Horror

A selection of dark, dystopian short stories by students from The Priory School. Some will shock you, others will chill you to the core, all of them explore the bleak, despairing future that is coming our way.

Love is a curse when you're a witch.NadineI thought witches were myth-until I moved to a secret town protected by magic. Turns out I'm a witch, and my powers will awaken on my nineteenth birthday.I'm sent to a magic academy, where I'll learn about the coven and prepare to meet our goddess. It's there that I meet Lucas, a sexy warlock with an attitude. I shouldn't be attracted to a guy like him, but he's a puzzle I can't figure out, and I find that beyond irresistible.But there's more on my mind than Lucas. If I don't pass the goddess's test to awaken my magic, I'll be banished from the coven-and lose the only family I have left.LucasI wasn't supposed to inherit death magic, but here I am. They call me the Reaper's Apprentice. I'm tasked with carrying the last thoughts of the dead to the afterlife when I die. It's a burden that grows heavier by the day.Most thoughts are more depressing than I care to admit... except for one. I don't know what it means, until Nadine shows up in town. She's the one ray of hope to an otherwise dark gift, and I quickly find myself falling for her.But we can't be together-because there's a curse upon all reapers, and if Nadine falls for me, she'll die.

If you could change time to save your first love—even if it meant turning your back on the universe—would you?It is time for the Vechey youth to earn their place as time-guardians. The near-immortal Vechey protect the universe from the devastating Manipulators—devourers of souls, mindless seekers of chaos. First, the youth must survive a mysterious and deadly ritual created by the all-powerful clan leader Eterili. Having regenerated thousands of times with the birth of each universe, Eterili is taking this one as hers and bending all in it to her grand designs.Catha’s time-slipping skills are underdeveloped. She is time-blind—unable to see through time, unable to protect herself from the ritual. The Vechey shun her for being different. Her parents ignore her as if she were already dead.Aithagg loves Catha unconditionally and will do anything to save her. He tries desperately to unlock the ritual’s mysteries and find a way to help Catha survive with him. Or will saving Catha enable the Manipulators to destroy the universe?

"A recently deceased girl and her helpful afterlife caseworker embark on a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures throughout the space-time continuum as they try to close her file so she can move on"--

A dark, propulsive, tale about a trick box, two worlds entwined, and a mystery that may be best left unsolved.

Chris wakes from a bad dream and the house is so quiet. Walk with Chris to find out the truth.

5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>She watched as her friends were ignored. She had her revenge after her death.

As the Mages of the Citadel fight amongst themselves and prepare for war against the Forest, Mielitta, a despised servant, has her own battle to face. Bastien and Jannlou, the boys who terrorised her as a child, have grown into their status as Mages and she cannot escape them forever. In desperation, she flees to the forbidden Forest and its dangerous attractions. Her scent angers thousands of bees and, although she survives their attack, she has changed. A strange bee symbol glows on her thigh and her senses are altered. She learns that her connection with bees enables her to summon their aid and gives her the power to shift shape. This new-found bond works both ways and the bees need Mielitta's help as the rift widens between Forest and Citadel. Can one girl and a colony of bees reunite Man and Nature, or is the split irreversible? Block Nature out and she'll force a way in.

"Your tale depends on what you decide to do."No matter what troubles the masses, human or otherwise, all are welcome at Murakumo Inn. Only one form of payment is accepted-your most intimate secrets.A malevolent god from the Land of Roots arrives as tonight's main guest...Will the inn's staff prevail against this god of misfortune?

Move over, Betty and Veronica - this is Daphne and Velma like you've never seen before! This dark new series of YA novels is a horror-driven twist on the classic girl detectives from Scooby-Doo.

When Lewis, his uncle Jonathan, and their friends Rose Rita and Mrs Zimmermann take a trip to a small town near Lake Superior, they expect a pleasant holiday. Instead, they find themselves facing the ghastly Ishmael Izard, son of the fiendish creator of the Doomsday clock that was once hidden in the walls of Uncle Jonathan's house.

Ajji may have died, but her presence lingers around the abacus she used, always ready to pick faults in her grandchildren and point out their mistakes. But when a royal necklace goes missing, only Ajji can save the day.Banno Bi says she is a witch, and the neighbourhood children stay far away from her. Yet it is to Banno Bi and her djinns they turn when they are in trouble.Dhani’s life may have ended too soon, but can he take the help of his old laptop and his social media account to bring a bully to justice?And when a Biryani vs Pulao battle breaks out in Nawabi Lucknow, who else can settle scores but the ghost of a celebrated chef?Subhadra Sen Gupta’s ghost stories are curious, quirky and entertaining. They will make you laugh, sigh, and look carefully over your shoulder each time you turn a page!

A monster hunter in a castle. Werewolves in a dark forest. And a young woman trapped between the two.Ruby will do anything to escape the infamous dungeons of Midnight Castle. She dares to dream of reaching the safety of her grandmother's house. But in order to get there, she'll need to outrun hunters and monsters alike through the deadly forest.As the Dark King's Huntsman, Tyler will do whatever it takes to complete his mission, even if it means using an innocent girl as prey for the savage creatures he hunts.In the dark and twisted Kingdom of Midnight, an unnatural howling fills the night…Don't miss this fierce fairy tale!Ruby and the Huntsman of Midnight is a stand-alone novel that can be enjoyed by readers new to the world of Midnight Tales.