Real Scary Stories to tell in the dark it was March 12th 2019 I was home alone that night my parents were on vacation and my sister was spending the night with her girlfriend nothing unusual I was lying in bed scrolling through my phone when I received a text from my boyfriend we'll call him Mike hey what are you doing I texted him back saying I'm just chilling nothing special we chatted for a while and we decided that he would come over to my house and everybody was gone I sprang up from my bed and got myself ready some time passed before I heard a knock at my front door that wasn't normal for him he was one of those cliche boyfriends who would usually climb through my bedroom window but since I was alone that night I figured he didn't want to risk busting his ass I went downstairs and looked through the peephole no one was there I then texted my boyfriend hey where do you go he opened the text and read it but did not respond I thought that was strange my thoughts were immediately interrupted as I heard another loud set of knocks this time at the back door door now I was becoming nervous and a feeling of dread began to set in I received another text not from my boyfriend this time but from his brother I almost dropped the phone when
I read what was on the screen Mike lost his phone earlier today he wanted me to tell you that he's going to be busy tonight studying for his exams my heart practically skipped a beat when I received another text from Mike's number you look so adorable in your pajamas now I knew that somebody I didn't know was outside watching me thinking quickly I called at my boyfriend's [Music] number I heard a ringtone from upstairs in my bedroom I ran down the hall to my parents' room my dad always kept a gun in his closet after locking the door I pulled it out asking myself if I could go through with actually shooting someone I heard footsteps above me they soon slowly made their way down the stairs I called at 911 and reported the break in Whispering into the phone the dispatch told me the cops would be on their way my stomach dropped when another call came in the Intruder had dialed my number and all the panic I forgot to put my phone on silent I then heard laughter coming from down the [Laughter] hall I cannot explain to you how terrif in it is to hear someone laughing in that situation I was now scared for my life I then heard a loud bang on the bedroom door it soon flew open as the Intruder
Scary stories to tell in the dark
entered the room I saw the shine of a knife in his hand as he raised it into the air I staggered back but aimed my father's pistol and pulled the trigger my mind you I had never fired a gun before my dad showed me how to operate it but hadn't taken me to the range yet I can't explain how this happened because my eyes were closed but the shot I fired knocked the knife from the intruder's hand I then aimed the gun at his head don't move I told him making my voice sound as aggressive as possible the guy must have thought I was a sharpshooter and had no idea that I actually got lucky the police soon arrived and forced their way inside the house they followed my shouting and made their way to the bedroom where I still had the intruder at gunpoint two officers put the man into cuffs once I got a good look at him I can honestly say that I didn't recognize him from anywhere once he was in the back seat of a cruiser one of the officers sat me down and took my statement long story short my parents ended their vacation early and my sister came home the next day we still have no idea how long he had been watching me for and how he managed to get Mike's phone we're all glad that I made it out of that situation alive and that the man is where he belongs in jail this story happened to me when I still lived at my parents' house I was
Beyond the Page How Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Changed Horror Literature
commuting to college at the time and I had three siblings that also lived at home my brother and two sisters for context we lived on 5 acres in a rural area in Ohio surrounded on both sides by Forest and farm Fields additionally during the week my dad normally left for work at 2:00 a. m. so I had always felt like it was my job to be the man of the house because he was gone during the times where you would imagine something sketchy happening however on this night because it was a weekend my dad was actually home I woke up to the sound of my brother's voice trying to get my attention we had separate rooms upstairs and coming out of our rooms you could look down over the banister and see our front door when I woke up it took a few moments to get out of the haze and realize what was going on I look over at the clock and saw that it was 2:30 a. m. my brother told me that there were two men at our front door now this really woke me up we quietly walk out of my room and peek over to look down at the front door there was no one there but I noticed my parents off to the side at of view of the glass on the front door I whispered down to my dad and he told me there were two guys that have been talking to each other and knocking on our door hearing my dad say this freaked me out even more I went back into my room and grabbed my gun quickly shuffling down
A Dive into the Spine-Chilling World of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
