Are you looking for a home for a scary short story? Then head over to Inkitt. They've just launched their Dark Places contest. It goes something like this:
"You are in the darkest place in the world." Submit your blood-curdlers, spine-tinglers, skin-crawlers, and hair-raisers to Inkitt's free horror contest! Fiction from flash to 10,000 words is accepted. Receive the most votes to bump your entry into judging by the Inkitt staff." More Details.
I haven't read many truly, terrifying books. Curious to know what I'd been missing out on, I put this question to Twitter:
In honour of @inkitt's short story horror contest - I want to find out what novels, if any, made you want to sleep with the light on?!
— Emily Benet (@EmilyBenet) February 2, 2015
It wasn't long before the replies came in, with The Woman in Black proving a popular choice.
.@EmilyBenet Susan Hill's The Woman in Black, The Monk by Matthew G Lewis, & I've just read Rosemary's Baby Film good, book better! @Inkitt
— susan elliot wright (@sewelliot) February 2, 2015
Adding,
.@EmilyBenet I read The Woman in Black in one sitting while alone in my flat one (real) dark & stormy night. Nearly crapped myself! @Inkitt
— susan elliot wright (@sewelliot) February 2, 2015
Sounds like the TV version was just as hair raising,
@EmilyBenet @Inkitt The 1989 tv version is the scariest thing I've ever seen...even scarier than my legs in shorts.
— Steve Callaghan (@SPCalla) February 2, 2015
Other choices included
@sewelliot @EmilyBenet @Inkitt similarly The Turn Of The Screw ....can't even think nowadays or get spooked !
— Helen Stanton (@Helannsta) February 2, 2015
and good old Stephen King,
.@EmilyBenet I found the end of Stephen King's Pet Sematary absolutely terrifying.
— Rebecca Ferrier (@rmlferrier) February 2, 2015
As for me, I found The Uninvited made for unsettling reading... especially since it was late at night and I was all alone in my flat and my foot was sticking outside of the duvet, which is never a good feeling. And you? What's the most heart stopping, spine chilling book you have ever read?