Buzz
There’s a unique thrill when the Internet aims to frighten us, leveraging our creativity to amplify the fear within us. Whether labeled as “urban legends” or “creepypasta,” these narratives possess a distinct charm that traditional horror often fails to deliver.
10. Broadcast Hijacking
In Seneca, South Carolina, an anonymous viewer flips through channels and stumbles upon a public television broadcast featuring a former teacher reciting a poem. Suddenly, the poem is cut short by a cartoon depicting an ordinary, middle-class family going about their day. The animation, reminiscent of early ’90s American styles, is intricately detailed yet disjointed.
As the family engages in casual conversation, a radio broadcast warns of mutations, melting flesh, and sea monsters emerging. Despite the green light flooding through their windows and their skin turning yellow, the family remains oblivious. They continue their routine, gradually transforming into mutant blobs under the eerie glow. The cartoon concludes with a stark message: “Report to the nearest shelter immediately. Remaining at private residences is strictly prohibited.” The date November 17, 2017, adds a prophetic tone to the tale. This story, originating around 2011, remains shrouded in mystery, with no known author.
While the cartoon and its eerie predictions may seem outlandish, real-life events suggest they aren’t as implausible as they first appear. For instance, the American Broadcasting Channel, a far larger target than any public television station, was once hijacked by a man wearing a Max Headroom mask, who delivered a far more enigmatic message than the one in this tale. Even if the Seneca, South Carolina broadcast were genuine, it wouldn’t rival the gruesomeness of “A Short Vision,” a 1956 network television broadcast. The nation’s airwaves have seen their share of strange and unsettling content, whether authorized or not.
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9. The Woman in the Oven
This unsettling story appears to originate from at least 2008. Sadly, the original author’s identity has been lost to time, which is a shame. Crafting such a bizarre and disturbing narrative while maintaining a tone that keeps it both intriguing and believable is no small feat, and the creator deserves recognition.
In an ordinary farmhouse, a woman is discovered burned to death inside an oven. A camera is aimed at the oven, but no tape is found inside. However, a tape, presumably from the camera, is located near a well behind the house. The footage shows the woman entering the frame, preheating the oven, climbing inside, and shutting the door behind her. After a while, violent thrashing and screams erupt from the oven, followed by smoke. Forensic analysis reveals that the woman in the video and the one found in the oven are not the same person, differing in height and build. Cremating a human body typically requires two to three hours at 312 degrees Celsius (593 °F), so a standard oven would likely leave enough remains for such an examination. The mystery of how this horrifying scenario unfolded is left to haunt readers’ imaginations.
8. Barbie.avi
Originating as early as August 9, 2009, Barbie.avi tells the tale of a young man attending a party in a desolate industrial area. Early the next morning, he’s awakened by the sound of something being tossed into a dumpster. Curiosity leads him to discover a discarded computer tower, which he decides to repair. While exploring the hard drive, he stumbles upon a video file titled “Barbie.avi.” The footage shows a woman being interviewed, but her words are drowned out by static. The protagonist believes he can make out the word “skin” on her lips, suggesting she’s enduring verbal abuse.
After 40 minutes of watching, he becomes certain something horrific happened to her. The video ends with a brief shot of an abandoned house near railroad tracks a few miles away. He and a friend decide to investigate but find no sign of the woman. What stands out, however, is the discovery of running water in the dilapidated, remote house. What secrets might this place hold?
While it’s difficult to imagine someone carelessly discarding a computer containing evidence of a crime, there are real-life cases of individuals being even more reckless. For instance, in 2012, a man in Little Falls, Minnesota, equipped his home with cameras and microphones to record himself tormenting and killing two intruders on Thanksgiving. Compared to such blatant acts, the ambiguity and subtlety of Barbie.avi make it far more plausible.
7. Sudden Onset
Author theLittleFears is a master of weaving real-life horrors into terrifying tales, amplifying their impact. Sudden Onset tells a straightforward yet chilling story: a 14-year-old boy with strep throat takes part in a “Bloody Mary” ritual at a sleepover. Along with his friends, he stands before a mirror, switches off the lights, and chants “Bloody Mary” three times, hoping to summon a ghost. While the ritual’s events remain a mystery, the aftermath reveals the boy’s newfound fear of mirrors, a constant sensation of fingers brushing against him, and a life consumed by terror.
What elevates this beyond a typical ghost story is theLittleFears’ revelation that the boy is diagnosed with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder—a real condition where strep throat triggers severe hallucinations in children. This blurs the lines between reality and fiction, paranormal and normal, leaving readers questioning whether the haunting is supernatural or a product of the boy’s mind. Does it matter if “Bloody Mary” isn’t real when your own nerves insist she’s gripping you?
6. Dear Abby
Kyle Mangione-Smith’s 2012 tale chronicles a man’s spiral into insanity, mistaking obsession for love. The story unfolds through a series of letters written by a grocery store employee to “Abby.” His actions escalate from stealing surveillance tapes of her to breaking into her apartment and destroying pictures of her boyfriend. His final act is kidnapping her after she reports him to the police and prepares to move away. He locks himself, Abby, and a knife inside a rented storage unit, finding solace in the thought that, whether she dies by suicide or dehydration, they’ll be united in death as they never could be in life.
While this method of murder is elaborate and cruel, it’s no more horrifying than the real-life case of Roger Troy, who stalked and killed Alissa Blanton in 2010 after becoming obsessed with her while she worked at Hooters. Such stories highlight the terrifying reality that danger can enter anyone’s life, regardless of their actions.