the stairs after looking to make sure they weren't at the front door if they had been they would have easily seen me coming down the stairs my brother was right behind me as we headed over to where my parents were my parents had awoken to the sound of our dog barking and had come down to find these two men loudly knocking at the door at this point the men returned and began knocking again the fact that they were there at this time in a location where the houses are spread out by 100 yards and still knocking despite a dog barking made the situation even more terrifying after a couple of minutes the men walked away and we all shuffled across the kitchen into the room to peek out the windows into our driveway which was lit up by our outside light there was a black Cadillac sitting there but no one was behind the wheel from what we could see immediately the question was where do these guys go they weren't in their car and they were no longer at the front door unfortunately we found out the answer when the handles on our back doors started rattling [Music] they were now actively trying to force their way inside at this point I just remember my mom frantically saying my dad's name as pure Terror overwhelmed her then two things happened adrenaline rushed through me as I prepared my handgun horrified at the very real possibility
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that I might have to use it secondly my dad finally grabbed the phone and called the police and calmly told them what was happening thankfully after a minute they stopped trying to get inside and disappeared again only to return to the front door and started knocking again several minutes had gone by and we suddenly saw the local police flying up in multiple Cruisers with their lights on as they whipped into our driveway in front yard the two men bolted attempting to run the long way around the house one of them disappeared from our view while another was intercepted by an officer yelling for him to get on the ground he didn't cooperate and was immediately tased some of the other officers went around the house after the other man while another came up to talk to my dad they ended up finding the other man hiding in my little sister's playhouse in the backyard both of them were under the influence of drugs they found cocaine on one of the men they were both arrested that night but we never found out what they were charged with or what happened to them needless to say this whole experience wasn't [Music] fun growing up in a house in the middle of nowhere seems to generate this kind of story I think I must have been around 9 years old when this happened my mom was a single mother our nearest neighbor was within running distance but definitely not shouting distance there was a main road that ran past our house we would maybe have two
The Journey of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
to three cars passed by in the evening people who were heading into town and avoiding the highway our nights were almost always very quiet it was the kind of place where if you heard a knock on the door your blood ran cold for a couple of seconds it usually meant that somebody was lost or maybe someone had crashed their car on the awkward Winding Road also for some reason at the time we didn't have any curtains we had these huge windows on both sides of our living room it would always creep me out a bit whenever I was home alone but my mom never seemed to worry about it it was a Friday night we were in the living room watching a movie with our dog it was pretty much our weekend tradition it was dark so it must have been late that's when we heard a knock on the door we looked at each other both of us were instantly freaked out but my mother being the adult calms down and heads to the door with me following close behind she unlocks all the locks on the door and opens it up but there was no one there she instantly closes the door and I start silently panicking and looking at my mom for an explanation she gave some weak excuse about a deer running into the door or something which I obviously did not believe but I didn't argue with her she seemed to convince herself that everything was fine and sends me off to bed Saturday Night comes around being a child I pretty much had forgotten about the night before and I think my mom convinced herself that it didn't happen
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The Dark Side of Literature: Controversies Surrounding Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
I don't think it will surprise anyone what happened after that the knock came again obviously I instantly remembered what happened the night before and a chill runs through my body I don't know if any of you have ever seen your parents who look genuinely frightened but when you're a small child there is nothing more terrifying we make our way to the front door and again no one is there this time we're both undeniably freaked out as I said before our living room had these big windows on both sides when the lights were on we couldn't see anything outside but obviously if anyone was outside they could see us our living room was also at the center of our house and had the only phone directly in front of one of these big windows the thought of walking into that room knowing that whoever was knocking on the door could see us was beyond creepy we sat in the kitchen for a while trying to figure out what to do next eventually my mom had to do something she said it was probably some kids playing a prank even back then I knew she was grasping at straws she carefully heads to the phone in the living room to call the police it was nerve-wracking but the police eventually showed up they do a walkthrough of our property and find nothing they then tell us to call again if anything.
