Are you a fan of the macabre? Do stories filled with blood and gore excite you? Do you have a treasure trove of bonfire stories that will send a chill down our spines? Will it top the search lists for 10 creepy mysteries?
Answering yes to the first two questions, for me meant a deep dive into the Listverse archives.
There I found lists comprising creepy stories ranging from real-life stories to urban legends. And just so you know what you are getting yourself into, I will share some of them with you. Let the terror begin.
Demon Possession
If you are like me, you were first introduced to this concept by the 2004 film, Exorcist: The Beginning. I followed the priest-turned-archeologist as he discovered this long-hidden origin of evil.
The evil presence led to a series of bizarre incidents, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake and culminated in him reclaiming his priesthood. Through the nightmare-filled nights that followed, I took refuge in knowing that this was all made up.
Things like this just did not happen. But what if they did?
In 1842, a 28-year-old German woman played an unwilling host to visitors from hell. Reports have claimed that she went into trances, vomited nails and blood, levitated and had convulsions.
She, unlike Sarah from the Exorcist movie, was one of the lucky ones. In 1843, a pastor named Blumhardt finally exorcised her demons.
Haunted Places
What do you do when a ghost photobombs your family vacation photos? This happened to Bill Andrews’ family in 2016.
He reached out to the management of the Crathes Castle in Scotland and learned that a ghost named The Green Lady was the culprit. While who she used to be in her past life remains a mystery, a renovation of the castle in the 1800s led to the discovery of what people believe to be her remains and those of her child.
And ever since, she has been a constant sighting by visitors to the castle.
This is not the only place where people have shared spaces or had mysterious encounters with the dearly departed. Sources have claimed that the Canadian Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel might have as many ghostly guests as its living ones. You never know who will pop out of the room next to yours.
Or maybe, just maybe, you may end up getting a bagpipe serenade by a headless man.
Haunted waters have also made the Listverse great lists. These are spots you should probably not dip your toes into.
Disturbing Things That People Have Done
A Fitting Send-Off
Did you watch Hannibal Lecter and wonder what it feels like to eat human flesh? Do you have an unusual attachment to your limbs? Or do you want to know if everything does taste like chicken? Well, a Reddit user, u/IncrediblyShinyShart and his crew might have answers for you.
The Reddit user lost one of his legs to amputation following a motorcycle accident. Not happy with the available options on disposal or storage of the leg, he finally had his chef friend make a meal out of it.
They served it with tacos, Mexican-style veggies, and voila, a chewy meal with a pronounced beefy flavor.
The Case of the Views-Hungry Boyfriend
Away from cannibalism, what lengths are you willing to go to for views? How about abuse and murder? This was allegedly what Stanislav Reshetnikov, a Russian Youtuber, did.
He has been accused of beating up his pregnant girlfriend and locking her out of the house and in the cold. His viewers watched this live and kept sending in donations. Paramedics had to be called in – by one of his viewers, no less.
His viewers were also witnesses to the unsuccessful attempts to revive her. As of December 2020, Stanislav is on trial for her murder
People Watching On Steroids
If you have ever felt like, “They are watching you,” —cue in sinister voice whispering—well, it turns out that they are. “They,” in this case, are members of a Reddit group, ‘r/ControllableWebcams’. So next time you walk past a camera, maybe smile and wave for the Reddit users who are watching.
How About the Man Who Saw His Death Coming?
If that happened to you, what would you do? Well, if you are president Lincoln, according to unverified reports, you confide in someone and boom! Ten days later, you are dead.
The Murderous Friendly Intruder
A man named Theodore Edward Coneys tops the list of 10 creepy friends in Listverse. In 1941, down on his luck, he went to his friend, Peters’ house intending to ask for help. Not finding Peters at home, he snuck in.
Because of Coney’s small stature, he fit in the house’s narrow attic where he lived for weeks before discovery. When Peters accidentally found out, Coneys killed him and then went back to his hiding spot.
It took months – with Coneys still living in the attic – for the police to solve the mystery of how Peters died.
Scary Creatures That May Actually Exist
This might make you rethink your trip to the Grand Canyon. First spotted in 1903 and then again about 40 years later, Arizona’s humanoid creature thrives on cougar blood. Imagine that, a creature that takes down mountain lions, and not just one but two. People who have seen it say that it has expressionless eyes and can imitate animals’ sounds.
Coupled with a terrifying scream and long talons, this is definitely something that I never want to cross paths with.
There are stories of creatures like these and more, all with people backing up those earliest claims. So next time you are picking a camping spot, maybe check first, make sure there is no creature known to roam around there.
It might be one of those creatures that truly exist.
Government-Sanctioned Experiments on Its People
This brings to mind Eleven from Stranger Things, her nose-bleed-inducing superpowers, her band of merry friends, her sometimes clueless adopted father, and the portal to an alternate dimension that soon threatens them all.
It looks like the CIA might have had similar ambitions to those behind Eleven’s superpowers. This is because from the 1950s to the 1970s, they ran a secret mind-control project.
The plan was to weaponize mind control against American enemies during war. But best-laid plans and all that.
Even though they started with the best intentions, what they ended up with was a project that caused psychological torture on those that took part.
Still With Us? Can You Top These Stories?
Do you have stories that sound like they could be out of a horror flick? If you do, then you are just what Listverse is looking for. Send us your list of creepy stories that are perfect for a bonfire hangout.
