True Scary Stories
By: Sunila Samuel |
Sunday October 19, 2008 |
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These True Stories Are Sure To Get You Into The Halloween Spirit |
| Even with the tricks and treats, carved pumpkins, and costumes galore, Halloween just isn’t the same without the spooky stories that make us jumpy and paranoid. You know the feeling: you read a real-life account of a murder or haunting filled with macabre details, and the hairs on your arms and neck stand on end. Afterwards, you check your doors and windows twice before going to bed at night. The images from the story linger in your mind, however, and you end up sleeping with the lights on anyway. The scariest films often don’t have the same effects as a well-written horror story. In the theater, you are with many other people. There’s a feeling of security---safety-in-numbers, you tell yourself. When you read a book, though, you are alone in the terrifying journey, whether the story takes you through a haunted house, a serial killer’s rampage, a supernatural encounter, or a person’s delusions and nightmares. Suddenly, you hear sounds that you didn’t notice before. Shadows appear in odd places. An unexpected chill envelops you. Your imagination goes wild. To get you in the spirit of All Hallows Eve, we’re providing a list of books that contain true accounts of the unknown, the evil, and the demented, all of which will stop your heart and leave your blood cold. Ghosts and Other Paranormal Entities Paranormal researchers and ghost hunters have come upon some of the most chilling eyewitness accounts involving various haunted sites. These sites include old houses, hotels, roads, and graveyards. House of Spirits and Whispers: The True Story of a Haunted House by Annie Wilder Wilder writes about the ghosts that have been occupying her Victorian home in Minnesota and disturbing her family for years. She continues to live there; the ghosts do, too. Leslie Rule, daughter of true-crime writer Ann Rule, grew up in a house that was haunted, leaving her fascinated with ghosts. Since then, she has traveled all over the country to investigate the scenes of and the stories behind various hauntings. From those experiences, she has written many books on the subject. Here are three that will make you hide deep under the covers. When the Ghost Screams: True Stories of Victims Who Haunt Paranormal experts have found that ghosts are often victims of gruesome violence. Indeed, many haunted sites are scenes of unsolved murders. In this book, Rule examines the crimes behind the screams. Ghost in the Mirror: Real Cases of Spirit Encounters Rule explores the apparitions that lurk behind the looking glass. Coast To Coast Ghosts: True Stories of Hauntings Across America This work is based on Rule’s many interviews with various witnesses to hauntings. Weird Hauntings: True Tales of Ghostly Places by Joanne Austin Austin describes the stories behind well-known haunted sites and those that are private residences. If you decide to visit these places after reading about them, you’re going at your own risk. Consider yourself warned! Our Haunted Lives: True Life Ghost Encounters by Jeff Belanger Paranormal researcher Jeff Belanger looks at the nature of ghosts and other spirits through the eyes of the witnesses who have been emotionally affected by them. Serial Killers What can be more horrifying than the true-life stories of serial killers, many of whom are still alive? Add to that the creepy facts that these killers live and walk among us in our neighborhoods, grocery stores, and places of employment and seem like everyday people. Forget Norman Bates, Hannibal Lecter, and urban legends about insane asylum escapees with bloody hook hands---the stories about the real psychos will chill you to the core. Harold Schechter, a professor of American Literature and culture at Queens College, CUNY, has written several books on the monstrosities of various murderers in America. In his works, Schechter examines the pathology behind their crimes and the psychological states they were in while they were committing heinous acts. Two of them are The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World's Most Terrifying Murderers and The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Other comprehensive books include The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers by Michael Newton and Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters by Peter Vronsky One of the most shocking stories of the 20th century was that of the Charles Manson killings in California. In the famous book, Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, authors Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry talk about the madman and how he was able to manipulate his band of followers to do his will. Another horrific story is the case of Richard Ramirez, a Satanist who went on a killing spree in the 1980s. The Night Stalker by Philip Carlo details the murderous rage that consumed Ramirez and the strange devotees who fell in love with him. Hellish Encounters Think The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby are petrifying? Try reading these two books about exorcists contending with demonic possession and the occult: Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans by Malachi Martin The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren by Gerald Brittle. This October, get yourself geared up for the eerie occasion. Forget the silly slasher films that come out this time of year. Instead, pick up one of these books, curl up on the couch with an afghan and a mug of hot chocolate, and dive into some terrifying tales. And try to ignore those weird sounds outside your window. |
