No, the instructions said these should not be overly long. Most of us are reading on our phones. Your piece is over 7200 words; it’s not a “story” anymore at that point, it’s a novella. I’ve been reading these scary stories for years and yours might be the most egregiously long one I’ve ever encountered. Come back…

I’m one of the grumpy people you reference. The instructions literally say that these should not be overly long. This is a STORIES contest; this piece, at over 7200 words, is a novella. 

Yes, my hypothesis and greatest fear was that it was a lurker/creeper that hid in the cornfield and could see when I’d go to bed by my lights going on/off at predictable hours (since I was 12 and had a bedtime). Tons of houses backed up to that field so I wonder if it happened to other people.

7257 words in case anyone was wondering. I got bored and stopped reading, then my thumb cramped up from scrolling (and scrolling and scrolling) to get to the end. How was it?

This gave me proper chills because one of my best friends bought an old Victorian about the same age and the layout you describe has me picturing myself in her house throughout your story—which made it even scarier!

Well the audience must want it because people keep tuning in, and keep devouring Bachelor/ette related drama even after the seasons are over.

Kylie, I usually appreciate your reporting, but you dropped the ball on this one with reporting the wrong city. 

If Kylie accurately quoted the original source, this happened in Plainfield, a suburb 40 miles outside Chicago. Population 44,762 during the 2020 census. So what most of us would call a medium sized town. So this happened in a Midwestern community, not some big scary city.

Great story telling. My dad built the house I grew up in and he still lives in. But it’s in a part of the country where I wouldn’t want to live after he passes, so we’ll have to sell the house. I 100000% guarantee he’s going to haunt the shit out of it just to fuck with the new owners.

You must have lived in Iowa, Illinois, or Georgia? I’m also a former mediacom service area resident.

I was scared shitless one night when a white apparition hovered in the corner of my room, swaying side to side, then going perfectly still. It was probably 3:30 am and my roommate lived in the basement so there was no easy way to call for help. The apparition seemed to be human form but without any discernible…

I met my now husband at Joe’s Place while waiting for a friend to get out of a bad date 🥰

Your Burger King story is an example that makes me question if we’re all living in a simulation and the code (formula? I’m not tech-y enough to understand the science) got messed up, and the programmers (or AI or whatever) forgot to populate your Burger King and then they mistakenly plugged in your daughter’s voice. I…

I got chills even though I’m reading this in the daylight over morning coffee!

Ooof, I felt that one in my guts. I wonder if there are any artifacts out there that one could unearth and give back to the local tribes—or have them come out and do a ceremony for their dead.

That’s so scary! I once had an older guy walking around in the entry hall of my grade school ask if I needed a ride home, saying that my mom sent him because she had to tend to an emergency. Since that’s textbook stranger danger talk, and because I was a “walker” (didn’t bus or get rides home) to an after school…

Horrifying

Thank you for that. This was the early/mid 90s, so perhaps a different time. We had other kids my age in the neighborhood, but I don’t remember if I ever asked any of them about it—I was probably too embarrassed that I was “acting like a baby” for being scared, or whatever else a 12 year old would be self conscious…

He could turn that into a side hustle! Scary stories ride share.

Just moved into a ground floor apartment with a patio door in the living room and a bedroom facing the patio. Thanks for the nightmare fuel!! 😳😱😟