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Short Ghost & Horror Collections - Book 32
Dec 12, 2022
Explore chilling encounters with spectral Highlanders, mysterious murders, eerie abandoned ships, and haunted ruins in this collection of short ghost and horror stories. Dive into the realms of paranormal activities, ghostly figures, philosophical debates, and dark secrets unraveling in surreal settings. From isolated forests to haunted lakes, each chapter brings a mix of supernatural intrigue and eerie atmospheres, promising spine-chilling tales that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
09:47:27
Episode guests
Oscar Wilde
Rudyard Kipling
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Washington Irving
Mary Shelley
Mark Twain
Bram Stoker
Charles Dickens
Edgar Allan Poe
Gertrude Atherton
H. G. Wells
H. P. Lovecraft
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Joseph Conrad
Lewis Carroll
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Life can manifest through unlikely matter, challenging spiritual mystery.
- Encountering a derelict ship reveals strange phenomena and mysterious sounds.
- Villagers face retribution from a mysterious figure amidst corruption and fear.
- Ghosts have unique perceptions of superiority and seldom interact with humans.
- Dead House's sinister reputation and mystery surrounding the disappearances of its inhabitants.
- The powerful bond between Francois and his dog Gocote leads to a tragic outcome.
Deep dives
The Mysterious Music of Erich Zahn
In the city of Cincinnati, a student of metaphysics moves to a run-down street called the Rud Dossay and becomes fascinated by the strange music of a reclusive musician named Erich Zahn. The student befriends Zahn but soon discovers that the musician's music is otherworldly and his sanity is deteriorating. One night, the student witnesses Zahn's playing reach a point of frenzied horror, accompanied by strange sounds and the breaking of the window. When the student looks out the window, he sees a terrifying darkness and chaos beyond. Filled with terror, he escapes the room and flees from the scene, forever haunted by the inexplicable events of that night.
The Mystery of Life Manifested Through Material
The podcast discusses the theory that life is a force that requires a material medium to manifest itself. The speaker argues that given the right conditions, life can manifest through even unlikely and incredible matter. This challenges the traditional notion of life as a spiritual mystery and suggests that it is a product of natural chemistry and conditions.
Exploring the Derelict Ship
The podcast recounts a story of a group of sailors who come across a derelict ship floating in the sea. They observe its old-fashioned appearance and discover it to be covered in a brown scum and mold-like substance. They decide to investigate further and encounter strange phenomena, including shifting mounds and peculiar movements in the mold. They also hear mysterious thudding sounds coming from within the ship.
Terrifying Encounters and Urgency to Escape
As the sailors continue exploring the derelict ship, they encounter disturbing sights and events. One man is engulfed by the mold-like substance, while others are gripped and pulled by it. They desperately try to make their way back to their boat, but the thick scum hinders their progress. The thudding sounds grow louder and the mold becomes increasingly active and aggressive. The sailors urgently call for assistance from their comrades in the boat as they fight to escape the horrifying ship.
The Appearance of the Black Reaper
In a village plagued by corruption and wickedness, a mysterious figure appears and takes control, delivering furious denunciations and threatening retribution. The villagers, initially resistant, eventually succumb to fear and panic as reports of the plague reach them. The stranger continues to condemn their sinful ways, but resentment grows and they turn against him. In a twist of fate, the stranger becomes the embodiment of their fears as he starts reaping the souls of the villagers, one by one. Desperate, some of the villagers set fire to the corn to try to destroy the stranger, but it only leads to more death. As the village descends into despair, the vicar approaches the stranger with an act of mercy, but is ultimately claimed by the plague. In a final attempt to save themselves, the villagers place the children in the path of the stranger, hoping that he will spare them. Their sacrifice is met with success, and they are left standing, panting, and watching as the stranger continues to reap.
The Nature of Ghosts
Ghosts have a fundamentally different concept of their own existence compared to humans. They perceive themselves as more real and intense than humans do. Ghosts rarely appear or openly communicate with humans due to their belief that humans have a low level of intelligence. Many ghosts are skeptical of the existence of humans and consider the idea of human reality to be lacking mental balance. Ghosts view humans as beings not worthy of their attention or communication. They find the thought of interacting with humans to be insulting and avoid it, preferring to work in secret.
Interactions with Ghosts
When ghosts do interact with humans, they often regard humans as idiots. They see themselves as far superior in reality and intelligence. Ghosts do not recognize themselves as ghosts in the way humans perceive them. Human literature and manifestations of ghosts often misrepresent their nature. Ghosts tend to keep their existence hidden and only reveal themselves to select individuals. Ghosts also have their own societies and organizations, including a psychical research society that investigates the reality of humans. Communication between humans and ghosts is rare due to the ghosts' belief in the ignorance and insignificance of humans.
Misconceptions and Misunderstandings
Due to misunderstandings and misconceptions, ghosts and humans often view each other with contempt and disbelief. Humans often fail to understand the true nature and existence of ghosts. Ghosts, in turn, dismiss humans' attempts to reach out to them as imbecility. The concept of communication and understanding between ghosts and humans is essential for bridging this gap. Ghosts possess a different perspective on reality and the existence of various ideas and philosophies. The compatibility and understanding of the two realms require a fundamental shift in how both entities perceive each other.
The Mystery of Dead House
The ruins of a lodge in the Piney Woods of Southern Alabama, known as Dead House, holds a sinister reputation. The locals believe it to be haunted and fear approaching it. John Corliss Cranmer, a wealthy scientist, chose this spot for his research and built the lodge. However, he later went insane and was institutionalized. His son, Lee, and daughter-in-law, Peggy, visited him before disappearing without a trace. The lodge was destroyed and enclosed by a brick wall. No one knows the motive or means behind the alleged murder, and the mystery of Dead House remains unsolved.