Exploring the Cultural Impact of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
happens over the next three nights the same thing happened the police came every time but since we were out in the middle of nowhere I can only assume that whoever was responsible had disappeared by the time they got there obviously my mother was terrified at this point living with with just her young daughter in the house I can't imagine how scary this was for her the police eventually agreed to do a stake out on our house at night there was a little path that runs off the main road that led to the front of our house so that's where they decided to set up but they made sure that they were out of sight it was Friday night again so I was allowed to stay up that night and saw what happened it was exciting but also kind of scary during the stake out the police observed someone pulling over on the main road turning off his lights and engine he made his way down the side road which had the perfect view into our living room where he sat for 2 hours watching our house before sneaking up to the front door this was the point where the police made their move and arrested him we had no idea who he was he lived several towns away and he would just come and watch my mom at night and freak us out by knocking on the door I live in a small town in a quiet neighborhood that is surrounded by Forest at the time I still lived with my parents in a three-story town home my room was in the basement one night I heard a tapping sound on one of the windows the basement.
Are You Afraid of the Dark
had those typical slot windows on ground level at first I thought it was just a cat or maybe a raccoon but the tapping became louder it quickly became obvious there was someone outside trying to get my attention I was too scared to draw back the curtain to see what was going on eventually the tapping sounds stopped but now there were footsteps on my back porch whoever was outside had moved from the basement windows to the back porch the disturbance woke up my mom when she looked out the Second Story window and there was a figure in our backyard it seemed to be a man sniffing the grass yes it was as bizarre as it sounds my mom opened the window um excuse me what are you doing the man responded uh sorry Miss I'm on bass salts and I thought your grass was salad how about you come down here so I can hug you my mom quickly closed the window and called 911 the man ended up being willed away on a stretcher by a couple of EMTs of course the police were there too we haven't heard any updates about him but I hope he has stopped taking bass salts and can now distinguish Blades of grass from salad bars there's always a reason to be afraid
Frequently Asked Questions About Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Are you ready to dive into the chilling world of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"? Here are some frequently asked questions to guide you through the shadows and mysteries of these terrifying tales.
Q: What is "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"?
A: "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" is a collection of horror stories for children written by Alvin Schwartz. The books are known for their creepy and unsettling tales, often accompanied by eerie illustrations by Stephen Gammell.
Q: How many books are in the series?
A: There are three books in the series: "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," "More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," and "Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones."
Q: What makes these stories so scary?
A: The stories in "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" are filled with elements of folklore, urban legends, and the supernatural. They often feature unsettling twists, dark themes, and unexpected endings that leave readers feeling uneasy.
Q: Are the stories suitable for children?
A: While the books are marketed towards children and young adults, they are known for their intense and sometimes graphic content. Parents and educators should use their discretion when deciding if the stories are appropriate for their child's age and maturity level.
Q: Are there any controversies surrounding the series?
A: Yes, there have been controversies surrounding the series, particularly regarding the illustrations by Stephen Gammell. Some parents and educators have expressed concern over the graphic and disturbing nature of the images, leading to challenges and bans in some school libraries.
Q: Are there any adaptations of the books?
A: Yes, in 2019, a film adaptation of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" was released, directed by André Øvredal and produced by Guillermo del Toro. The film combines several stories from the books into a single narrative.
Q: Can adults enjoy these stories too?
A: Absolutely! While the books are marketed towards a younger audience, many adults also enjoy the chilling tales and nostalgic feel of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."
Q: Are there any lessons or themes in the stories?
A: The stories often explore themes of fear, folklore, and the supernatural. They can also teach valuable lessons about bravery, kindness, and the consequences of one's actions.
Q: Where can I find "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"?
A: The books are widely available and can be found in bookstores, libraries, and online retailers. The film adaptation is also available on various streaming platforms.
Q: Are there similar books or authors you would recommend?
A: If you enjoy "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," you might also like the works of R.L. Stine, particularly the "Goosebumps" series. Other authors to explore include Neil Gaiman, Edgar Allan Poe, and Shirley Jackson.
Explore the shadows, but beware of what lurks within. "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" is a haunting journey into the unknown, where the only certainty is fear itself.