You know what’s even scarier? the telling of Urban Legends; they often have a tiny element of TRUTH to them!! (I’m to understand there really WAS a homicidal maniac with a hook for a hand!)
Sounds more like a house spirit to me. Dormant while the house was empty, it was slowly awakened by their activity, but took offence to their lack of offerings.
Always treat your house spirit well, and it will do the same for you.
Could also have been a “House Elf” or Elves. Very similar to House Spirits, except they are flesh-and-blood beings with mystical abilities and superhuman speed and agility.
“Geist” is German for “ghost”, and “poltern” means “to make a racket by slamming things into each other”. So a poltergeist IS a specific kind of ghost.
I like the ambiguity of the final sentence. Did the police enter the girl’s home, or the neighbouring home, and find only the phone? Did the girl’s mom go missing that very night, or had she still been on her shift when it happened?
Horror stories where the (apparent) malevolence isn’t revealed, and when there’s ambiguities at the end are the best.
Once i came home late after midnight. I didnt open the light and sneaked upstairs not to wake anybody. In the bathroom I heard strange sounds from the staircase just besides the bathroom door. I opened the door and saw a white appearance just on the last step of the stairs. I nearly pushed the ghost downstairs. But i opened the light instead and it was my 80 year old grandma with her white nightgown and more than shoulder long white hair. True story, i swear.
I half-expected the ghost in the room to be in the scared huddle. Maybe he’ll tell the next story. 😀
I’ve got a good one, myself, but I won’t tell it here. Castela might overhear it through the fourth wall and accidentally pincushion her friends. (Also, it would be an even bigger wall of text than the one in the comic.)
I think I might have a non-ghost explanation for this one. Here goes:
The girl had indeed forgotten to unplug the radio.
While she was downstairs, a burglar, who is expecting the house to be empty, enters via a wibdow on the second floor.
Much to his surprise, said burglar hears someone moving around downstairs. This burglar is versed in ghost stories and decides to try and scare the girl so that he might not be caught. Que the door slamming. Girl indeed runs away and burglar has free reign for a while.
The light she saw was the thief using his flashlight to find all the valuables.
Then, she rings the phone. Thief thinks, “well, I’ve already scared one person, let’s add some extra credibility to her story. It is probably someone else, on the phone but that will make two people who think this place is haunted.”
So he pulls the scream and phone drop.
When the police arrives, he has long gone, potentially with their valuables
Jinkies!!
Sounds like a happy ending to me.
OK, who’s ready to sleep?
You know what’s even scarier? the telling of Urban Legends; they often have a tiny element of TRUTH to them!! (I’m to understand there really WAS a homicidal maniac with a hook for a hand!)
No, we’re not going to freak out Castela too badly, are we?
Was there any follow-up? Missing or broken items? Did it ever happen again? What did the police report say?
To me, this sounds more like a poltergeist than a ghost.
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=poltergeist&source=ds_search
Well, what Daylla described was certainly noisy enough. The shows that my roommate watches (and I perforce listen to) distinguish betwixt them.
Sounds more like a house spirit to me. Dormant while the house was empty, it was slowly awakened by their activity, but took offence to their lack of offerings.
Always treat your house spirit well, and it will do the same for you.
Could also have been a “House Elf” or Elves. Very similar to House Spirits, except they are flesh-and-blood beings with mystical abilities and superhuman speed and agility.
“Geist” is German for “ghost”, and “poltern” means “to make a racket by slamming things into each other”. So a poltergeist IS a specific kind of ghost.
Daylla FTW. Way to set the bar really high.
I’m surprised Cass hasn’t gone all pricklepear bush on everyone.
And will she go prickly pear or clingy vine?
Hmm, might trigger her defensive instincts: blackthorn hedge?
Funny how, even though the rest of gang is almost in ‘ShellyVision’ mode, I can still tell them apart…
You know what’s funny? I’ve actually herd this story before. Source please?
Daylla’s Grandma’s friend?
But who was phone?
For paranormals who have seen lots of strange things (like their own reflection) they sure are easily scared.
To be fair to them, all those things they’ve seen, they know what they are. Ghosts on the other-hand are a mystery!
“…and there, on the floor, was a PHONE!” *assorted screaming*
Yup… the very idea of having to stay at home to receive a phone call is quite traumatizing to the youth of today.
Heaven forbid they imagine a even earlier time when the only phone available was the public booth at the end of the road!
And 9 times out of 8, it would be broken, or smell ‘funny’, or both
It’s broad daylight and i just turned on a light. . .
Don’t mind me, I’ll just be cowering under this comforter for a bit.
I like the ambiguity of the final sentence. Did the police enter the girl’s home, or the neighbouring home, and find only the phone? Did the girl’s mom go missing that very night, or had she still been on her shift when it happened?
Horror stories where the (apparent) malevolence isn’t revealed, and when there’s ambiguities at the end are the best.
So what did happen to the girl’s mom?
She’s… RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
(Sorry, couldn’t refrain myself)
Once i came home late after midnight. I didnt open the light and sneaked upstairs not to wake anybody. In the bathroom I heard strange sounds from the staircase just besides the bathroom door. I opened the door and saw a white appearance just on the last step of the stairs. I nearly pushed the ghost downstairs. But i opened the light instead and it was my 80 year old grandma with her white nightgown and more than shoulder long white hair. True story, i swear.
She had them at “no cellphones.”
That means the story happened in the Dark Ages or something…
I half-expected the ghost in the room to be in the scared huddle. Maybe he’ll tell the next story. 😀
I’ve got a good one, myself, but I won’t tell it here. Castela might overhear it through the fourth wall and accidentally pincushion her friends. (Also, it would be an even bigger wall of text than the one in the comic.)
So, ‘Ways to Tell There Was a Violent Murder in Your Home 101’?
Surely, that’s done by either googling your address or being perpetrator/witness of said violent murder?
Or, in pre-WWW days, going through newspaper archives for articles relating to your address, or asking family (dis)members.
Remember, its all PHONE and games until someone loses a RING…
Haa-ha! XD
…And now for something totally different…
(*shudders*)
Loved that short story when it was an entry for a “horror story in 1 tweet” competition nearly 10 years ago.
Production gets points for the Flat Eric toy too!
I think I might have a non-ghost explanation for this one. Here goes:
The girl had indeed forgotten to unplug the radio.
While she was downstairs, a burglar, who is expecting the house to be empty, enters via a wibdow on the second floor.
Much to his surprise, said burglar hears someone moving around downstairs. This burglar is versed in ghost stories and decides to try and scare the girl so that he might not be caught. Que the door slamming. Girl indeed runs away and burglar has free reign for a while.
The light she saw was the thief using his flashlight to find all the valuables.
Then, she rings the phone. Thief thinks, “well, I’ve already scared one person, let’s add some extra credibility to her story. It is probably someone else, on the phone but that will make two people who think this place is haunted.”
So he pulls the scream and phone drop.
When the police arrives, he has long gone, potentially with their valuables
Does that hold water?
Scarlet’s eye-roll (first panel)😏