Kaidankai: Ghost and Supernatural Stories

November 24 to December 24: Please support the Kaidankai podcast. Donate any amount via PayPal through the Kaidankai website or Ko-Fi (preferred). For select donations, receive a digital ghost story anthology, a Kaidankai t-shirt, or special readings available only to members.The Kaidankai website donation link: https://www.kaidankaistories.com/shopdonate.htmlKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/kaidankaighoststories#In today's story, a young boy has an imaginary friend who is artistic in unusual ways. The boy pays the price for his friend's 'talent.'Tim Law lives with his family in Southern Australia in a little town called Murray Bridge. He is pretty sure that the Library where he works is haunted, although it is quite new so he is still trying to figure out why. Tim is starting to discover the joy of telling horror and ghost stories, exploring the darkness that he did not know was there. You can read "My Friend Shane" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

November 24 to December 24: Please support the Kaidankai podcast. Donate any amount through Patreon or Ko-Fi (preferred). For select donations, receive a digital ghost story anthology, a Kaidankai t-shirt, or special readings available only to members.All I want for Christmas is eternal life and endless beauty. Well, today’s character doesn’t make a Christmas wish, she just summons a demon and begins negotiations. Luckily, she’s clever and has crossed all her 'T's and dotted all her 'I's so there are none of those pesky loopholes the devil always includes so a wish backfires.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.writerAmazon: https://amazon.com/author/l.n.hunterLinktree (publications list): https://linktr.ee/l.n.hunterYou can read "Skin Deep" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

November 24 to December 24: Please support the Kaidankai podcast. Donate any amount through Patreon or Ko-Fi (preferred). For select donations, receive a digital ghost story anthology, a Kaidankai t-shirt, or special readings available only to members.A group of men have been childhood friends from way back. Now, they meet every week over poker. A chance comment inspires one of them to call his childhood phone number, bringing back old, tragic memories and sending him on an adventure he will never forget.As a child of the 50s, Stewart Bernstein spent too many afternoons in darkened theaters watching horror movies like "Them," "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," "Dracula," "Frankenstein,", "Rocket Ship X-M”, the “Flash Gordon” serials, and too many hours in front of the TV watching shows like, “Science Fiction Theater”, “The Twilight Zone” and later on, “Tales From The Crypt”. After retiring from law, he now has the time to incorporate in his writings the themes and feelings from those old time sci-fi movies and TV shows that still haunt him. You can read "FU 9 1806" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Car trouble strands a man on a freezing cold night. He can feel death encroaching from the tips of his fingers and toes.John A. Monaghan lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia with his wife and children and three dogs. He can be found on Twitter at TitusLivy72, but be warned, he does not tweet much.You can read "Lemon and Yellow" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

In honor of Bram Stoker's birthday, here is his short story about a student who just wants a little peace and quiet to study for exams. The house he rents has other ideas.We all know Bram Stoker as the author of Dracula, and if you like horror, you have probably also heard of or read some of his short stories, too. But, he only did his writing on the side. I almost feel like he was the precursor to the modern writer, someone who wrote in his free time while holding down a stressful and demanding full-time job. Stoker was a bit of a fan boy for a famous actor named Sir Henry Irving. When Stoker met the actor, the two got along famously and Irving asked Stoker to be his personal manager and to run his theater, The Lyceum. Like so many of us today, he snatched time here and there to write. It took him 7 years to write Dracula. And he struggled with the story. His biographer David J Skal wrote that Stoker struggled with an “overload of his own imaginative clutter” and second and third guessed every element of the story. Skal wrote that Stoker wondered if Dracula would even be remembered. Ha ha. WEll, we know how that turned out. So, to commemorate the birth of a man who launched a whole genre of horror, here is “The Judges House” by Bram Stoker. Enjoy!You can read "The Judges House" and more of Stoker's work at https://www.gutenberg.org.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A boy encounters a kappa that has lost its water. He saves it, but the encounter haunts him throughout his life until they one day meet again.Linda Gould is an American who lived for 26 years in Japan. Her fiction and non-fiction have been published in media outlets around the world and is host of “Kaidankai,” a podcast of supernatural stories.You can read "Living with Kappa" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Who represents evil during a witch burning? The woman accused or those who celebrate her death?Lucas Carroll-Garrett is an emerging writer out of the hills of East Tennessee. He writes mainly speculative fiction, from a good old swordfight to a pondering of human nature after the heat death of the universe. Raised in an environment with a rich storytelling tradition, one might say his transition from the Biological Sciences to writing was inevitable. He has recently finished an MFA in Popular Fiction in Maine. His work appears in the Chlorophobia Anthology and in Galaxy's Edge Magazine.You can read "Trial by Fire" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A group of campers hear a tale of ghostly murder and are told not to go into the woods at night. Is it just a story or are their lives in danger?Arpad Nagy is a proud Hungarian-Canadian throwback romantic man who loves to write. After sustaining work injuries and being relegated to desk work, he dove into writing and has been doing so full-time since 2021. His passion is fiction writing, and his niche is romantic fiction, although he branches out into many genres. Nagy writes personal essays, memoirs, pop culture, and anecdotal stories about being a father, husband, and former careers as a chef, oil man, and civil construction. He is editor of four publications, three for nonfiction and one for short fiction at Medium, where he has nearly 400 published pieces. Links;Arpad Nagy – Mediumarpad56nagy (@arpad56nagy) / TwitterArpad T. Nagy (@arpad.t.nagy.5) | InstagramArpad Nagy | LinkedInArpad Nagy (@arpad56nagy@me.dm) - me.dm by Medium.comYou can read "Josephine's Candle" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A private investigator is hired to look into the disappearances of several men and women. The site of their last known location, a barn loft apartment, is idyllic and pastoral. It’s going to be a tough case to solve.William Presley is a scientist and author whose short stories have been featured by a variety of publications, including Scare Street, Timber Ghost Press, the Creepy Podcast and Homespun Haints. He also writes the Apprentice's Notebook Series.Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnotherPresleyYou can read "Suicide Barn" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Farming is tough these days, and it is hard to make a good living. But imagine how your life of drudgery could change if you caught a mermaid? One farmer has big plans to sell the mermaid he found, but his young son has other ideas. Ian Salavon is a professional chef by trade and a lover of speculative fiction in every flavor. When he is not writing, he spends his time at the Fort Worth Judo Club where he is a black belt and coach. His work is mainly featured in long road trips and family bedtime stories. You can read "Farm-Raised" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comMermaid photo by Nsey Benajah on UnsplashFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Joe Ross Gibson is a serial killer who sees himself as a Great White Shark, a predator at the top of the food chain, a killing machine that needs to keep moving, keep feeding, keep killing. Does he kill because he hates people...or himself?Harold Hoss is a film producer best known for "The Unheard" and "Creep Box." When he isn't reading, writing, or watching horror movies he enjoys hiking with his dog Margot. His work has won several screenwriting contests and his short story INGENIUM was optioned by award-winning director Patrick Biesmans. Twitter: https://twitter.com/HorrorHossInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hblakehoss/ https://haroldhosshorror.wordpress.com/You can read "Shark" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comShark Photo by Laura College on UnsplashFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

The doctor pronounces him dead, but Matt and his niece are convinced he is still alive, even through the burial process. Then he has to face an unexpected battle with a drifting spirit. Is he destined to be in limbo for eternity?Sarah Hozumi is a translator and rewriter who has lived near Tokyo for about 14 years. To read short stories she’s had published, and to read her blog mostly about all things Japan, please visit sarahhozumi.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at sarahjhozumi. You can read "The Anchor" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comChain Photo by Greg Rosenke on UnsplashFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

A lonely high school girl faces bullying, unattentive teachers, and competitive students. Having a friend she can trust helps her get through her day, and through unexpected danger.Tim lives with his family in Southern Australia in a little town called Murray Bridge. He is pretty sure that the Library where he works is haunted, although it is quite new so he is still trying to figure out why. Tim is starting to discover the joy of telling horror and ghost stories, exploring the darkness that he did not know was there. "A True Friend" was an opportunity to challenge himself to write in the dark and the light simultaneously. Not all ghosts are evil and not all monsters are under the bed.You can read "A True Friend" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Are the terrible fears and experiences of a young woman real or imagined? And can only a psychologist help?Paul Stansbury is a lifelong native of Kentucky. He is the author of Inversion - Not Your Ordinary Stories; Inversion II - Creatures, Fairies, and Haints, Oh My!; Inversion III – The Lighter Shades of Greys; Inversion IV – Another Infusion of Speculative Fiction; and Down By the Creek – Ripples and Reflections. His speculative fiction stories have appeared in a number of print anthologies as well as a variety of online publications. Now retired, he lives in Danville, Kentucky. www.paulstansbury.comYou can read "Six Visits" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Terrorists on a flight have more to deal with than they planned.Eric Dawson lives in Denver, CO, and when he’s not wandering in the wilderness, he likes to read all things speculative. He has attended writing workshops at Aspen Summer Words and Kenyon College, and he has he has recently been published in Carmina Magazine, The Chamber Magazine, Fiction on the Web, and Black Sheep. You can read "Flight Through the Storm" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: TwitterInstagramYouTubeFacebook

In Japan, Yasukuni Shrine is home to many WWII soldiers considered war criminals by many people in the world. You could say they have found peace in death. But what about the living soldiers who fought alongside those interred at Yasukuni? How do they forget the horrors of war? Are they allowed to forget?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 "Contrition" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: Twitter/XInstagramFacebook

Two children on a family vacation to the beach develop a deep friendship with one of the local children. It is a summer that will change their lives forever.E.E. King is an award-winning painter, performer, writer, and naturalist. She’ll do anything that won’t pay the bills, especially if it involves animals. Ray Bradbury called her stories, “marvelously inventive, wildly funny, and deeply thought-provoking.” She’s been published in over 100 magazines. Her novels include, Dirk Quigby's Guide to the Afterlife: All you need to know to choose the right heaven . She’s shown paintings at LACMA and painted murals all over! She also co-hosts The Long-Lost Friends, spends summers rescuing birds and winters planting coral. Check out paintings, writing, musings, and books at: www.elizabetheveking.com and amazon.com/author/eekingwww.elizabetheveking.comhttps://twitter.com/ElizabethEvKingfacebook.com/pages/EE-Kinghttps://whatsinanafterlife.wordpress.com/https://www.instagram.com/elizabethevekinghttps://www.pinterest.com.mx/elizabetheviehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEEgte6Bgv-r1OaHz3Mf1Qamazon.com/author/eekingYou can read "Summer's End" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: TwitterInstagramFacebook

A few years ago, on the last blue moon, on a square in Santiago, a man fell madly in love. But, what does the blue moon have to do with his amour? And will it affect his future?Rosemary Thorne is a Spanish bilingual writer living in Madrid, Spain, who has spent her entire life producing fiction in her mother tongue, with not much local professional encouragement. That’s why in 2019 she became a HWA member and began to think Horror in English terms. It’s worth mentioning that she was born in 1968, year of shocking revolutions, beautiful women and great red wine, and that’s why she doesn’t give up: she has published her first novel in Spain in December 2021, and her goal for 2022 is to have it translated into several languages and to populate the world with her monsters. Find out more about her: https://linktr.ee/Rosemary_thorneTo learn more about blue moons, visit The Royal Museums Greenwich.You can read "A Quintana dos Mortos in Love" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: TwitterInstagramFacebook

What would you do if you discovered a new path in a forest you know well? Would you ignore the warning signs or embark on a new adventure? Jacqueline Gabbitas lives on a canal boat in the UK. She has published three short collections of poetry, Mid Lands (Hearing Eye), Earthworks and Small Grass (Stonewood Press) and her work has been featured in various magazines, including Poetry Review, anthologies such as the Forward Prize Anthology, and broadcast on BBC radio. She has won two Arts Council England awards, and is a Hawthornden Fellow. As a child, Jacqueline cut her teeth on ghost stories and fairytales (greedily reading the Armada Book of Ghost Stories, Poe, King, Koontz, Herbert and whoever she could get her hands on). During the first lockdown she returned to reading and writing ghost stories (especially focusing on stories written by women). She found it a way to try to understand the isolation and loss of contact many of us were feeling. Her stories can be found in New Ghost Stories IV (The Fiction Desk) and Unfeared: a podcast of ghost stories written by women, which she hosts. The ruins in ‘Forest House’ exist. So does the nail.You can read "Forest House" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: TwitterInstagramFacebook

If there was a guaranteed way to get to paradise, would anyone and everyone have access? Even those who spent their time on earth unconcerned with the welfare of others? Whose exploits harmed other people so they could amass more fortunes? Is it possible that the afterworld is just as unfair as this world?Jason Sabbagh lives in New England with his wife and two children. He loves writing fiction, and is currently seeking representation for his debut novel. Is this little aspiring-author-bio actually a shameless plea? Yes it is. Also, if you dig this story, he’s got piles more collecting digital dust on his hard drive. You can read "Backdoor to Paradise" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.Website: kaidankaistories.comFollow us on: TwitterInstagramFacebook