To celebrate the Halloween season, I thought delving into some of the scariest and most horrifying stories on the web would be fun. The stories, often dubbed as CreepyPastas, are internet urban legends started by various horror fans that eventually took roots and became a cultural icon. These stories are meant to be scary and thought provoking but not to be taken literally. Here are summaries of some of the most popular stories and genre of stories in this fandom if you would like to check it out this frightening season.
Jeff the Killer
Jeff was a young boy dealt a bad hand. Bullied and faced with the guilt of possibly ruining his brothers future, one could only imagine the stress he was under. When he finally did lose his cool, who could blame him? Well, it is hard to sympathize with a sweet boy turned homicidal maniac. So before you go to bed, pray you don’t hear the words ‘Go To Sleep’.
Jason the Toymaker
Every child longs for a friend that will never leave them. Usually this desire is manifested into a favorite toy or imaginary friend. However, some toys don’t like it when you grow up and leave them. Jason the Toymaker is a supernatural doll maker who acts as an imaginary friend and doesn’t take well to being left behind. But what does he do as a result? Well, you’ll just have to hope you don’t find out, for those that do don’t live to tell the tale.
Slenderman
This supernatural creature appears in many forums and is seen as the biggest name, and subsequent leader, of the CreepyPasta fandom. He has no face and is no stranger to murder and torture. He is mostly spotted in forested areas and has made appearances in the backgrounds of many photos. But this is one creature you don’t want to meet.
Lost Episodes
Many CreepyPasta stories revolve around ‘missing’ episodes of various TV shows, mainly cartoons, or creepy TV shows never made. Some of these stories include Suicide Mouse, an episode rumored to cause people to lose their minds, and Candle Cove, a fake children’s show that is reported to have tortured the ‘bad ones’. With so many stories like this you wonder if one might be true.
Video Games
Just like the Lost Episodes genre, there is also a video games genre with creepy versions, fake games, or terrifying backstories. Popular stories in this genre include Ben Drowned, Petscop, and Lavender Town. Ben Drowned involves the haunted version of a Legend of Zelda game that was once owned by a child, presumed to be named Ben, that died and proceed to haunt his game and anyone who comes to own it. Lavender Town is rumored to be a terrifying version of a Pokemon game, with videos and commentary on the game play and what happens with each step. Petscop is a fairly recent one that has gained popularity for being started as a fake lets play series on Youtube, and has even been theorized by big name game theorists such as MatPat.
With all these stories to terrify and intrigue each other, have fun and stay safe this Halloween and remember that these are just stories not to be taken literally.