Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Suspense

In Suspense, a precarious moment on a Swiss bridge becomes the gateway into a story of guilt, vengeance, and spectral consequence. A man finds himself dangling above a misty gorge, his fate intertwined with a pale-faced woman whose anger hints at secrets he cannot escape.

This tale blends supernatural and psychological horror seamlessly. Each revelation forces the reader to confront the weight of past choices, the lingering power of guilt, and the subtle menace of karma as a living force. The story grips from the first line and sustains tension, delivering a payoff both shocking and inevitable.

This story’s brilliance lies in its economy of setting. The bridge, the gorge, and the encroaching mist are not mere backdrop—they are instruments of suspense, shaping every action and decision. By the end, the reader is left contemplating the unseen forces that influence human lives and the ghosts we carry with us, whether corporeal or not.

Suspense

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – The Valley

The Valley is a story that thrives on ambiguity. Andrea’s solitary journey home through the quiet, rural darkness initially seems mundane, but the story carefully escalates unease. The ordinary becomes sinister: subtle noises, a childhood doll that appears to move, and the chilling appearance of a mysterious girl by an ancient monolith.

The story excels in tension and atmosphere. Andrea’s uncertainty—are these events real or imagined?—mirrors the reader’s own questions. The valley itself becomes a character, its silence and isolation amplifying dread. Yet, amidst this tension, the story includes moments of wonder, blurring the line between fear and awe.

Readers are invited to navigate both Andrea’s paranoia and the possibility of real supernatural intervention. It’s a masterclass in pacing: suspense builds steadily, drawing us into the valley’s mysteries and leaving us questioning our perceptions long after the tale concludes.

The Valley

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Mother

Returning to Mother, we dive once more into Connor’s tormented psyche. Unlike a typical ghost story, this tale explores the lingering power of a mother’s love—twisted, vengeful, and suffocating. Connor’s late mother continues to haunt him, or perhaps it’s his own unravelling mind that manifests her voice in biting accusations.

This tale’s prose brilliantly blurs the line between supernatural possession and psychological torment. The suffocating atmosphere of Connor’s apartment, his strained relationships, and the white-knuckled confrontation with his wife immerse the reader in a spiralling descent. The story prompts reflection: are we ever truly free of the past, or are its shadows imprinted upon our every action?

In revisiting this story, we notice subtle layers of emotional resonance. Connor is not simply haunted by a ghost; he is haunted by unresolved anger, guilt, and grief. The interplay between psychological realism and spectral horror makes Mother unforgettable, a story that stays with readers long after the final page.

mother

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Playground Laughter

Today, we return to the chilling countryside of Playground Laughter, a story that fuses the nostalgia of childhood with creeping dread. Three friends set out for a seemingly innocent camping trip, seeking escape from the pressures of modern life. The laughter that fills their tents and crackling campfire initially evokes a comforting warmth—but that warmth is a mask, concealing something darker.

As they wander beyond the well-trodden paths, past a deserted school, the air shifts. Shadows seem to move with a mind of their own, and unseen eyes watch from the darkness.

What makes Playground Laughter linger is the contrast between innocence and menace. The story challenges the reader to confront the unsettling question: what happens when the world we think we know reveals a sinister layer just beneath the surface?

Through vivid imagery and finely tuned suspense, the tale captures the delicate balance between playful joy and terror. The story ultimately leaves us with the uneasy feeling that the past never truly fades—and that the laughter of yesterday can echo into a nightmarish today.

Playground Laughter

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice tells a tale of love, loss, and spectral devotion. On a remote cliff, a woman confronts the fiery ghost of a lost lover. My narrative explores the tension between survival and rebellion, the living and the dead, and the persistence of love beyond mortality. The story’s eerie beauty is enhanced by vivid descriptions of the night, the wind, and the spectral flames.

The ghost’s plea for the woman to choose life over danger reflects broader themes of guidance, memory, and unresolved attachment. The story combines visual spectacle with emotional depth, crafting a narrative that is both haunting and poignant.

