We’re excited to announce the return of our popular writing collaboration, “Continue the Horror!” Alongside our successful Haiku, 50 Horror Story, and 6 word memoirs, we’ve decided to resurrect this thrilling interactive experience.
“Continue the Horror” is a fun, engaging way for writers to come together and create a spine-chilling tale. While this isn’t a contest, if the final story meets our standards, we’d love to publish it on EWR: Short Stories, giving full credit to all contributors.
To participate, simply continue the story from where the previous writer left off in the comments below. Each time you contribute, you must add a complete paragraph. You can share this on all social media with the hashtag #continuethehorror24 There’s no limit to the number of times you can contribute, as long as other writers are also participating. Feel free to take the story in any direction you choose, but remember to keep it scary and captivating.
We’ll provide the opening paragraph to get the creative juices flowing. From there, it’s up to you and your fellow writers to weave a terrifying tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
If we decide to publish the completed story on EWR: Short Stories, every contributor will be credited, with their name, a short bio, and a link to their website, book, or any other relevant material. Please note that we’ll limit it to one link per person.
Before publishing, we will edit the story for clarity, consistency, and overall flow.
“Continue the Story” is a time-honored tradition among writers, akin to the “Exquisite Corpse” game, which we also feature on our site. It’s a fantastic way to flex your creative muscles, collaborate with other talented writers, and create something truly unique and terrifying.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the chilling opening paragraph that will set the stage for our collaborative horror story:
In the depths of an abandoned asylum, where the echoes of tortured screams still lingered in the dank, musty air, a forgotten patient file lay hidden beneath the rubble. The yellowed pages, brittle with age, contained the chilling account of a patient known only as “Subject X.” As the curious Anna’s trembling hands carefully opened the file, a series of gruesome photographs spilled out, each one more horrifying than the last. The images depicted a grotesque experiment gone wrong, a twisted amalgamation of human and beast, with elongated limbs, razor-sharp claws, and a face contorted in an eternal scream. But it is the eyes that truly haunted Anna—those piercing, malevolent eyes that seemed to stare directly into one’s soul, promising an unimaginable fate worse than death itself. And as Anna delved deeper into the macabre details of Subject X’s case, a sinister realization crept over her like a suffocating shadow: the experiment never ended, and the abomination born from it still roamed the decrepit halls of the asylum, hungry for its next unwitting victim. Looking up from the file she hears the tortured sounds echoing throughout the asylum.
Now it’s your turn. Let your imagination run wild, and together, let’s create a horror story that will haunt readers long after they’ve finished reading. Write your paragraph in the comments below and share this page on social media with the hashtag #continuethehorror24 Happy writing, and may the screams begin!
PS You do not have permission to kill Anna. She must stay alive at least until the very end.
Divine says
Anna’s heart raced as she gazed around the dimly lit asylum corridor, her breath catching in her throat with each distant moan and shuffle of unseen feet. The file slipped from her trembling fingers, scattering yellowed pages across the cracked linoleum floor. Shadows danced wildly, fueled by the flickering light of her flashlight, casting eerie shapes that seemed to twist and writhe with a life of their own.Every instinct screamed at Anna to flee, to abandon this place of nightmares and leave the secrets of Subject X buried forever. Yet, her curiosity and a gnawing sense of responsibility to uncover the truth compelled her forward. She cautiously picked up the flashlight and a few stray pages, their faded text and haunting images burning into her mind. Each step echoed loudly, amplifying the oppressive silence that hung heavy in the air.Suddenly, a distant scraping sound broke the silence, followed by a faint, guttural growl. Anna froze, her pulse pounding in her ears. She strained to pinpoint the direction of the noise, her senses heightened to a fever pitch. Was it her imagination, or had something stirred in the darkness ahead?A cold draft swept through the corridor, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of decay and something far more primal. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as she realized she was not alone in these forsaken halls. Subject X, the monstrous creation of some twisted experiment, was here—lurking, hunting, thirsting for whatever unfortunate soul crossed its path.For a moment, Anna debated her next move. Fear clawed at her chest, urging her to turn and run, to escape this nightmare before it consumed her. Yet, she knew deep down that she couldn’t leave without understanding the full horror of what had transpired here. With a trembling breath, she tightened her grip on the flashlight and forged ahead, her footsteps cautious but determined.As she rounded a corner, the beam of her flashlight illuminated a figure hunched over in the distance—a grotesque silhouette against peeling wallpaper and cracked plaster. Its form was monstrous, with twisted limbs and a distorted face that seemed frozen in perpetual agony. The eyes, those chilling eyes, gleamed with an unnatural hunger as they locked onto Anna, freezing her in place.A primal scream tore through the air, echoing off the asylum walls. Without hesitation, Anna turned and ran, her heart pounding in rhythm with the desperate rhythm of her footsteps. The sounds of pursuit echoed behind her, growing closer with each frantic heartbeat.She raced through the maze-like corridors, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed forward, driven by a desperate need to escape the clutches of this abomination. Behind her, the haunting echoes of tortured screams mingled with the creature’s guttural growls, a terrifying symphony that spurred her on even as her strength began to fail.
