Sometimes, the line between our world and the world of darkness is thinner than we realize. In moments of weakness or curiosity, we may unknowingly draw the attention of evil forces we don't understand. Some people have seen the devil’s mark, felt the heat of hellfire, or stood too close to a curse that never fades. It’s all a warning that some doors should never be opened, or it will be to your own detriment. First, dreams that invite the devil. Followed by embers of revenge. Finally in our last story, the cost of freedom. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/subSNARLED Watch the latest: https://youtube.com/watch?playlist&list=PLlt49G0M7dfhhFe79kdPucjYzWv4CK8H1&index=1 Follow us EVERYWHERE: https://facebook.com/watchsomethingscary/ https://facebook.com/getsnarled/ https://instagram.com/wearesnarled/ https://twitter.com/wearesnarled Follow Blair: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@blairbathory Instagram: https://instagram.com/blairbathory/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/blairbathory1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/blairbathory Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/BlairBathory About SNARLED: Your home for scary stories, from urban legends to true tales of murder, mystery and the unknown. If you have Something Scary to tell us, send it to [email protected]. More about the show! • Go to SomethingScary.com to check out the awesome Something Scary Merch. We’ve got something for everyone, from hoodies to hats to writer’s notebooks. • Do you want to connect with other people who love horror and all things Something Scary? Join our Patreon and you get members only access to our Discord. And you can chat with all the other horror lovers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the introduction to the world of darkness?
Hi, witches. I'm Blair Bathory, and this is the Something Scary podcast. Thank you so much for being here, whether this is your first time or you're one of the brave souls who join us every week. Sometimes the line between our world and the world of darkness is thinner than we realize. In moments of weakness or curiosity, we may unknowingly draw the attention of evil forces we don't understand.
It's all a warning that some doors should never open, or it could all be to your own detriment. First, dreams that invite the devil, followed by embers of revenge. Finally, in our last story, the cost of freedom. So, wanna hear something scary? The Devil's Arrival Sometimes the devil doesn't knock on your door, he slips into your dreams. Like in this story inspired by Justine. Hello there.
Chapter 2: What dreams invite the devil?
My name's Justine, and this is a story that's haunted my nana, my mom, and now me. No one else knows about it, but I finally found the courage to share it with you. I've always been a night owl. Most nights, you'll find me on my laptop or chatting with my girlfriend, Kate. But one night, I fell asleep early, something which is rare for me.
My dreams are usually weird, like flying through the air holding a dog, but this one started off differently. my family and I, along with Kate, were driving to some unknown place. The scenery was beautiful, full of lush, green, and tall trees surrounding a small, cheerful town. After settling into a cozy hotel, Kate and I decided to explore.
Chapter 3: What is the story of Justine's haunting dreams?
At some point, I turned around and I realized she wasn't with me anymore. I was alone on a street corner. I wandered into this abandoned building with dark black walls, a pale gray door, and bright windows lining the walls. As I moved toward a window to look outside, I felt someone behind me. I turned around and saw them, a man and a woman, both giving off the creepiest, most unsettling vibes.
The woman was average height, dressed in a short black dress, her long black hair obscuring her face. The man wore a black suit towering over her. His face, I could see it, but it was like my brain refused to remember the details. I turned back to the window to call for help, but suddenly I was outside again. The rest of the trip was a nightmare. Our car got hit. We got lost.
My family fought over everything. And through it all, the man was there, getting closer to me each time. No matter where I went, I couldn't shake him. Then, after one particularly bad incident, I turned around, and there he was, right in front of me. The aura of evil surrounding him was suffocating. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. That's when I woke up. Shaking, I grabbed my phone.
It was 3.26 a.m. I set it down, brushed off the dream, and went back to sleep. But the nightmare didn't end. This time, I was back in my apartment. I was sitting on the couch watching TV when my mom called me from the kitchen. She asked me to grab something from her room. Her door is by the bathroom, so I said, "'Sure.'" But halfway there, I forgot what she wanted and went back to ask.
She was gone. I didn't think much of it and went to my room instead. My brother Aiden was there. We sat on his bed, talking about random stuff, like whether stuffed animals are necessary for society. Then I started feeling uneasy and moved to sit closer to him. That's when we came out from under my bed. The girl grabbed Aiden's leg, trying to drag him under with her.
She had pale gray skin, her blood-red eyes wide and unblinking, and the blankest expression I'd ever seen. Aiden screamed, and I grabbed his wrist, holding on as hard as I could. Kicking at her, I managed to break her grip, and she retreated back under the bed. I told Aiden to stay put and ran to get my mom and stepdad. But then I woke up. I thought it was real this time.