Fire and Ice is a meditation on choices, consequences, and enduring connections that persist even in the face of death.

Fire and Ice

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Terminal

Terminal begins with a forbidden door and a green glow that tempts the curious. The tale constructs tension as the chambermaid discovers a force beyond comprehension, leading to encounters that blend technology, security, and the supernatural. The narrative explores the fragility of human control, particularly in an age dominated by systems that we assume are secure.

The story merges suspense, digital dread, and ghostly influence, reflecting the story’s ability to make contemporary settings feel haunted. Characters confront forces that defy rational explanation, forcing readers to question the boundaries of technology, safety, and the spectral.

Terminal resonates as a cautionary tale, reminding us that curiosity has consequences and that the unknown may infiltrate even the most familiar spaces.

Terminal

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – The Urban Jungle

In The Urban Jungle, I juxtapose the modern world with spectral remnants of the past. John, overseeing a development project, encounters Rowena, an archaeologist, as fog separates them and transforms the site into a ghostly forest. The narrative blends environmental reflection with supernatural tension, revealing how forgotten spaces carry the imprints of history.

My story explores respect for the past, human ambition, and the consequences of ignoring the unseen. The ghostly forest is vividly depicted, alive with spectral light and a presence that challenges characters’ understanding. I use the setting to reflect broader themes: the tension between progress and remembrance, and the haunting persistence of nature and history.

The Urban Jungle is a meditation on the spectral presence in our everyday world, blending suspense with social reflection. It’s a story that lingers, prompting readers to consider the histories beneath their feet.

The Urban Jungle

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Shipwreck

Shipwreck immerses readers in survival, dread, and supernatural terror. A seasoned sailor recounts the aftermath of a storm, revealing both human vulnerability and forces beyond comprehension. Stranded on unfamiliar shores, the crew encounters not only physical danger but also eerie, inexplicable phenomena, heightening suspense and horror.

The story examines fear, desperation, and the unknown. The story makes readers feel the battering waves, the oppressive heat, and the dread of what may lurk unseen. The narrative raises questions about human endurance, morality, and the unseen world that persists alongside our own.

Shipwreck is as much about the unknown depths within ourselves as it is about the perils of the sea. The tale leaves readers pondering the boundary between reality and supernatural influence.

Shipwreck

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – A Ghost Scene

In A Ghost Scene, humour and heart blend with the supernatural as a troupe of ghostly actors rehearses Hamlet. Bailey’s story is unique among the collection: it entertains while exploring mortality, purpose, and second chances. The ghosts, each from different eras, bring their quirks and past lives into the present, creating chaos and comedy.

The story’s charm lies in the juxtaposition of life and afterlife, seriousness and levity. Bailey balances humour with reflection, revealing how the dead can still affect the living, and how purpose persists beyond death. The rehearsal becomes a metaphor for reconciliation, collaboration, and unfinished business.

A Ghost Scene is heartwarming as well as spectral, offering a nuanced perspective on what it means to leave a mark on the world—even after life itself has ended.

A Ghost Scene

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – The Church

The Church immerses readers in a ruined sanctuary where scepticism meets the supernatural. The tale of five friends venturing into the church captures the thrill of bravery confronting fear. The toppled altar, broken crucifix, and rising mist set a stage for existential terror, highlighting the fragility of human confidence in the face of the unknown.

The story explores the boundary between the living and the dead, emphasising that places bear histories that cannot be ignored. Each friend’s reaction reveals the interplay between courage, denial, and vulnerability, making the haunting deeply human.

The use of atmosphere—cold air, whispered echoes, and shadowed interiors—builds tension masterfully. The Church is not only a tale of ghosts but also a meditation on mortality, belief, and the lingering presence of the past.

The Church

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – A Ghost Sighting

Thomas’ journey in A Ghost Sighting takes the reader across time and spectral dimensions. The tale creates a world where emotion transcends death: passion, jealousy, and violence intertwine with the uncanny. Thomas awakens in a familiar yet distorted world, confronting apparitions that challenge both his perception and his morality.