Finally, just as she felt her legs give out beneath her, Anna stumbled into a pitch-black room. The door slammed shut behind her with a deafening thud, sealing her in darkness. The sounds of the creature’s pursuit ceased abruptly, leaving an oppressive silence that pressed in from all sides. Her flashlight flickered, then died, plunging her into an impenetrable void.Anna’s breaths came in shallow gasps as she fumbled for her phone, hoping for even a sliver of light. The screen’s dim glow revealed walls covered in strange symbols, etched deep into the plaster, as if clawed by something desperate and otherworldly.Her fingers trembled over the phone screen, attempting to make a call, send a message—anything. But the battery icon blinked its final warning and the device went dead in her hand, leaving her utterly alone.In the suffocating darkness, Anna felt a cold, clammy hand brush against her shoulder. Her scream echoed through the room, but no sound returned from outside the sealed door. She was trapped, and whatever lurked in the darkness was not bound by the physical walls of the asylum…
Bethany says
Anna’s scream reverberated through the suffocating darkness, swallowed by the silence that seemed to grow thicker with each passing moment. The touch of the cold, clammy hand sent waves of terror coursing through her veins, but she dared not move, afraid of what she might encounter. Her mind raced, searching for any semblance of logic in this madness, but the dread that gripped her heart made coherent thought nearly impossible.
As her eyes adjusted to the impenetrable blackness, she became acutely aware of every sound, every shift in the air. She could feel the presence close by, its breath hot and fetid against her skin. Slowly, she reached out, her hand trembling, hoping to find something—anything—to defend herself with. Her fingers brushed against something hard and cold—a metal pipe, perhaps.
With a desperate surge of courage, she swung the pipe into the darkness, aiming for where she imagined the creature to be. A sickening thud confirmed she had made contact, followed by an inhuman shriek that pierced the silence. The sound was unlike anything she had ever heard—an agonized wail that seemed to echo from another world.
Taking advantage of the creature’s momentary distraction, Anna scrambled to her feet and felt along the walls for a way out. Her fingers traced the strange symbols etched into the plaster, their rough edges leaving shallow cuts on her skin. She could feel the malevolence emanating from them, as if they were alive and pulsing with dark energy.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she finally found a door handle. She twisted it frantically, her panic rising when it resisted her efforts. With a grunt of frustration, she threw her weight against the door, praying it would give way. The door creaked open just enough for her to squeeze through, and she tumbled into another corridor.
Anna’s relief was short-lived as the guttural growl of the creature echoed from the darkness behind her. She bolted down the hallway, her footsteps echoing off the walls as she ran for her life. The corridor seemed endless, a labyrinth of despair that offered no sanctuary.
Her mind flashed back to the file she had found, the horrific images of Subject X etched into her memory. The abomination that hunted her was not just a figment of twisted science—it was a malevolent force, a curse that had festered in the asylum’s decaying halls for decades. She had to find a way to stop it, to put an end to the horror that had claimed so many lives.
Suddenly, she stumbled upon a staircase leading downward. Without hesitation, she descended into the bowels of the asylum, the air growing colder and more oppressive with each step. The walls closed in around her, the shadows thickening, as if the darkness itself sought to consume her.
At the bottom of the stairs, she found herself in what appeared to be an old boiler room. The remnants of rusty machinery and decayed piping littered the floor, casting long, ominous shadows in the dim light. Anna’s eyes scanned the room, searching for anything that could help her.
In the corner, she spotted a dusty, forgotten journal half-hidden under a pile of debris. She grabbed it, her fingers trembling as she flipped through the pages. The journal belonged to Dr. Abernathy, the lead scientist behind the grotesque experiments that had created Subject X. His notes detailed the horrific procedures, the blending of human and beast, and the unspeakable rituals meant to harness dark, otherworldly powers.
Anna’s breath caught in her throat as she read the final entry: a desperate plea for forgiveness and a warning. The only way to stop the abomination was to destroy its heart—the source of its unnatural life. But the heart was hidden deep within the asylum, protected by layers of twisted magic and guarded by the creature itself.
