With 12 terrifically spine chilling short stories, this anthology contains contributions from some of the best young horror writing talent out there, and was curated by the editors of the PlayWithDeath.com, the premier destination for online horror entertainment. If you're searching for stories that will frighten you to your very core, look no further. List of Short Story Authors Tom Wortman M. B. Vujačić Manen Lyset Jenny Ashford Kyle Yadlosky G. T. Montgomery Ari Drew Patrick Winters Trevor James Zaple John Teel Dexter Findley Kyle Rader

     Punished by God for the betrayal of his son Jesus Christ, he is forced to live out the existence of a broken man for eternity, unable to die. Although immortal, he has been bound by rules; never allowed to find love, raise a family, or make use of the items of wealth that he has acquired over the two millennia. Throughout time, God has given him tasks that he could not refuse where his skill with a sword has proved to be invaluable in smiting wayward demons and, at the end of 2012, an angel, the messenger of God presents him with his greatest and most important mission. For three days, he is to protect six-year-old Charlotte Hope as she approaches her seventh birthday. She is 'The Light', whose purpose it is to shepherd humankind out from its hedonistic ways. However, the forces of Hell also wish to acquire the child for their master, Lucifer, so that he may drain her light and become unchallenged in his crusade to dominate the kingdom of man. With the aid of the unlikely pairing of police detective Gary Cross and prostitute Abi Colter, can Judas protect Charlotte so that she may save all humankind and in turn release him from the curse allowing his entry into the White Kingdom, or will Lucifer succeed and bring forth the Apocalypse? Judas is a dark fantasy, supernatural science fiction page-turner to engross fans of James Herbert, Shaun Hutson and Dean Koontz. A sword and sorcery, action-adventure epic that will leave you yearning for more as you follow our gruff and uncompromising antihero in his quest for redemption and salvation.

    We catch them fresh and don't keep them too long – that's the secret. But be careful, sometimes they bite!

    A suburban mom with two young children, her life revolves around her family, her job, and the comforts of home. So when her estranged, wild-child sister comes to her, begging for help and claiming a witch murdered her husband and wants to steal her baby daughter in payment for a long-ago oath, Tamara thinks she’s gone crazy. Until she turns up dead, and the baby vanishes without a trace. If Tamara’s going to get her niece back, she’ll have to expand her worldview fast. She’ll also need some expert help. But where can a normal, practical woman find help dealing with an evil witch? Fortunately for her, aid is closer than she thinks. Who better to give button-down Tamara a crash course in things that go bump in the night than Stanford occult studies professor Dr. Alastair Stone? At least he can offer some tips, even if she’s sure he can’t help her any other way. Because magic isn’t real…right? Welcome to the spooky side of the street, Tamara. Hope you survive the experience. Devil's Bargain is a short, standalone novel in the world of the Alastair Stone Chronicles urban fantasy series. Don't miss the rest of the series: Stone and a Hard Place The Forgotten The Threshold The Source Core of Stone Blood and Stone Heart of Stone Flesh and Stone The Infernal Heart The Other Side Path of Stone Necessary Sacrifices Game of Stone Steel and Stone Stone and Claw The Seventh Stone and two standalone novellas: Turn to Stone Shadows and Stone

    

    Struggling with severe depression after witnessing the death of her friends, she’s unable to work, drowning in a sea of debt, and dependent on alcohol to get her through the day.When a desperate family in the Oregon wilderness appeals to her for help, she isn’t the slightest bit interested. But Nat can no longer ignore the call of duty when the family’s young daughter calls her screaming in the middle of the night.Is hunting the Sasquatches that are terrorizing the hapless family Nat’s ticket back to herself and true survival? Or will she just become another casualty, destined to join her slaughtered friends and become lost in the Shadow of the Sasquatch?

     The teachers at DS High know something’s not right. It’s the reason they don’t stay late to grade papers, they leave school in packs so nobody’s alone, and they stay away from the one boy with the cult-like following. Evil walks the high school hallways and everyone knows its name: James Bender. They’ve made it through the school year unscathed. Well, almost. Now, the graduating class is planning something special for their favorite teachers. It’s by personal invite only. Teachers are dying for an invitation. Here’s yours. Join us at this year’s Grad Night party. It’ll be one you’ll never forget. Carver Pike takes ordinary circumstances, cinches them tight with razor wire, and then saws back and forth. Gasp for air, holler for help, and pray for an end to the madness.

    Kirkland is a master at finding the small hidden bits of humor in events that the rest of us might just as easily overlook. His goal with his writing has always been to let his readers laugh with him and at him, and by doing so, finding a way to laugh at themselves. His previous books have been called "a must-have for all of us who love to just sit back and laugh." This book follows that tradition.Recipient of the 2006 Stephen Leacock Award of Merit for Humour (Canada.)

