Kaidankai: Ghost and Supernatural Stories

Amado guides us through a woman’s inner turmoil, offers glimpses into a troubled marriage, and coils us into a reality in which we have no control. Laila Amado is a migrating writer of speculative and literary fiction. She writes in her second language.  She has recently exchanged her fourth country of residence for the fifth, and can now be found staring at the North Sea, instead of the Mediterranean. The sea, occasionally, stares back. Her speculative stories have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Tales to Terrify, Three Lobed Burning Eye, as well as in various anthologies. Website: https://amadolaila.com/ Social media handles: Twitter/X @onbonbon7; Instagram @laila_amado; Bluesky @amadolaila.bsky.socialYou can read "The Screechers" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebookVideo of U2's The Hands That Built America:https://youtu.be/qFmh0c61I4Y?si=X4ZyeRDFcrGDr1HH

Deja vu is a memory that we don’t remember. But in today’s story, the character does recognize the discrepency. Is he crazy? Is he suffering a medical emergency?William Quincy Belle is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope, accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over-evaluating his contribution. He claims that at the heart of the writing process is some sort of (psychotic) urge to put it down on paper and likes to recite the following which so far he hasn't been able to attribute to anyone: "A writer is an egomaniac with low self-esteem." You will find Mr. Belle's unbridled stream of consciousness here (https://www.amazon.com/stores/William-Quincy-Belle/author/B01M1IQ69G).You can read "The Fourteen Fourteen Curse" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebookPhoto of New York City Ironworkers, photographer unknownVideo of U2's The Hands That Built America:https://youtu.be/qFmh0c61I4Y?si=X4ZyeRDFcrGDr1HH

Art speaks to us. Sometimes, what it says can be scary.Jon Krampner’s short stories and flash fiction have appeared, or are about to appear, in Across the Margin, Eunoia Review, Eclipse, Page & Spine and Collective Unrest. He was selected as a finalist in the Summer 2018 Owl Canyon Press Hackathon. He lives in Los Angeles and is sarcastic in three languages.You can read "The Girl in the Watercolor" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebookPhoto by Photo by Gabriel Brandt on Unsplash

Two lonely girls encounter a voice in a closet. What does it want? And should they give in to its demands to be let out.Brittany Hague (she/her) has worked as a graphic artist, an independent interactive fiction maker, and short story writer. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two children, and familiars. Her short stories have appeared in the Night of the Geminids and Monster (Hidden Fortress Press) anthologies, Last Girls Club, and Black Sheep Magazine. brittanyhague@me.comYou can read "The Talking Thing" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A group of kids meet a bug-eyed ghost, but what does it want and why does it keep showing up? Can a reluctant ghost hunter discover what’s bothering the ghost and help it on its way?Rick Kennett lives in Melbourne, Australia. After working as a motorcycle courier for 42 years -- possibly a world record – he is now retired, spending his time listening to podcasts and being addicted to YouTube. Though once a whippet owner Kennett now contents himself to talk to next door's white tom who sometimes condescends to talk to him. "Alley Ghost" is one in the Ernie Pine series concerning a ghost hunter who hates being a ghost hunter. He first appeared in the 20th Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories and has made appearances in magazines, anthologies, podcasts and two novels.You can read "Alley Ghost" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear.Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Steam" is written by Hana Carolina, an Edinburgh-based creative and academic writer. Born in Poland, she moved to Scotland and studied literature, film and television for many years. Since then, she has been working as a tutor, interpreter, and researcher, and publishing academically while writing dark stories about horrible people. Her work has been published in Every Day Fiction, Crow & Cross Keys, Five on the Fifth, the Chamber Magazine, BRUISER, The Horror Tree, Black Sheep Magazine, and others. You can find her on X/Twitter @HanaCarolinaSCO and BlueSky @hanacarolina.bsky.social.Website: kaidankaistories.com Follow us on:  Twitter/X Instagram Facebook

When the people are away, a few unusual characters can come out to play. Who they are and what they do is the subject of today's story.L.N. Hunter’s comic fantasy novel, ‘The Feather and the Lamp,’ sits alongside works in anthologies such as ‘The Monsters Next Door’ and ‘Best of British Science Fiction 2022’ as well as Short Édition’s ‘Short Circuit’ and the ‘Horrifying Tales of Wonder’ podcast. There have also been papers in the IEEE ‘Transactions on Neural Networks,’ which are probably somewhat less relevant and definitely less fun. When not writing, L.N. unwinds in a disorganised home in rural Cambridgeshire, UK, along with two cats and a soulmate.Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L.N.Hunter.writer Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/l.n.hunter Linktree (publications list): https://linktr.ee/l.n.hunterYou can read "Poster Children" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com and find LN's other story featured on the Kaidankai here.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear.Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "How Enchanted Paintings Drove Burglars Crazy" is written by Anne Hansell. Deaf since birth, Anne Hansell is a third-generation Japanese-American and a distant relative to a famous samurai. Hansell is a regular contributor to the Kaidankai. She lives in Southern California with her husband, a New England gentleman. Website: kaidankaistories.com Follow us on:  Twitter/X Instagram Facebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear.Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Eli & Judith" is written and narrated by Jeff Short, who lives near Philadelphia with his family. When he is not being harassed by his two cats Odin and Ragnar he writes historical fiction featuring ghosts, vampires and assorted criminals. Website: kaidankaistories.com Follow us on:  Twitter/X Instagram Facebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear.Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "There's Something in the Woods" is written and narrated by Bruce Markuson, who lives with his wife and two children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Markuson is working on a book series, and he often finds himself obsessed with his stories. He prefers to write the ending first, then work backward. Website: kaidankaistories.com Follow us on:  Twitter/X Instagram Facebook

