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Microhorror Writing Contest

Public·191 members

“He Watched”


Jennifer stood by her window, phone in hand.  He was out there again.  It had been a night or two since the old man stood outside her house.  Whenever he missed a night, she took it as a blessing.  She had hoped she would never see his tired, disheveled face ever again.  Yet, here he was. 

The man in question had been visiting her property for some time.  He looked like he had lived a long life and wasn’t in a good place.  She could tell from a distance that he had marks on his arm.  Were they from drug use?  A fight he had been in?  She didn’t know, and didn’t want to find out.  And most importantly, she just wanted him to go the hell away.

She had moved into her dream home a few months back.  It started off slow, with him occasionally standing across the street,…

129 Views
Dane G
Awarded for making your first post in the forum. Welcome to the shadows!

Dark Initiate

Dear Brother

Dear Brother,


I wish to unburden myself of a secret I have kept from you and our family for nigh on 60 years. I am ready to meet my Maker, and have no reason to lie.


It was the Autumn of 1812. Our family had just taken possession of fertile lands north of Peterborough. Father purchased the lands with the intent of subletting to tenant farmers and building a substantial family estate, what we now know as Rosewood Hall.


I was surveying our new holdings and came upon a small cottage. Weather worn, to be sure, but habitable. It had surely been standing for generations.


I confess I was filled with immense pride looking upon our family’s newest holding.


In the fields beyond the cottage a man arose from the Earth, but the soil did not disturb. He was a spectre. I could see his form, his clothes, his hair…


113 Views

Unique and stirring. I liked it.

The Other Side of the Mirror


 

The room was a shrine for the little girl who no longer lived. Last week, she was lying in bed, drawing her last breath. Abigail’s funeral was such a sad affair, with the small white coffin and hundreds of curious gawkers who came to offer their condolences.

The inconsolable mother stood in the room, trying to feel her daughter again. Abigail’s doll, Mirabelle, sat in a tiny rocking chair next to the full-length mirror. A small bird hung from the ceiling on a string; her favorite bedtime book sat on the nightstand. How many times had she read that book to her daughter, trying to ease her pain? Abigail knew when the book ended, the sleeping medication would take hold, and she would leave the pain behind, if only for a few moments.

Sarah picked up Mirabelle, holding her to her heart.

“You and I miss her the most,”…

102 Views

A New Nightmare Beckons: July’s 500-Word Horror Challenge

Which One gets your vote?

  • The Chapel - By CJ Hooper

  • The Other Side of the Mirror - By Dawn DeBraal

  • The Shadow Killer - Bt JB Wocoski

  • Unnecessary Sadness - By Sandra Petrinovic


Writers, horror lovers, and midnight minds—July’s 500-word microhorror challenge has clawed its way into the ShadowSphere. And the image? Well… you’ve seen it. You can’t unsee it. 👀


What story festers behind this face? A cursed hermit? A soul trapped between worlds? A house that isn’t just a house?

Craft your darkest tale inspired by this month’s image and share it in the group. Then cast your vote—because the top three stories will earn a place in our monthly webzine, Whispers from Beyond and our 2026 anthology!.

🕯️ Deadline: July 25


294 Views
Sandra Petrinovic
Sandra Petrinovic
Jul 08, 2025

Unnecessary sadness.

Taking matters into their own hands, the labourers formed a consortium with neighbouring labourers against the farmers over the meager wages paid out, because of poor crops due to the lack of rain. In the early hours of the night, farm labourers took up arms, any kind they could find, and went on a murder rampage.                                                                                                                            14-year-old Simon Cress hid in a secret passage in his father’s study while his family was massacred. The passage was cold and damp, but Simon endured the discomfort for a while. He waited until the morning. He thought the danger was over, so he silently slipped out. The sight of his slaughtered family blacked out his mind.                                                                                                                                                 Simon woke up in an abandoned warehouse on the town's outskirts. He had no recollection of how he came there. The poor boy wandered the streets feeling dazed and out of sorts. Passersby pulled their young ones closer and shied away from him. Simon found himself sitting on the church’s steps. Reverend Harrison sat in his kitchen having a late breakfast when he noticed Simon. Reverend Harrison came over and sat beside him.                                                                                                                      “Hello there, young Simon.”                                                                                                                    Simon stared at him. Reverend Harrison looked into Simon’s eyes and saw something dark. He helped the boy up and walked him towards the church to pray for him. Simon shook violently as if possessed.  He tried to speak, but he only groaned. Reverend Harrison took the boy to the hospital, where he would be in good hands. The reverend explained what he had witnessed at the church and told the doctor that he would drive to Cress Farm and find out what had caused this.                                                                                                                          Reverend Harrison reached the Cress Family farmhouse. The eerie silence made him shiver. He stepped up onto the porch, and the smell stung his nostrils. He knocked, no one answered, but the door stood ajar. He pushed the door wide and stepped over the threshold. What met his eyes was evil. Bodies were strewn everywhere, blanketed with flies. A lone labourer stepped over the threshold with his bare hands, tried to strangle the Reverend.     

                                                                                                                                                                                  Back at the hospital, Simon fought and yelled when doctors tried to help him. He threw a jug of water at a doctor and then lunged towards him. Simon slipped, hitting his head on the floor. When Simon came around, the cloud in his eyes lifted.                                                                                     Fixing his gaze on the doctor, he said, “Evil rains down on my family's farm. Please help.”                                              The doctor remembered the Reverend went out there. He called the police to assist and rode with them. The sight that caught their eyes was horrendous. Dead people and livestock lay everywhere. Wheat fields were burned. A policeman hurled at the stench. The Reverend, wild-eyed, dragged the farm labourer to the police. The police learned from the surviving labourers of the consortium, and these lads were thrown into jail.  As for young Simon Cress, he went into foster care until someone adopted him.

The End

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