    When Alex Simmons is invited to a college reunion in the Hawaiian Islands aboard the private yacht of his old pal Harry Curtis, he is not sure what to expect. The two men had a falling-out years ago over the suicide of one of their friends. Could this be Harry's way of making amends? Or is something more sinister in store?The crew sets sail and arrives at Orchid Atoll, the site of a deserted former Coast Guard station. But they are far from alone. Out here, three hundred miles from civilization, Alex and his friends are about to encounter two very different brands of evil--one human, the other with fins--unlike anything they could have possibly imagined. They have entered a place where there's no law, no mercy... and no way out.

    To ride alongside your favorite horror authors as they take you on a trip you will never forget. There is no turning back.From new legends to old familiar haunts, the stories held within this tome will make you question whether anywhere is safe. Over 30 authors have crafted the most authentic and horrifying representation of each state. Not a single dark road will be left untraveled. You will never want to leave home again.

    A deadly pandemic throttles the globe. Democracy has crumbled. Armed gangs of militant protestors stalk the streets. Amidst this waking nightmare, a new horror develops. The virus is mutating.Dan Lewis's wife is sick. When he receives a call from the hospital, he's prepared for the worst. Or so he thought. Because that call plunges Dan into an unending spiral of insanity and depravity. Now, he must fight his way through the battle-scarred streets of New York City to find his wife, unprepared for what awaits him out there...in the shadows.Grim and terrifying, but laced with gallows humor and surprising heart, THE BLOOD BEAST MUTATIONS is an all-too-relatable story of courage and gruesome horror.

    In the old stories, the mythical figure Jack of the Lantern has supposedly protected humanity on All Hallow's Eve for centuries upon centuries because the demons and dark creatures fear him too much to approach any jack o' lantern. One Halloween night, John learns the truth when the demons come for him, leading an army of steam-powered soldiers. With these steam soldiers, The Devil and his kin have finally gotten the better of Jack of the Lantern and broken through the Devil's Gate to wreak havoc, mischief, and misery throughout the world. With the help of his cousins, Moira O'Neil who knows the special ritual to close the Devil's Gate, Daniel McRory the inventor, John must take up the mantle of Jack of the Lantern and create a new legend great enough, and terrible enough, to scare the Dark Lord and his dark legions back into their dark realm. The Halloween Jack books are part swashbuckling adventure, part steampunk fantasy, that twist and turn the traditions of old tales and legends upside down and inside out. If you enjoy a rollicking tale with clever and cunning heroes, Halloween Jack and his friends are heroes for you!

    He's not one of them.When truckstop diner cook and mediocre bowler Herb Knudsen becomes a vampire, his once simple life gets a bit more complicated.Herb’s not even sure how it happened. He wasn’t bitten by a vampire, which means there’s no one around to help him learn the ropes. With no one to guide him, Herb fumbles into his newfound abilities, courting disaster with every step.Despite learning each new lesson the hard way, being a vampire isn’t all bad. He’s stronger, a little sexier, and a heck of a lot better at bowling. Even Lois, the girl of his dreams, is starting to notice him. But he can’t drink beer, the bodies are piling up, and his best friend Dallas isn’t just getting suspicious – he’s getting jealous.When Lois is caught in the middle of the two friends' escalating rivalry, keeping his dark secret becomes the least of Herb's concerns.Booze, bowling, bake sales, bar fights, babes, blood and karaoke... Who would have thought that being undead would make life so exciting?

    Is history about to repeat itself?  Rachel, a young woman in serious debt, needs to find a job fast before she’s made homeless. She gets a lucky break when she is offered a great position in a successful company. Then she discovers that the building was once a Victorian sweatshop with a tragic history. Is this why Rachel feels something increasingly sinister? Soon her new job becomes a living nightmare. Rachel desperately wants out, but she has no other way of escaping her debts. She’s trapped. Then she makes a shocking discovery. Haunted by the death of others and as the present and past begin to close in, Rachel needs to find answers before she finds herself in grave danger… What is really going on in her workplace? And can she ever escape her inner demons?

    No ransom, no demands; there was nothing they wanted--other than to observe." When Blake Crochet and his family are taken hostage in their own home, they are forced to act out their everyday lives under the observance of two psychotic kidnappers. Each moment Blake must pit the decision to follow their captors' rules against the potential catastrophe of a failed escape.He soon learns that the consequences of both action and inaction are more terrifying than he imagined. As Blake's life erodes beneath him, secrets come to light that threaten to destroy his family before their kidnappers have a chance.Secrets carry consequences too.As the motives behind the kidnapping are revealed, Blake must sacrifice everything to hold on to the ever-shifting definition of what his family has become. In his battle for survival, he will face the ultimate consequence: for to fight a devil, you may have to become one yourself.