Pages of Dust: A Collection of Ghost Stories & Poems
Several of the best ghost stories and poems from this library have been published in a series of illustrated volumes. Turn down the lights and surrender your imagination!
Ghost Stories &
Dark Poetry
The musty smell of yellowed pages fills your nostrils as you enter the library and survey the shelves. Cobwebs fill the spaces between worn covers, their arachnid weavers catching your eye as you scan the titles. Each faded spine beckons with the promise of a sleepless night, and for a moment you wonder if you are not imagining the whispered calls that seem to linger in the air.
Prepare to be haunted by the darkest specters of human imagination! In my library of ghost stories, you will encounter blood-thirsty vampires, possessed toys, and, of course, ghosts. Vengeful. Sinister. Terrifying. Please enjoy…if you dare!
Lucy’s Playground
A father-son outing turns sour when the child goes missing. The ensuing search is hampered by supernatural interference.
Doors
A renovation project uncovers a hidden series of empty rooms where something waits. Inspired by a recurring dream I used to have.
ZPV BSF EFBE
This report details the events surrounding several mysterious deaths. Each case has one thing in common: the victim received a string of 26 anonymous messages, the first one being ZPV BSF EFBE.
The Abyss
Three friends are stranded when their boat stalls in the middle of a lake. When night falls, they attempt to maintain their sanity in the midst of strange events.
The Funeral Shroud of Eli Shade
Strange events follow in the wake of a wicked man’s suicide, events which culminate in a showdown between good and evil.
Nightmares
Recurring dreams take their toll on waking life. Which is worse: the nightmare or reality?
Don’t Look
There are many dark places in and around this house, and it is unwise for a child to plumb their murkey secrets.
A Plea for Help
Suffering from paranormal experiences, an anonymous narrator reaches out for advice.
The Whistler
A house wife hears an unexplained noise while preparing supper, and her investigation takes a tragic turn.
How’s the Wife?
A man makes a routine visit to a desolate forest in an attempt to banish a tenacious ghost.
Trick or Treat
Who lives in the last house on the block? This Halloween, one young boy is determined to find out.
Hallowdale
This is an anthology of ghost stories based on the rural village of Hallowdale, a place that is cut off from the modern world and ruled by an invisible terror. It has dwindled to little more than a ghost town where the dead mingle with living. Do not linger long in this cursed village, lest you fall under its haunting spell. She is always waiting for her next victim; perhaps it will be you.
The Sunlit Room
An artist spends her time in an empty room, much to the displeasure of her family, drawing things only she can see.
The Forgetful House
A young man inherits his childhood home after his parents’ death, but things are not as he remembers. Quite possibly one of the scariest ghost stories I have ever written.
The Antique Toy
A man purchases an old-fashioned figurine at an antiques shop as a gift for his sister. What follows is the family’s harrowing ordeal.
Malicious Lullaby
A mother sings her child to sleep, but the effect is less than encouraging.
I Looked
A boy is haunted by the little closet in his bedroom. The setting for this story is based on the house I grew up in.
Swamp Children
Two boys have an unforgettably chilling experience while exploring a swamp. Inspired by a campfire ghost story my dad told.
I Grin
A dark poem describing the sad fate of a pumpkin on Halloween night.
Mommy
A small family is terrorized by a ghost from their past.
The Black Painting
This one is not technically a ghost story, but rather the frightening tale of a man who purchases a strange work of art at an auction. As time passes, he realizes it was a mistake.
An October Walk
A haunting poem describing the melancholy atmosphere of a cool autumn morning.
Pale Thing in the Hospital
A wounded man wakes up in an abandoned hospital with no clue as to how he got there, and ends up running for his life as something unspeakable hunts him down.
Aberrations
A man with an interest in the paranormal spends the night in an abandoned house, listening.
Bedtime
Something sinister lurks in the hallway outside a small boy’s bedroom.
Patient Darkness
Death hides in the shadows, held at bay by a single sputtering candle.
The Third
The brief account of an unsettling nocturnal experience. This ghost story is based partly on true events.
The 13th Hour
A peculiar clock has captured the attention of a passerby in this poem.
The Morgan House
A group of teenagers explore a ruined house on Halloween night to investigate the truth behind the ghost stories they grew up telling each other. Their reckless curiosity could be their undoing.
Cold
A man is haunted by the ghosts of those claimed by winter’s fury. Will he survive the storm, or will he join them?
Snow Nymphs
A hunter lost in a winter storm stumbles upon a beautifully eerie sight, one that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
No More Dishes
A dying woman’s husband receives an unexpected visit one night while washing the dishes.
Spectral Masquerade
A poem describing an apparently festive ballroom, where mirrors reveal the truth behind the illusion.
The Expedition of Howard Rickson
An explorer sets out to map the ruins of a mountain fortress. Do the ancient residents still linger in its labyrinthine corridors?
The Accordion Hobo
This is not a ghost story—or maybe it is. What do you think? It is based on true events.
Whispers
A young bride is haunted by the memory of her husband’s former girlfriend.
Vampire
A poem describing a fatal encounter with the undead.
The Banshee
There is something strange about this rich family’s nanny.
Will You Come Out and Play with Me?
A chilling poem. Would you accept this ghostly invitation?
The Inexplicable Fascination of My Cat
Cats have some peculiar habits. Why do they stare at empty walls? Are they aware of things we cannot see?
The Room with the Dolls
A weekend slumber party takes an ill turn when a boy disturbs a forbidden room, angering its silent inhabitants.
The Dark
A young man moves into an old apartment, but as he meets the building’s strange residents, he learns that something terrible haunts its shadowy corners.
The Scarecrow
This is the first ghost story I ever wrote. A farmer builds a scarecrow to protect his crops, but he soon learns that everything comes with a price.
Want to write your own? Check out my tutorial, How to Write a Scary Ghost Story.
James Colton