The story’s depth lies in its layering. Beyond supernatural terror, it examines the repercussions of human choices, the lingering weight of guilt, and the search for justice. Every apparition, every eerie transformation, is a reflection of unresolved emotion, making the supernatural intimately personal.

A Ghost Sighting is a haunting reminder that the past can reach forward, demanding recognition and resolution. The narrative’s blend of melancholy, suspense, and spectral mystery makes it an essential Halloween read.

A Ghost Sighting

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Playground Laughter

 In Playground Laughter, three friends venture into the countryside, seeking a carefree escape. Yet the tale soon transforms nostalgia into unease. Their detour past an abandoned school awakens forces unseen, turning laughter into dread. The contrast between childhood innocence and creeping terror is striking, making the story linger in the mind long after reading.

The storyteller’s attention to environment—the rustling fields, the quiet expanse, the decaying school—creates a palpable tension. The story plays with the reader’s expectations, blending the familiar with the supernatural in a way that keeps you guessing until the end.

Playground Laughter is a story of contrasts: joy and fear, friendship and isolation, past innocence and present danger.

Playground Laughter

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Suspense

Suspense throws you right into a life-or-death moment: clinging to a bridge above a fog-shrouded Swiss gorge. The weight of guilt and memory presses hard as a man encounters a pale-faced woman—mysterious, supernatural—her presence tightening every heartbeat, every gust of mist.

This story isn’t just suspense for thrills; it’s an exploration of vulnerability. His physical struggle mirrors the psychological turmoil where fear and guilt mingle into a haunting tension. He teeters not only on that bridge but on the fragile edge of life and conscience.

Its brilliance lies in ambiguity—is she a ghost or the embodiment of his unresolved conscience? As Halloween nears, Suspense pushes him to reckon with the past’s lingering shadows.

Suspense

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – The Valley

In The Valley, a woman steps into the night, wrapped in the quiet countryside that somehow feels both familiar and strange. As darkness thickens, the ordinary dissolves into the uncanny. Every rustle, every whisper of wind feels loaded with something unknown.

Her journey through the valley is as much internal as external—facing fear, curiosity, and the fine line between what she perceives and what’s real. The mysterious girl at the ancient monolith introduces a haunting sense of purpose, hinting at histories that refuse to be forgotten.

This story invites anyone who listens to reflect on the allure of the unknown and how we confront or avoid the mysteries of our past. It’s about courage, perception, and the fragile space where reality bends.

The Valley

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Shipwreck

Shipwreck follows my survival story after a devastating storm strands me on an island fraught with dread and supernatural terror. The physical dangers clash with psychological strain, and the strange hostility of islanders and the unknown adds layers of fear I can barely explain.

This tale blends raw adventure with haunting suspense, revealing the desperate human instinct to endure. Facing both tangible threats and mysteries beyond understanding, I come face to face with the limits of human endurance—and the shadows lurking beyond.

Shipwreck stays with me long after, reminding that the unknown—whether natural or supernatural—can test the spirit in ways we never imagine.

Shipwreck

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – A Ghost Scene

In A Ghost Scene, a quirky troupe of misfit actors—who just happen to be ghosts—are rehearsing Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Working around a living actor, their wildly different eras and personalities collide, creating a whirlwind of chaos, comedy, and unexpected warmth.

This story is about finding purpose, getting second chances, and exploring the delicate dance between life and afterlife. Each ghost’s quirks and egos bring life (or un-life) to the narrative, and through humour and heart, they reflect on mortality and the unfinished business that binds us.

A Ghost Scene shows how ghost stories don’t have to terrify to resonate; they can also entertain and stir something deeper inside.

A Ghost Scene

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – The Church

The Church tests scepticism when confronted with the supernatural. Four friends venture into a ruined church, dismissive of its dark past. But bravado soon fades as the restless dead make their presence known.

The toppled altar, broken crucifix, and cold mist become vivid reminders of mortality and the unknown. The night turns into a chilling meditation on fear and the boundary between life and death. This experience forces them to confront the permanence of the spectral world.

