefer to be adventurous!)
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“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving
It was the very witching time of night that Ichabod, heavy-hearted and crestfallen, pursued his travels homewards, along the sides of the lofty hills which rise above the sleepy town, and which he had traversed so cheerily in the afternoon.
The hour was as dismal as himself. Far below him the river spread its dusky and indistinct waste of waters, with here and there the tall mast of a sloop, riding quietly at anchor under the land.
In the dead hush of midnight, he could even hear the barking of the watchdog from the opposite shore of the Hudson; but it was so vague and faint as only to give an idea of his distance from this faithful companion of man.
Now and then, too, the long-drawn crowing of a cock, accidentally awakened, would sound far, far off, from some farmhouse away among the hills—but it was like a dreaming sound in his ear.
No signs of life occurred near him, but occasionally the melancholy chirp of a cricket, or perhaps the guttural twang of a bullfrog from a neighboring marsh, as if sleeping uncomfortably and turning suddenly in his bed.
All the stories of ghosts and goblins that he had heard in the afternoon now came crowding upon his recollection.
The night grew darker and darker; the stars seemed to sink deeper in the sky, and driving clouds occasionally hid them from his sight.
He had never felt so lonely and dismal. He was, moreover, approaching the very place where many of the scenes of the ghost stories had been laid.
Listen to the full audio dramatization here:https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/ep-46-fly-with-faith-into-sleepy-hollow-wann-lyons-baker
Read the full story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm
***
The Dicer by A.B. Kayge
It was quiet and dark; the only thing that she could hear was the rain pounding down on the rooftop with the occasional clap of thunder. Her breathing was shallow and hard. The room was nothing but concrete and steel, which was cold and unwelcoming. She had no idea of how long she had been there, but it felt as though this was the only place she had ever been. She had begun to wonder if everything she had ever experienced outside of this room were just dreams.
She had been in and out of consciousness all day. She could see flashes of light behind her eyelids and didn’t want to open her eyes for fear that it was “him.” After gaining the courage to open her eyes, she could see through the small windows at the top of the room that the light was lightening, crawling across the sky.
Coughing really hurt, but there was no way to suppress it. Giving in, she took the deepest breath possible and let a cough out that sounded like a sick dog barking. The problem was that once she started, it was almost impossible to stop. With each cough, she could feel the cold steel of the surgical table against her lower spine and the backs of her knees, which had been elevated off of the table.
She turned her head as lightning struck and saw that “he” was standing beside the table, watching her suffer. She wanted to cry out but knew there was no possible way with all of the coughing she was doing, and besides that, no one would hear her.
She had no clue who he really was, what he really looked like, or what his voice really sounded like. During the time that she had been held captive, each time that he came in to see her, he would wear a black oversized sweatshirt and pants with the hoodie always pulled up, and he always used a voice changer. She guessed this was just in case she was ever found or able to get free; she wouldn’t be able to identify him.
She was coughing so hard that she began choking. He sat watching her with interest; blood was seeping between her lips and beginning to pool on the table below her. She was not able to wipe the blood from her lips, as ever since she had been brought there, her wrists and ankles were strapped to the table.
He reached out and lightly touched the corner of her mouth with two of his fingers; pulling his hand back, she could tell that he was examining the warm red substance against the sterile white latex glove he was wearing.
Listen to the full audio dramatization here:https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/minisode-05-spooky-scary-stories-wab-kayge-and-jc-alexandre
Read the full story in the novel (available on Amazon in paperback and e-book): https://www.amazon.com/Dicer-B-Kayge/dp/B0BBKVWVQG
***
“Yidel The Sorcerer” (from The Light Prince: Prelude to Destiny – Vol. 2) by J.C. Alexandre
The barn doors creaked inward on their rusted hinges. What little morning light shone outside parted the inner darkness. The rest of the barn’s interior remained shrouded in shadow. The rotting wood of the walls groaned with the slightest breeze, and the pungent odor of decay overwhelmed the sense of smell.
Joshua stepped inside holding his lantern aloft. Its flickering glow illuminated his figure in the barn’s pitch blackness. His eyes scanned the room. Despite feeling a sudden chill as he passed through the threshold, his countenance remained calm and collected.
His faithful companion, Petros, poked his head inside and darted his eyes about. Cautiously, he trailed close behind his friend. As he entered the barn, a sudden chill rushed down his spine and raised the hairs on his back. His lantern, which he borrowed from Yidel, shook in his unsteady grasp, his entire frame shuddering as if afflicted with a fever.
“Jeepers!” he exclaimed in a hushed whisper. “This place is giving me the heebie jeebies. Like, I was sensing some bad vibes before, but now, those vibes are getting real bad.”
“I can sense it too.” Joshua moved his lantern in an arc and surveyed the room with its light. “There is a dark presence lingering here, though whether it will be seen or unseen, only our search will uncover.”
Petros gulped hard. “Do you—do you think it might be a demon?”
Joshua shook his head. “I do not think so. I know so. You recall those malevolent creatures we encountered during our journey? The goblins. The cockatrice. The kraken.”
“Oh, those were a nasty bunch.” Petros answered, his lantern wavering in his hand with every nod of his head. “They weren’t like anything I’ve ever seen in this world.”
Joshua turned his lantern toward Petros. “That is because they were not of this world. They were demons straight from the pits of the Underworld.”
“Demons?” Petros asked with a dry tongue.
Listen to the full audio dramatization here:https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/minisode-05-spooky-scary-stories-wab-kayge-and-jc-alexandre
Read the full story in the novella (available on Amazon in paperback and e-book): https://www.amazon.com/Light-Prince-Prelude-Destiny-Vol/dp/B0C2SRHC2Q/
