Scared: Ten Tales of Horror (Ten Tales Fantasy & Horror Stories)

Ten stories of spine-tingling suspense, edited by Rayne Hall. In this collection, you'll find scary stories for almost every taste, each penned by a different author with a different writing style and a different taste in horror. This allows you to explore your own preferences. Which story gives you the most delicious frights? The authors have played with What if scenarios: What if the safe world we take for granted is changing and we don't know? What if a seemingly harmless object grows into a menace? What if an everyday occurrence turns into something nasty? What if a minor irritation is actually a sign that something big is underfoot? What if threats are outside our control? Picking up the phone, going to the toilet on the train or buying a birthday gift may be the start of a nightmare. These stories don't seek to shock you with chainsaw massacres or to gross you out with mounds of gore. Rather, the authors aim to scare you in subtle ways, creating the kind of fear which creeps up on you, grabs you by the throat, and sometimes lingers long after you've finished reading. To preserve the authors' individual voices, some of the stories are in American English, others in British. Enjoy the goose-pimples, the clammy hands, the creeping chills, and the pounding heart. When you've finished reading, you can return to the real world and know you'll be safe. Or will you? 1.OUT OF ORDER by Karen Heard What do you do when the lights go out and the screaming starts? 2. OUR LADY OF THE TOADS by Deborah J. Ross writing as Deborah Wheeler The large, ugly toad perched in front of the gate was truly worthy of being a witch's familiar. 3. FAMILY HEIRLOOM by Pamela Turner This weapon has a mind of its own. 4. RING OF STONES by Donna Johnson Jake Barnes seeks revenge on the cursed creature living in the abandoned well. 5. DEATH COMES FOR MAGGIE MCDANIEL by Grayson Bray Morris A bully's cruel hand grants Maggie's dearest wish. 6. CREATURES OF THE NIGHT by William Meikle What if intense fantasies create a different reality? 7. DRUID STONES by Rayne Hall Modern druids enact an ancient ritual, and a woman watches in secret. 8. THE LOFT by Liv Rancourt Three women from the church choir learn that evil is everywhere. 9. LIFE IN MINIATURE by Tracie McBride Street kid Michael thinks it's his lucky day when a do-gooder picks him up off the street. 10. YOU HAVE ONE MESSAGE by Jonathan Broughton Press * for connection. Some of these stories have been previously published in magazines, ezines, story collections and anthologies. They may not be suitable for young readers.