What is a dream and what is reality? And whose reality is real?Katy England has been writing for longer than she likes to admit. A journalist and communications expert by day, modder and fiction writer by night. She spends much of her time in the great expanse of the Maine woods with her husband, triplets, and select fish. Her greatest accomplishments, to date, is that her children like her stories and that the crows come to her yard when she calls them.You can read "Dream Without Mercy" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com and hear Katy's other story featured on the Kaidankai here.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Annie's Road" is written by Daniel Gene Barlekamp is the author of fiction and poetry for young readers and adults. His middle-grade ghost story “The Curse of the Cat Man” appears in the anthology The Haunted States of America (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2024), and his poetry has been translated into Mandarin by Poetry Hall. Originally from New Jersey, Daniel now lives with his wife and son in Massachusetts, where he works in immigration law by day and attends law school by night. Find him at dgbarlekamp.com and on Twitter @dgbarlekamp.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Portrait of a Girl With a White Kitten" is written by Sarah Das Gupta, a retired teacher from near Cambridge, UK., who also taught in India and Tanzania. She started writing after spending time in hospital, following an accident. Her work has been published in magazines from 12 different countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, India, Germany, Croatia, and Romania.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Harvest Moon" is written by Patty Panni who lives and writes in Memphis, Tennessee. She enjoys writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is currently editing her first full-length manuscript, set in the gritty world of human trafficking and is hard at work on her next, about a young woman dealing with the aftermath of her estranged mother's death. Patty is a member of a fun international writing community called Deadlines For Writers. Her kids have fur – Audrey, a twenty-pound rescue pup with the worst storm phobia in the history of the world, and Hobbes, an orange tabby as chill as the cartoon cat he's named for. She has had short stories published in Spillwords and 101 Words.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A Japanese woman's life is in turmoil. Can a return to her family home offer any guidance?C.S. Fuqua’s books include Fatherhood ~ Poems of Parenthood, Walking After Midnight ~ Collected Stories, Big Daddy’s Fast-Past Gadget, Native American Flute ~ A Comprehensive Guide, and White Trash & Southern ~ Collected Poems. His work has appeared in publications such as Year's Best Horror Stories XIX, XX and XXI, Pudding, The Horror Show, Pearl, Chiron Review, Christian Science Monitor, The Old Farmer's Almanac, The Writer, and Honolulu Magazine.You can read "Obon" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebookPhoto of incense by David Brooke Martin on Unsplash.

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Burial Mound" is written by Larry Pike, whose fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of literary journals and anthologies. Finishing Line Press published his poetry collection Even in the Slums of Providence in 2021. He is also a playwright; his play Beating the Varsity, originally produced in 2000, was published in World Premieres from Horse Cave Theatre (MotesBooks, 2009). He lives with his wife, Carol, in Glasgow, Kentucky.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Yamamba" is written by Shirley Smothers, an amateur writer, poet, and artist. She mostly writes short stories, some of which can be viewed at Shirleysmothers@stroystar.com. She recently self-published her second book Shirleysmotherssolasta@pothi.comWebsite: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "The Fur Coat" is written and narrated by Jennifer Weigel, a multi-disciplinary mixed media conceptual artist who utilizes a wide range of media to convey her ideas, including assemblage, drawing, fibers, installation, jewelry, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, video and writing.  Much of her work touches on themes of beauty, identity (especially gender identity), memory & forgetting, and institutional critique. She lives in Kansas, USA with her husband and is an avid art collector who enjoys playing board and role-playing games, junk store thrifting, and mail art. Her spirit animal is the deer. Her favorite foods are unagi don or broiled calamari steak and frosting with or without cake.You can read more of Weigel’s writing on her website here.  https://jenniferweigelwords.wordpress.com/Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A creepy campfire story that involves werewolves, murderers, teenage campers, s’mores, and a little twist.Jennifer Weigel is a multi-disciplinary mixed media conceptual artist.  Weigel utilizes a wide range of media to convey her ideas, including assemblage, drawing, fibers, installation, jewelry, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, video and writing.  Much of her work touches on themes of beauty, identity (especially gender identity), memory & forgetting, and institutional critique.  She lives in Kansas, USA with her husband and is an avid art collector who enjoys playing board and role-playing games, junk store thrifting, and mail art. Her spirit animal is the deer. Her favorite foods are unagi don or broiled calamari steak and frosting with or without cake.You can read more of Weigel’s writing on her website here.  https://jenniferweigelwords.wordpress.com/You can read "Around the Campfire" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The Kaidankai is based on the Japanese version of campfire stories. I narrate a story weekly, but this month offers authors the chance to narrate their own stories. Like sitting around the campfire, you never know what you’re going to hear. Each Wednesday, I'll still present the weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform because every story is worth listening to. "Poltergeists on President Street" is written by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and narrated by Linda Gould. LoSchiavo is a Native New Yorker and Elgin Award winner, She is a member of the British Fantasy Society, Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, and The Dramatists Guild -- and a spooky Scorpio who loves Hallowe’en. Current books:  “Messengers of the Macabre,” “Vampire Ventures,” “Always Haunted: Hallowe’en Poems” [Wild Ink, 2024], “Apprenticed to the Night” [UniVerse Press, 2024], and “Felones de Se: Poems about Suicide” [Ukiyoto Publishing, 2024]."Always Haunted: Hallowe'en Poems" on NetGalley -- https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/437468 "Always Haunted: Hallowe'en Poems" on BookSirens -- https://booksirens.com/book/V2LHTGL/XKERWXXClick here for LoSchiavo's bibliography.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook