horror stories

"A missing sister. A mysterious boy. And a painting that holds the truth beneath its peeling edge . . . Inez is missing, but missing things can always be found. Mae knows this as a fact, even though the police investigation has come to a standstill, even though her parents are moving on. But when she goes to clear out her older sister's studio, she finds a mess of research and a white canvas that seems even older than the ornate frame it is set in. The closer Mae gets to the canvas, the more difficult it is to pull her eyes away from its mottled surface, its heavy layers of white paint, its peeling top corner she is tempted to pull to see what's beneath. But she doesn't. Not yet. Mae decides to trace her sister's last steps in the hopes of finding answers, certain that Inez's disappearance is related to the painting. And she knows she is desperate enough to let the strange boy who claims to have been Inez's neighbor tag along. Even if his good looks don't help distract from his avoidance of her questions. So begins a scavenger hunt piecing together what they can find from what Inez left behind. One that leads to centuries-old questions best left unasked and secrets best kept in the dark. From the author of A Guide to the Dark comes another romantic and eerie mystery about the lengths we are willing to go for the truth and the ones we love"--Provided by publisher.

For high school senior Nell and her friends, a vacation house on a private Florida island sounds like the makings of a dream spring break. But Nell brings secrets with her?secrets that fuse with the island's tragic history, trapping them all with a curse that surrounds the island in a toxic, vengeful mist and the surrounding waters with an unseen, devouring beast. Getting out alive means risking her friendships, her sanity, and even her own life. In order to save herself and her friends, Nell will have to face memories she'd rather leave behind, reveal the horrific truth behind the encounter that changed her life one year ago, and face the shadow that's haunted her since childhood. Easier said than done. But when Nell's friends reveal that they each brought secrets of their own, a solution even more dangerous than the curse begins to take shape.

"Though she has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the thankless life she left behind, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster, a vessel to Acheron and its ever-demanding appetite. So when she stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, Laure is forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself. Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and the primordial influence that destroyed her best friend is spilling into the streets like a blight. But Laure isn't the only of Elysium's beasts to rise from the ruins of Op?ra Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans to raise themselves beyond heights even she never dreamed of. To stop this force and oblivion itself, she must gaze into the growing abyss inside her and discover secrets that only the dark can offer"--Provided by publisher.

Sixteen-year-old Nate Campbell, haunted by the curse of Murder Road, relocates with his family to escape the vengeful spirit of the Hiding Boy, but when he joins his new friends' urban legend club, old ghost stories collide with new and Nate must face the curse of the Hiding Boy.

"Drawing from Indian mythology, a teen girl desperate to bring her sister back from the dead is forced to first resurrect the kingdom's fallen prince, but accidentally awakens the wrong boy"--Provided by publisher.

Five years ago, a parasite poisoned the water of Ian?s West Virginia hometown, turning dozens of locals into dark-eyed, oil-dripping shells of their former selves. With chronic migraines and seizures limiting his physical abilities, Ian relies on his best friend and secret love Eric to mercy-kill any infected people they come across. Until a new health report about the contamination triggers a mandatory government evacuation, and Ian cracks his head in the rush. Used to hospitals and health scares, Ian always thought he'd die young... but he wasn?t planning on coming back. Much less face the slow, painful realization that Eric left him behind to die. Desperate to find Eric and the truth before the parasite takes over him, Ian along with two others left behind?his old childhood rival Monica and the jaded prepper Angel?journey to track down Eric. What they don't know is that Eric is also looking for Ian, and he's determined to mercy-kill him.

A collection of ten scary stories with brief introductions by the author.

"Happy Silverman is more than a little excited for his class trip to the museum. He loves learning about Ancient Egypt and can't wait to see real mummies. At the museum, Happy leans as close to the mummy display as he possibly can―and something strange happens. His head spins and he hears an unfamiliar voice ringing inside his mind. The mummy is inside Happy's brain and need his help―or else!"--Back cover.

"Joe is having trouble with bullies at his new school, and he doesn't know where to turn for help. Soon he finds a companion in the most unlikely form. But is this the friend he has been hoping for or something more sinister?"--Provided by publisher.

Told from multiple points of view, six strangers, brought together by a horror message board, decide to play the Midnight Game, only to discover the stakes are far higher than they ever imagined as they confront the reality that their lives are in grave danger.