A sense of grim determination washed over Anna. She knew what she had to do. Armed with the knowledge from Dr. Abernathy’s journal and the metal pipe clutched tightly in her hand, she steeled herself for the harrowing journey ahead. She had to find the heart, destroy it, and end the nightmare once and for all.
As she stepped out of the boiler room and back into the darkness, she could hear the creature’s growl growing louder, closer. The final confrontation was inevitable, and she knew she would need every ounce of courage and strength to survive. But she was no longer just a victim of the asylum’s horrors—she was its reckoning.
Anna forged ahead, her mind focused on the task at hand. The echoes of tortured screams and the haunting images of Subject X fueled her resolve. The asylum was a place of nightmares, but she would not be its next victim. She would uncover the heart of darkness and bring an end to the terror that had plagued these forsaken halls for far too long.
The hunt was on, and Anna was ready.
Frank Mashina says
As Anna navigated through the labyrinthine corridors, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The walls themselves seemed to pulse with malevolence, painting a vivid picture of the horrors that had unfolded here. Each step was deliberate, each breath measured—she had come too far to falter now. The journal’s revelations echoed in her mind: the heart of Subject X, hidden somewhere in the depths of this accursed asylum, was a manifestation of all the torment it had caused. With renewed urgency, she pressed on, clutching the metal pipe like a lifeline.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet shifted, and the sound of scratching intensified. A series of long, claw-like marks appeared on the walls, dripping a viscous dark substance that glistened like oil in the faint light. A sick realization washed over her; it wasn’t just the creature hunting her—it was marking its territory, as if laying claim to everything within its grasp. The growl behind her morphed into chilling laughter, a low, mocking sound that made her spine tingle with dread.
Then she heard a voice, barely above a whisper, weaving through the shadows. “Help me… save me…” it pleaded, crackling with raw desperation. The voice was hauntingly familiar, sending a shiver down her spine. It was the voice of a patient—one of Subject X’s victims, perhaps. Anna hesitated, her instincts torn between compassion and survival. The last thing she wanted was to fall into a trap; yet, there was something undeniably human, shattered and pleading, that pulled at her heart.
Fighting the mounting fear, Anna approached the doorway from which the voice emanated. A faint glow flickered from within, illuminating the outline of what appeared to be a small cell. With cautious steps, she peered inside, her eyes widening as she beheld the ghastly sight. A figure lay curled up in the corner, their body emaciated and trembling, eyes wide and wild. The tormented soul stared back at her, a mixture of hope and terror in their gaze, as if they both longed for help and recoiled in horror at what might lie behind her.
“Please,” the voice croaked, barely audible, “You must find it—the heart. It feeds on our pain. It takes everything… everyone.” The shimmering glow illuminated blood-stained walls and remnants of what once resembled humanity. In the shadows, Anna could make out grotesque sketches—twisted figures that mirrored Subject X’s nightmarish form, furiously scrawled with a desperate hand.
Anna’s heart raced, the weight of the situation crashing down upon her. “Who are you?” she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady. The figure trembled, defeated under the burden of anguish. As they whispered their name, Anna’s heart sank; it was another victim, someone who had been part of the experiments, now turned lost soul within the asylum’s walls. Anna could feel the layers of despair pressing down on her; she wanted to help, but the growls were getting louder, echoing through the halls like a sinister rhythm, approaching, closing in.
Suddenly, the door she had just come through slammed shut. Panic surged through her veins as she realized she was trapped with the very being she had hoped to save. The creature’s laughter echoed louder now, mocking her resolve. Anna turned back to the figure, eyes gleaming with determination and a desperation to survive. “We need to escape now!” she shouted, gripping the metal pipe tight. As she looked back at the door, a realization dawned on her: she couldn’t defeat the darkness by running away. She needed to confront it, not just for herself but for the souls of those who had suffered in these forgotten halls.
With renewed resolve, Anna stepped toward the shadow-filled cell, understanding that the heart of the horror was not just the beast that hunted her but the lost spirits intertwined with it. “We’re going to end this, together.” The figure nodded slowly, tentative hope breaking through layers of despair. As Anna readied herself for the inevitable confrontation, a plan formed in her mind—if she could harness the pain of the victims around her, perhaps she could find a way to overpower the dark entity that had chained them to this place for so long.
As the growl intensified and shadows began to converge, Anna prepared to uncover not just the heart of Subject X, but the collective anguish of all those trapped within, determined that she would be the one who finally freed them all. Armed with the knowledge of Dr. Abernathy and the courage of the desperate spectral plea before her, Anna braced herself for the night’s final showdown. The time had come to face the horrors head-on and reclaim the lives stolen within these decaying walls.