5. Burial On Box Hill
TheLittleFears makes another appearance on this list with a tale that blends strange but true historical facts with a spine-chilling question. The narrative begins with accounts of peculiar historical deaths, such as Jim Fixx—the man who popularized jogging—dying while jogging in 1894. This seemingly innocuous history lesson serves to lower the reader’s guard. The focus then shifts to Major Peter Labelliere, whose life and burial were anything but ordinary. Labelliere was interred in a 100-meter (330 ft) deep grave, facing downward, and he requested that children dance on his grave. He also reportedly predicted his own death and had his coffin adorned with twigs and leaves believed to assist the journey to the afterlife.
Following Labelliere’s peculiar demise, the story delves into the burial arrangements of American general Anthony Wayne, nicknamed “Mad Anthony.” TheLittleFears notes that both men were present at the obscure Battle of Paoli and highlights Wayne’s unusual funeral instructions, which involved having his bones removed and his body buried in two separate locations. The author concludes by posing a haunting question: What did these two men witness at the Battle of Paoli that compelled them to arrange burials ensuring they could never return to life?
4. Ickbarr Bigelsteine
Penned by Stephan D. Harris in 2012 (a prolific year for online horror stories), this tale revolves around a child who creates an imaginary friend to fend off the darkness. This friend, a sock puppet-like creature sewn together by the child, is an endearingly ugly creation typical of a six-year-old’s craftsmanship. Initially, it successfully keeps the darkness at bay. However, when the child loses his first tooth, the puppet demands it as a gift. The child happily complies, unaware that Ickbarr Bigelsteine has a peculiar fondness for teeth. The puppet insists on more, and when the child’s own teeth run out, he must find others—or face being dragged into a nightmarish realm.
While the story appears to depict someone battling schizophrenia, it strikes a particularly unsettling chord with parents. Children with imaginary friends often share unsettling remarks that parents would rather not hear, yet these statements demand attention. For instance, January Schofield claimed her imaginary companions—“400 the Cat” and “Wednesday the Rat”—urged her to kill the family dog and leap from buildings. Though Ickbarr Bigelsteine and similar figures aren’t real, the dangers they symbolize are very much a reality.
3. Autopilot
In this widely known tale by Skarjo, a man entrenched in his daily routine is slightly derailed when he forgets his cell phone. This oversight distracts him as he heads to work and drops his daughter off at daycare on a sweltering day. After a seemingly ordinary workday, he drives home, noticing a foul odor in the backseat—likely from something spilled and spoiled in the heat. Upon arriving home, he realizes he forgot to pick up his daughter. Rushing back to the daycare, he discovers he never dropped her off in the first place, too absorbed in his disrupted autopilot. Slowly, the source of the odor becomes horrifyingly clear, shattering his autopilot mode forever.
Autopilot leans more toward tragedy than horror, but it’s far from fictional. Countless heartbreaking accounts exist of parents accidentally leaving their children in vehicles. These incidents aren’t limited to neglectful parents—even a hospital administrator once forgot a child in a car seat, resulting in her death. This story serves as a grim reminder that the most horrifying events often stem not from malice or the supernatural, but from human fallibility.
2. Ted The Caver
Originating in 2001, Ted the Caver is arguably the Internet’s first creepypasta. It stands out as one of the longest and most meticulously documented tales, complete with detailed photographs. Ted and his friend “B” (names and locations are intentionally withheld) set out to explore an unnamed cave. They carve their way through a narrow passage, roughly 18 centimeters (7 in) high—just enough to crawl through. As they venture deeper, they encounter hieroglyphics, hear eerie sounds, and sense a malevolent presence. Much of this occurs while they are in a perilously confined space, utterly vulnerable. The author shares this account online but later claims an irresistible urge to revisit the cave. After that, he vanishes without a trace.
Even if Ted and B’s experience isn’t supernatural, real-life spelunkers have reported intense hallucinations. Exploring in complete darkness and enduring sensory deprivation can play tricks on the mind. As shown in the story’s unsettling photo, being trapped in such a claustrophobic environment is a nightmare scenario for experiencing such phenomena.
1. The Red Army
The Red Army recounts events from the Russo-Finnish front, specifically the Winter War of 1939–1940. Although the story begins by mentioning 1942, the details—such as the Soviet Army’s retreat and references to Finnish snipers like the legendary Simo Hayha—clearly point to the earlier conflict.
Setting aside historical accuracy, The Red Army delivers a chilling tale of mass cannibalism. Finnish soldiers discover Soviet camps either deserted or filled with hanging skins. Faced with severe food shortages, the Soviets seemingly turned to the unthinkable. The story includes a photo allegedly showing the remains of a Red Army soldier. However, upon closer inspection, the troops find the food supplies intact, and rumors emerge of a mysterious creature lurking in the forests.
While the story may be fictional, cannibalism was indeed a grim reality for the Soviets during the war, though not due to logistical failures. It occurred among Soviet prisoners under Nazi captivity, where conditions were so brutal that only one in five survived. SS Colonel Rudolf Hess documented in his journal that cannibalism was widespread, even claiming to have seen a body gutted for this purpose. Similarly, during the 900-day siege of Leningrad, where a million perished, declassified records show 260 individuals were arrested for cannibalism.
As for the forest-dwelling creature, Soviet forests were indeed home to terrifying realities. For instance, in 1944, Kirovskaya Oblast experienced a series of wolf attacks, with children, including a group of four girls, falling victim to a pack. Amid such horrors, a monster in the woods might have seemed like just another grim aspect of life.