I heard my baby sister crying and got up to check on her. But something felt off. I turned to Aiden and asked, Does Journey stay in Mom's room? He nodded. Then the dog started growling at the door. I told Aiden to stay in bed, but I couldn't fall back asleep. That's when I saw it. A clawed hand reaching around the doorframe. The gray skin and black nails were unmistakable. It was him. He was here.
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Chapter 4: What are the warnings from family about the devil?
My fear turned to anger, and I yelled, Leave me alone! I'm done with your games! And then I woke up for real. I checked the time again, 3.46 a.m. How could something that felt like days only take 20 minutes? The next morning I told my mom. She took me to my Nana's and they told me everything. Every woman in my family had had dreams involving the devil.
My family is deeply religious and they believe he targets us because of our faith. Nana said my fighting back was a sign of my faith protecting me. Then Nana shared a horror I couldn't unsee. She rolled up her sleeve and showed me a scar on her upper arm. It was jagged, with faint claw-like marks. This, she said, her voice trembling, is from him.
She explained that the devil tries to break into the real world through our dreams, and sometimes the boundary between the two becomes blurred. The scar was from the same clawed hand I had seen in my dream. If it was a dream, but I learned the horrible truth, it was more likely reality. You're lucky you fought back, Nana said, placing a hand on mine.
If you'd let him into your room, things could have been much worse. It's been a year since that night. I haven't had a dream like it again, but I still feel like I'm never alone. Sometimes I catch myself looking over my shoulder, expecting to see him. My family says it's normal and that one day I might see him in broad daylight. I hope they're wrong.
I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I had let him into my room that night. Would I still be here to tell you this story? Have you ever had a dream that felt too real to ignore? What would you do if you felt an evil presence watching you? Hi, witches. I just wanted to come on real quick and ask if you've checked out our new merch line called Camp Scary.
We have all kinds of really cool things, mugs, journals, and even really comfy, cozy blankets. Let me know in the comments if you've bought any of our new merch, and if not, go to somethingscary.com and get some now. Some urban legends are better left undisturbed, especially when they end in revenge, like in this story inspired by Sarah.
The ferry to Okai Islands in Japan was crowded but strangely quiet. Avery adjusted her camera strap, watching the mist roll off the sea. As a travel vlogger, she had filmed in some remote locations, but something about the Okai Islands felt different. The locals' warnings about the high notami lingered in her mind. A fiery ghost? It sounded perfect for her next spooky video.
When she docked, Avery rented a small cabin on a hill overlooking the town of Nishinashima. The locals were welcoming, but weary of her purpose. You shouldn't stay out after dark, an elderly woman at the market warned. Her voice was low, her expression worried. That's when the Hinotama appears. Its fire doesn't just burn fields, it consumes lives.
Avery thanks her, brushing off the warning as superstition. She had heard similar tales on her travels, and they always made for great content. Yet as she walked back to her cabin, her steps slowed. The woman's words echoed in her mind, mixing unease with excitement. Her first night in the cabin was uneventful, save for the sound of distant waves crashing against the cliffs.
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Chapter 5: What is the cost of seeking revenge on the Okai Islands?
Avery gasped, stepping back as the orb expanded into a blazing sphere. Flames erupted, licking at the dry grass and spreading faster than seemed natural. She stumbled, the heat searing her skin even from a distance. "'Stop!' she shouted, though she wasn't sure who or what she was talking to. Her voice quivered with fear, her earlier excitement now replaced by raw terror."
The fire roared in response, twisting into shapes that almost resembled a face, eyes hollow with rage, a mouth stretched wide in a silent scream. Avery's breath hitched as the face leaned closer, the flames distorting into jagged tendrils that seemed to reach for her. Adrenaline kicked in. She turned around and ran, her camera swinging wildly at her side.
Smoke filled the air, choking her lungs as the fire consumed the field behind her. The acrid scent of burning grass and something darker, something almost flesh-like, clung to her nostrils. When she finally reached the safety of the road, she collapsed, coughing and gasping for air. Her trembly hands clutched the camera like a lifeline. The fire had stopped as abruptly as it had started.
Turning back, she saw the field smoldering, the glowing orb now hovering at its center, smaller and dimmer than before. But the sight of it made her nauseous. It felt like a predator watching its prey. Avery didn't sleep that night. She uploaded the footage to her laptop, her hands trembling as she reviewed the fiery chaos. When she played the clip, the orb was gone.