The Enigmatic Wall
The brick wall surrounding Dead House is in a state of disrepair. The decaying mortar and cracks in the bricks suggest poor construction. One side of the wall has already collapsed. Some believe that the destruction was caused by a flood, but the absence of scum on the scattered bricks raises doubts. The lower layers of bricks fell outward, indicating a possible force exerted from inside or outside the wall. The strangeness of the wall heightens the mystery surrounding Dead House.
Investigation and Speculation
The author conducts an investigation into Dead House, hoping to uncover clues about the disappearances and the strange events surrounding the lodge. He examines the fishy-smelling mud and the dry scum that covers the area within the walls. He also discovers evidence of violence and destruction, suggesting a powerful force was involved. The author speculates about what could have caused such devastation and how John Corliss Cranmer, in his deranged state, could have carried out the destruction alone. The mystery of Dead House continues to baffle and terrify the locals.
The Haunting of the Merton House
The Merton House is known to be haunted, with evidence from witnesses and the state of the house itself.
A Mysterious Gathering at the Merton House
Four men arrive at the haunted Merton House, including one skeptical and reluctant individual.
Supernatural Encounters and a Sinister Figure
Strange occurrences and sightings of a sinister figure plague the men at the haunted Merton House.
A Mysterious Encounter in the Churchyard
While sitting in a churchyard, the speaker hears a strange cry and goes to investigate. He encounters a man who seems to be in distress but is cold and unresponsive.
A Strange Conversation
The speaker engages in conversation with the man, who seems to know him by name. The man mentions the sleep of death and hints at the speaker's lack of knowledge or experience with death.
My Aunt's Estate
The speaker inherits a small estate in Cumberland from his aunt, who had a troubled past. He recalls the family history and the rumored dispute over the ownership of a property called the Mure.
The Mysterious House of Ling
Mary and her husband move into the old house Ling, which is rumored to be haunted but no one knows for sure. They quickly settle into their new life, with Mary focusing on painting and gardening, while her husband works on his book. They have heard stories of the ghost at Ling, but they dismiss them as old legends. However, Mary begins to feel a sense of unease and suspicion, especially when she discovers a newspaper article about a lawsuit against her husband. She confronts him about it, but he assures her that everything is fine. She continues to have doubts, but her husband's calm demeanor reassures her. As she explores the gardens, she encounters a stranger who says he wants to see her husband. She informs him that her husband is busy and asks him to come back later. The stranger agrees and walks away. Mary then realizes she should have been more sympathetic and offered to help him. The gardener and a boiler technician arrive, and her attention is diverted.
A Man and His Dog
Francois, a coachman, becomes attached to a stray dog named Gocote. Despite attempts to get rid of her, the dog always returns. Eventually, Gocote is thrown into a river and drowned. Francois is overcome with grief and guilt. He dreams of Gocote and is haunted by her presence. During a swim in a river, he comes across a floating corpse and discovers it to be Gocote, who had traveled over a hundred miles to find him. This discovery causes Francois to go insane.
The Power of Love and Guilt
The story explores the deep bond between humans and animals, highlighting the lengths to which individuals are willing to go for their pets. Francois's guilt over drowning Gocote consumes him, leading to his mental breakdown. This illustrates the power of love and the weight of guilt in the human psyche.
Short Ghost & Horror Collections - Book 32
Title: Short Ghost and Horror Story Collections
Overview: Thousands of short ghost and horror stories are available through our Short Ghost and Horror Story Collections series from classic authors Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Bram Stoker, Lewis Carroll, Gertrude Atherton, Mark Twain, H. G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling, Oscar Wilde, Joseph Conrad, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and many other classic authors. A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. The "ghost" may appear of its own accord or be summoned by magic. Linked to the ghost is the idea of a "haunting", where a supernatural entity is tied to a place, object, or person. Colloquially, the term "ghost story" can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has been developed as a short story format, within genre fiction. It is a form of supernatural fiction and specifically weird fiction and is often a horror story. Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon defined the horror story as "a piece of fiction in prose of variable length... which shocks, or even frightens the reader, or perhaps induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing". Horror intends to create an eerie and frightening atmosphere for the reader. Horror is often divided into the psychological horror and supernatural horror sub-genres. Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger fears of a society. While ghost stories are often explicitly meant to scare, they have been written to serve all sorts of purposes, from comedy to morality tales while horror stories encompass societal fears. Some of these stories are centuries old, with varying versions across multiple cultures.
Published: Various
List: Short Ghost & Horror Collections, Ghost #43
Author: Various
Genre: Horror & Supernatural Fiction, Short Stories
Episode: Short Ghost & Horror Collections - Book 32
Part: 1 of 1
Length Part: 9:47:28
Book: 32
Length Book: 9:47:28
Episodes: 1 - 20 of 20
Narrator: Collaborative
Language: English
Rated: Guidance Suggested
Edition: Unabridged Audiobook
Keywords: ghost, short story, ghoul, fiction, supernatural, horror, ghostly, specter, spirit, poltergeist, phantom, apparition, haunt, haunted house, banshee, eerie, macabre, dead, fright, scary, suspense, witch, terror, mystery, demonic, vampire, devil, death, satan, dark magic, witches, monsters, satanism, Halloween
Hashtags: #freeaudiobooks #audiobook #mustread #readingbooks #audiblebooks #favoritebooks #free #booklist #audible #freeaudiobook #ghost #ShortStory #ghoul #fiction #supernatural #horror #ghostly #specter #spirit #poltergeist #phantom #apparition #haunt #HauntedHouse #banshee #eerie #macabre #dead #fright #scary #suspense #witch #terror #mystery #demonic #vampire #devil #death #satan #DarkMagic #witches #monsters #satanism #Halloween
Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream.
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