The Church

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – A Ghost Sighting

In A Ghost Sighting, a man navigates a labyrinth of forbidden passion, jealousy, and supernatural phenomena that bend time itself. The lines between the living and the spectral blur as he experiences uncanny transformations and apparitions that force him to question reality—and his own fate.

This story explores guilt, justice, and the weight of choices. As he journeys through this haunting world, he confronts human vulnerability faced with forces beyond understanding. The echoes of history and unresolved emotions cling tightly, making this experience unforgettable and deeply personal.

A Ghost Sighting

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Playground laughter

Playground Laughter follows three friends on a countryside camping trip that starts lighthearted but soon darkens when they discover an abandoned school hiding unsettling secrets. Childhood nostalgia clashes with creeping dread as playful banter twists into chilling tension.

They experience how familiar places can conceal unexpected darkness. As unease grows and unseen forces creep closer, they feel the ordinary become unrecognisable. This story reflects on memory, innocence, and how laughter often masks deeper fears. It’s a haunting reminder that even the most familiar places can hide terrors we never expect.

Playground Laughter

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Suspense

In Suspense, a man finds himself dangling from a bridge above a misty Swiss gorge, suspended between life and death by forces he can’t begin to understand. The tension is raw—guilt, memory, and the consequences of what he’s done weigh heavy. There’s a pale-faced woman, too—antagonist or spectre—whose knowledge of him cuts impossibly deep, adding layers of mystery and fear.

He lives every tremor of that moment, caught between immediate danger and psychological unease. This story isn’t just about a supernatural threat; it’s about reckoning with his past and how unresolved guilt can haunt in the most unexpected ways. The misty gorge and her enigmatic presence push him to the edge, forcing him to face the permanence of actions left unatoned.

Dangling between life and death… 🌫️👻 Suspense is where guilt, memory, and the supernatural collide. #GhostStories #Thriller #HalloweenReads

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – The Valley

The Valley follows a woman on a late-night journey home through rural darkness, where silence and isolation amplify every sound and shadow. She steps into a tense, immersive world where the ordinary twists into something uncanny. Her familiar surroundings shift: scuttles in the dark, the unsettling movement of a childhood doll, and the sudden, mysterious appearance of a girl by an ancient monolith.

The story explores paranoia, perception, and reality, leaving her—and the readers—to wonder if the terrors are psychological or supernatural. The rural landscape itself becomes a character: silent fields, dense darkness, and the valley’s oppressive stillness.

The Valley is more than fear; it’s about how the past manifests now and how vulnerability draws in forces beyond understanding. As she navigates the night, the tension grows until she confronts phenomena that are eerie and deeply affecting.

The Valley

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts – Mother

In Mother, I delve deep into the psyche of Connor, a man tormented by the lingering presence—or memory—of his late mother. Her influence suffocates him; her voice is sharp, relentless, and invasive. Even after her death, she continues to haunt his mind, poisoning how he sees the world and the people he loves. I leave it ambiguous: is he truly haunted, or is this the unravelling of his own sanity?

His descent is gripping, beginning in the cramped, filthy confines of his apartment and spiralling outward as he struggles to maintain control over his life. This story is about trauma, unresolved grief, and the destructive power of anger left unchecked. As he confronts his wife and wrestles with memories of his mother, he questions the ownership of his own actions: how much of what he does is truly his?

My prose is vivid, unflinching, and haunting, making Mother a story that lingers long after the final page. It’s a reminder of how family influences us inescapably and how the past shapes who we are now.

mother

Duty

By Scott Bailey © 2013

Birds do it. Bees do it
Even the goddamn fleas do it
It’s in the genes to survive
It’s not enough. Not for us
We have more, in our double helix
Than the ability to thrive
Make it our duty
Transcend circumstance!

Image from Pixabay

Summer Clouds

By Scott Bailey ©  1999

A quavering wave
of light in the summer clouds
as the sun goes down.