The flame still burned in the video, but the Hainotama was nowhere to be seen. The next morning, a knock at her door startled her awake. It was an elderly woman from the market, her expression grim. The fire spread to the village, she said. Two homes were burned. No one was hurt, but... You must leave. You've angered it. Avery tried to explain what she saw, but the woman shook her head.
You didn't listen. The Hinotama feeds on those who seek it. If you stay, it will return. Her voice softened. Some spirits can't be appeased. Reluctantly, Avery packed her things and headed for the ferry. As she boarded, she glanced back at the island, its cliffs shrouded in mist. Regret gnawed at her, not just for the homes lost, but for her own recklessness.
She vowed to leave the footage untouched, to keep the memory of the Hainautama to herself. Yet, as the fairy pulled away, a chill shot through her veins. In the distance, a faint, fiery glow hovered above the hill where her cabin stood. It flickered once, twice, before solidifying into the unmistakable shape of a face. Watching. Waiting. Do you believe some legends hold a darker truth?
Would you risk your safety to grab a viral video? Hi, witches. I wanted to come on and remind you that we have a new Patreon tier where I'll be doing a live stream talking about horror movies every month. It's our monthly film club and you can join me January 29th this month. I haven't announced the horror movie we're talking about yet, but I will soon.
And if you want to do stuff with Stephanie and see other perks and events, please join patreon.com slash something scary as a paid member to see all that stuff now. Some choices echo through time and some curses never fade, no matter how hard you try to outrun them. Like in this story inspired by Sam Morris.
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Chapter 6: What happens when Avery encounters the Hinotama?
The words hung in the air like an ember, hot and dangerous. My heart stuttered. I looked at Thomas, seeing his shock, his confusion, but also the glimmer of something darker. Something inside him that stirred. You want me to kill my mom? Thomas whispered, his voice hoarse. Kingfisher nodded, the gesture slow, deliberate.
Yes, she's been a burden to you, hasn't she? A weight around your neck. Her death would free you of that. You could inherit her fortune, escape from the endless struggle. All you have to do is take the pill bottle in your pocket and end it. You'll be free. No more debt.
No more pain. I could feel the tension building thick and heavy, like an impending storm. I had known Thomas all my life. And I had never seen him like this, torn between the allure of freedom and the horror of the act Kingfisher was suggesting. Thomas reached into his pocket slowly, pulling out a small bottle of pills, Xanax, the prescription that his mother took to numb the pain.
His fingers trembled around it, but he didn't open it. He looked down at the bottle for a long moment, as if considering the weight of the decision. But then he clenched his fist around it, a look of determination creeping into his eyes. No, Thomas said, his voice shaking but firm. I won't do it. Kingfisher's smile never wavered. So be it, he said softly, almost too calmly.
But know this, there will be consequences.
The temperature seemed to drop, the fog swirling more aggressively around us, as if the world itself was reacting to his words. In fourteen years, Kingfisher continued his voice now a low rumble.
You will live the life you've always dreamed of. You'll go to Stanford. You'll meet the love of your life. You'll buy a mansion by the sea. The world will be at your feet. Everything you ever wanted, all yours. But you won't be able to outrun the consequences of your refusal.
Thomas blinked, confused. What could he have possibly meant? Kingfisher's eyes glinted behind his red tinted glasses, burning with a fire that was both cold and hot at once.
In the 15th year, you will receive a phone call that will shatter you. Your life will go up in flames. You'll drink yourself to numbness. And in a drunken stupor, you'll crash your car into the lives of two innocent children. You will kill them. And their parents will die before your eyes. Their screams will echo in your ears. And you will live with their deaths for the rest of your life.
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Chapter 7: What lessons can we learn from Avery's experience?
And when it did, it would consume everything in its path. Can a decision made in the moment change the rest of your life? Do you believe curses can be avoided or are they inevitable?
This week's podcast stories were edited by Sarah Lukasiewicz, narration by Blair Bathory, audio edited and mixed by Fitz Harris, additional audio editing by Calvin Linderman, produced by Anna Villalobos, executive produced by Gil Gilman, music by Sapphire Sindalo and Calvin Linderman. If you have a story you'd like to submit, send me an email at somethingscaryatsnarled.com.
Don't forget to watch the video version of Something Scary over at youtube.com slash snarled. And if you'd like to support the show and everything we do at Snarled, join our Patreon at patreon.com slash snarled.