Halloween Tales to Haunt Human’s Dreams
Isabelle Braun ‘20 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
These stories follow the supernatural and the unknown that humans find scary. Some of the narratives involve adults while others focus solely on the younger lives of children. Childhood fears is what brings back the tingle down the spine, the feeling of being watched, and the inability to sleep in the dark. Childhood fears and family myths merge together to create a terrifying narrative.
IT by Stephen King
Little kids and sometimes those older are terrified of clowns. As it is, scary clowns made countless appearances just months ago. The inspiration for these real-life killer clowns is probably that of Stephen King’s IT. Readers can join a group of kids in their plan to stop this killer clown known as Pennywise. With his red hair and tricky voice, Pennywise draws children into the sewers before floating and sometimes eating them. King surrounds the reader with terrifying details of bloodstained bathrooms, clown stages, and little boys in yellow raincoats chasing paper boats. He brings our nightmares to life within the pages of IT.
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Who is not scared of creepy abandoned houses in the middle of nowhere? This black house holds the ghost of a woman who died long ago, hanging herself as a result of grief from finding out her son died in the deadly marshes. As revenge, this woman in black tricks the townspeople’s children into killing themselves in horrible ways. Susan Hill’s ghostly novel, known as The Woman in Black, brings parents nightmares to life. Hill writes about a young lawyer who is documenting the belongings of the house. The ghost of the woman in black tries to scare him away. The lawyer rescues her son from the marsh and returns his dead body to her in hopes of stopping the murder of other kids. However, the woman in black kills the lawyer and his son.
At its core, this novel embodies the supernatural and the woman in black haunts the dreams of those who read her tale.
Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett
Family history creates a strong bond between bloodlines. The actions and fates of those still alive are sometimes determined by their ancestor’s past. Kim Liggett’s Blood and Salt examines this theme of ancestor’s determining the lives of those still alive. A young girl named Ash goes back to her mother’s home in Kansas. Little does she know, her mother and uncle fled the state in order to avoid a ceremony that goes back generation upon generation within their family. Ash is confronted with death after death as she is faced with the fact that she is part of the ceremony that happens every seventeen years. The reader can follow Ash through her journey in the cornstalks.
The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy
There may be nothing worse than finding out the news of someone’s own family member being murdered. Well, there might actually be something worse; to be haunted by the multiple murders that are tied to said family member. The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy involves a young girl named Lana and her discovery of a series of murders. Her step-brother, Ben, died as the golden boy. Lana remembers the stories Ben told her as a child. It isn’t until more murders are discovered by the police that Lana makes the connection: the stories and the murders are linked. Can Lana figure out how they are linked? Can she figure out why? Join her in her quest to get justice for her brother.
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics
Blood is important and the DNA within that blood is more so. Being a female or a male impacts the responsibilities and expectations that a family has for their own children. In Amy Lukavics’ novel, The Women in the Walls, it is far better to be born a male. Lucy, the main character, uncovers a curse that follows the women in her bloodline from the moment they are born to the moment they die. Her aunt disappears into the woods and no one is able to find her. Her cousin, Margaret, refuses to leave the attic of her house because she swears she hears her mother’s voice. As Lucy witnesses the women slowly disintegrating around her, her own craziness wraps itself around her mind. She hears voices that tell her what to do and what to think. Follow Lucy and help her to unravel the curse set upon her family.
These books are immersed in the supernatural and the Halloween spirit. Be prepared for the scariness of the words before you.