Image from Pixabay

It Is Rain

By Scott Bailey © 2015

It is rain
All the pain
And grief

All the pain
Of everyday
It is rain

Of everyday
Stresses
We are plagued

But it is rain
Just rain
Falling down

Rain makes us
Wet and cold
Dampens us

If we choose
Misery
Rain is heavy

The sun will come
Summer reborn
From spring

Rain is life
Nourishment
Fresh

No misery
Be wet not damp
Be soaked

Revel in the rain
Dance and sing
In life

All the pain
The grief
The stress

It is rain
Just rain

Image from Pixabay

Sway

By Scott Bailey © 2019

All
That I
Survey is
Under my sway
That is what they say
The evidence is slim
So I start to understand
How perfidious is the world
And the darkness begins to seep in
The entropy of hope, and dream slayer
So I must strive to remember the truth
My eyes are my window to the world
What dwells behind them in my world
My kingdom and my domain
So here I shall remain
That is what I say
Under my sway
In my eye
That is
All

In response to COLLEEN’S 2019 WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 132 #SYNONYMSONLY

Influence & Perception

Check the link for the guidelines and rules

A double Etheree

#Etheree

Jealousy

By Scott Bailey © 2016

Jealousy
A deadly sin
So we are taught
Over and over
Again
And when
We dare to question
The questionable ways
Of wealth and power
They smirk and hint
Jealousy
And the lessons rise
Prodding our conscience
Silencing our voices
With guilty pillows
Thus
Why we are taught
What we are taught
Is plain to see

Image from Pixabay

Fleet

By Scott Bailey © 2018

The prancing gazelle
Being fleet of foot evades
The red rending jaws

Image from Pixabay

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #232 Foot&Mouth

#amwriting, #postaday

 

Panacea

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The panacea
To all of the world’s ills
Is in our hands
Specifically
In their joining

Image from Pixabay

In response to my daily prompt Explicit

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday

Albatross

By Scott Bailey © 2016

Albatross hovers
High over surf scattered sand
All will pass in time

Image from Pixabay

In response to my daily prompt Hover

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday

Soaring

By Scott Bailey © 2018

Soaring
High in the sky
In synchronicity
Gathering, readying to leave
Flocking

Image from Pixabay

In response to my daily prompt Consolidate

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday

Butterfly

By Scott Bailey © 2014

Sod the camouflage
Be resplendent in the sun
Flutter high and shine

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams

Cup

By Scott Bailey © 2018

The goal should not be
To fill the cup to the brim
But savour it

Image from Pixabay

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #231 Goal&Cup

#amwriting, #postaday

 

Pool of Dreams

By Scott Bailey © 2013

Long shadows
Cast their thoughts behind us
Dim our once bright footsteps
An unclean window screen

But flashes from sudden mirrors
Slash through the shadow’s forms
Glimpses of dreams that passed us
Keeping them alive

Though shadows keep on growing
We head towards the sun
In shade, our dreams may swim
But they will follow until we’re done

Image from Pixabay

In response to my daily prompt Keep

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday

Premonition

By Scott Bailey © 2018

I have a bad feeling about this
He said
She said
It said
Many voices

They did it anyway
Always

 

Image from Pixabay

In response to my daily prompt Feeling

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday

Exclusion

By Scott Bailey © 2018

Today’s trend
Seems to be
Exclusion
Isolation
Leaving
When all we really want
Is to come together
And hold hands

Image from Pixabay

In response to my daily prompt Exclude

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday

The Solace of the Night

By Scott Bailey © 2018

When the fire goes out
The heat is dissipated
Darkness falls again
Only then do the creatures
Of the night, find their solace

Image from Pixabay

In response to COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 112, “COLD & SAFE,” #SYNONYMSONLY

Check the link for the guidelines and rules

A tanka this week.

#tanka

Monster

By Scott Bailey © 2014

Monster
Caught in lead and steel
Frozen
In time

Human
Caught in the machine
Enslaved
Forever

Somewhere
An artist smirks
And settles
To eternal sleep

IMG_9741
Photo by Scott Bailey

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams