The Omniscrolls

While we were still dating in university, my now husband and I jokingly made a promise to let our tombstones have a coin slot because we first met at an arcade. But I never thought I’d remember that one funny memory in the most terrifying setting I could have ever imagined. I found myself in a dark, enclosed space, with barely any room to even move my arms or legs. I banged on the wooden surface above me to break free, but it would not budge. I screamed and screamed until I could barely breathe, but no one heard me. Judging by the size of the container, I could only assume that I was buried alive in a coffin, and then something happened that confirmed it—a coin fell through from an opening just above my face. Was I really buried alive? I couldn’t believe it. My entire body began to tremble as I felt my breath grow heavier. My head pounded aloud as I struggled to push the roof of the coffin up, punching it again and again until I could do it no longer. I was not long before I felt my he...

I was busy arranging the new arrivals at the bookshop when I heard a faint tapping from afar. I checked the entrance, but no one was there. I resumed my work right after, but I was disturbed by tapping yet again moments later. I looked around and found no one yet again. I called my husband, Preston, and asked him to pick me up since his office was about fifteen minutes away. “Is something wrong with your car?” “No, but someone keeps tapping on the door and disappearing..” Preston said he’d be there right away. As I hung up, the tapping returned. It was strange. I assumed it was coming from the entrance, but it seemed to be coming from behind one of the corner racks. I walked over to the source of the noise and examined the rack. It was as if the sound was emanating from behind it. Was something in the walls? I placed my hand upon the rack and, seconds later, it moved aside, revealing a doorway that was never there before. “Please, help us.” There was a woman trapped within the walls. W...

Alice woke up to find her five-year-old son standing near her bed. “Tim, why are you out of bed? Did you have another nightmare?” “No, mommy, there is a monster under my bed.” Alice’s husband, Lex, was awakened by their conversation. “What’s going on?” When Tim told him what was wrong, Lex grabbed his bat and said he’d scare the monster away, but Tim asked him to leave the bat behind. “We don’t know if it’s a bad monster,” he said. “Maybe he’s lonely.” Lex smiled. “Well, it’s best to be safe either way, so I’ll keep the bat with me, just in case.” As he got off the bed to accompany Tim to his bedroom, Alice said, “If he’s friendly, we can invite him for dinner tomorrow.” Lex chuckled as he walked out of the room with Tim. A few minutes later, he returned to the bedroom and left the bat next to the bed before getting under the sheets. “Is he okay?” Alice asked. “Tim or the monster?” They both laughed before turning in for the night. Not even an hour after, however, Alice was woken up by...

Matthias and Ariska were pregnant with their first child. Ariska was a believer in Dark Magic and Matthias was a believer in Light Magic. During their child’s birth, however, there were complications, and doctors said their daughter wouldn’t make it through the night. Both Matthias and Ariska prayed to their Lords, and the next day, the baby made a miraculous recovery. They told each other about their prayers and each of them insisted that it was their Lord who saved the child. “I promised to hand her over to the Lord of Darkness when she turns two,” Ariska said. “I promised the Lord of Light the same thing.”   Their arguments continued for the next two days, but eventually, the two of them forgot their promises to their Lords. When their daughter Katherine turned two, however, both the Lords appeared before them. The Lords were displeased by the turn of events, but they soon came to an agreement: Katherine would stay with each of them for six months each, every year. Katherine gre...

A beautiful desk caught my gaze as I passed an antique shop. But luck was not on my side, for it was snatched by another customer before I could even set foot inside the shop. I posted about it on social media and, three days later, the man who bought the desk reached out to me on my post, saying he would be happy to sell me the desk. I wondered why he suddenly changed his mind about the desk and asked for photos of it. It was still in good condition, the same as it was three days before. He told me he has to move out of town due to financial issues and will not be able to take the desk with him. I checked the desk again when he brought it over and it was in perfect condition. I was ecstatic. I moved my old desk to the storage room and placed the new one in my bedroom. When I opened one of the drawers to put some of my files in, however, I noticed something strange. At the back of the drawer was my name carved into the wood. Wondering whether it was done as a joke, I tried to contact t...

Growing up, my mother always forbade me from visiting the swamp nearby. It was the one swamp we had in our town, and it was said to be cursed. Everyone called it the ‘Dark Swamp’, saying it devoured anyone who dared to cast their eyes upon it. Over the years, my curiosity grew deeper and I wanted to learn the secrets behind the swamp. Most of the families who were said to have lost loved ones to the swamp moved out of town over the years; only two people who lost someone they loved decided to remain here. Both of them had similar stories: they were inspecting the area when shadows had erupted from the swamp and pulled their partners into its dark waters. There was, however, one other person whom I could speak to who was knowledgeable about the Dark Swamp. She was a middle-aged woman named Ruth who lived relatively close to the swamp. Some people thought she was strange, while others said she was insane. Mom also said that Ruth was not to be trusted; there was a hint of contempt in her ...

I was attending my best friend Dana’s wedding reception at a hotel when suddenly, I was overcome with an inexplicable eerie feeling, as if someone was watching me. I looked around; no one stood out as threatening. The hall itself was so large that I could barely see its corners with the crowd. It was a 17-century castle that was turned into a hotel recently. I heard that the last king who lived here was killed by the queen and her paramour. There were only a couple of paintings of the two of them still put on display in the hotel. The night was as lively as it could be, but it was not long before the eeriness escalated into something more sinister. The cutlery began to fly off the tables and the furniture began to slide across the floor. Panic sank into the crowd, and soon, people were scurrying to escape the room. I usually wouldn’t draw attention to myself, but this time, I had no choice. I chanted a spell and began to take control of the cutlery and furniture that were out of contro...