A mirror that reflects a shadow figure that isn’t there. A doll that never seems to stay where you left it. A toy that turns on by itself in the middle of the night.
Haunted objects form some of horror’s most unsettling stories, because they blur the line between the safe and the sinister. We’re surrounded by things. We collect them, inherit them, forget about them. But what if they don’t forget us?
There’s a reason these stories stick. A cursed item doesn’t chase you down the hall. It waits. It listens. It becomes part of your life. And by the time you realize something’s wrong, it’s already in your home. Already in your hands.
This week, I wanted to take a dive into tales of objects that do more than gather dust, explore the cautionary tales that teach us to be careful of what we bring inside.
Some things don't like to be left alone.
Some of my favorite haunted object stories:
The Unbinding. A documentary (yes, you read that right) that follows occult researchers Greg and Dana Newkirk, curators of the Museum of the Paranormal and the Occult, who agree to investigate the artifact
The Doll Master and Other Tales of Terror, by Joyce Carol Oates. Oates explores creepy objects throughout this collection, but especially in the title story, which involves a boy who starts collecting dolls… and things get progressively more disturbing. Subtle, psychological, and deeply unsettling.
The House of Small Shadows, by Adam Nevill. Taxidermy, antique dolls, and arcane objects are plenty throughout this eerie novel. The haunted house is one thing, but it’s the things inside it—the puppets, the relics—that will keep you up at night.
The Monkey, by Stephen King. A creepy little cymbal-clapping toy monkey is at the heart of King’s short story. Every time it claps, someone dies. One of King’s most memorable haunted object tales.
Talk To Me. The story follows Mia, a teenager struggling with the loss of her mother. When she and her friends stumble upon an embalmed hand that lets them summon spirits, what starts as a thrill-seeking ritual quickly becomes an obsession. Mia becomes fixated on contacting her late mother, but things take a terrifying turn when her best friend’s brother, Riley, is possessed during a séance. What follows is a chilling chain of events that spirals into violent and supernatural chaos.
Do you have a favorite haunted object story? Perhaps a favorite haunted object trope? Tell me in the comments or in the chat!
The Weekly Digest
A selection of last week’s memorable Macabre Monday offerings:
- gave us six fascinating details from John Carpenter’s, The Thing.
- delivered Part 2 of his compelling essay on slasher movies.
- shared her first ever short story she posted on Substack. It’s scary good.
- gave us a terrifying sci-fi thriller based on a photo prompt (see it in the post).
- ’s short story follows Katie, who just had a cornea transplant that restores her vision. But soon after, she starts experiencing eerie visions and strange sensations linked to her donor.
- posted a strange short horror film. Check it out!
This is a story I posted last year about haunted marionettes. It’s inspired by a real one that I bought in Český Krumlov a few years ago. It’s called “The Old Woman in the Wheelchair”: https://danielwdavison.substack.com/p/the-old-woman-in-the-wheelchair
If you love David Morrell's "Orange Is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity," read "I'll Bring You the Birds from Out of the Sky” by Brian Hodge.
Free post
https://open.substack.com/pub/jayrothermel/p/ill-bring-you-the-birds-from-out?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1vg2di