When it appears that you have killed the monster, never check to see if it's really dead. Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke. Do not search the basement, especially if the power has gone out.

If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not know, shoot them immediately. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run. It will probably take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared. This also applies to kids who speak with somebody else's voice.




When you have the benefit of numbers, never pair off and go it alone. As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell. Never stand in, on or above a grave, tomb or crypt. This would apply to any other house of the dead as well.

If you're searching for something which caused a loud noise and find out that it's just the cat, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE NOW! If appliances start operating by themselves, do not check for short circuits; just leave! Do not take ANYTHING from the dead.




If you find a town which looks deserted, there's probably a good reason for it. Don't stop and look around. Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you're doing.

If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice. Also note that, although you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you. If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination for blood, glowing eyes, increasing hairiness and so on, kill them immediately.




Stay away from certain geographical locations, some of which are listed here: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog (you're in trouble if you recognize this one), the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.

If your car runs out of gas at night on a lonely road, do not go to the nearby deserted looking house to phone for help. If you think that it is strange because you thought you had a full tank, shoot yourself instead. You are going to die anyway, and most likely be eaten.

If you find that your house is built upon a cemetery, now is the time to move in with the in-laws. This also applies to houses that had previous inhabitants who went mad or died in some horrible fashion, or had inhabitants who performed satanic practices in your house.













Happy Halloween, Samhain,
All Saints, All Souls,
& Dia de los Muertos!

All of the lights are out except for the one by your bed, which seems dimmer than it has on other nights. Everyone else in the house is asleep ... or better yet, you're alone. There are creeks and groans that don't sound like the foundations settling, there are shadows that don't look like that tree outside your window ... and wait, were those footsteps? Did someone just open a door? Is something scuttling under your bed??

Seems like a perfect time for a little bedtime reading, something to curdle the blood and get your heart pumping. You'll find several sections at Rambles.NET suited to your mood, but let's give you a little direction. After all, it wouldn't do for you to be caught wandering on your own, now would it?

First, we have a nice-sized collection of HORROR FICTION that might intrigue you. Here are a few selections to get you started:

Michael A. Arnzen
100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories

Nancy Baker
The Night Inside

Marion Dane Bauer
The Red Ghost

Amber Benson & Christopher Golden
The Seven Whistlers

Richard Chizmar, editor
Trick or Treat: A Collection of Halloween Novellas

Richard Chizmar & Robert Morrish, editors
October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween

Peter Crowther, editor
Taps & Sighs

Charles de Lint
Mulengro
Yarrow

Frederic Durbin
Dragonfly

Mary Engelbreit
Queen of Halloween

Martin H. Greenberg, editor
Haunted Holidays, with Russell Davis

Peter Haining, editor
Great Irish Tales of Horror: A Treasury of Fear

Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House

Stephen King
Different Seasons

Ann Lawrence
Do You Believe?

Marc Joel Levitt
Tales of an October Moon

A.S. Mott
Gothic Ghost Stories: Tales of Intrigue & Fantasy from Beyond the Grave
Haunting Fireside Stories

John Pelan, editor
The Darker Side: Generations of Horror
A Walk on the Darkside: Visions of Horror

Al Sarrantonio
Hallows Eve

Vivian Vande Velde
All Hallows' Eve


Do you like ghost stories? We have a large library of haunted tales for your perusal -- make up your own minds, of course, but the stories here are all claimed to be true! You'll find the haunted library right HERE. A few selections of interest include:

Dan Asfar
Ghost Hunters of America: Real Stories of Paranormal Investigators

Martin Caidin
Ghosts of the Air: True Stories of Aerial Hauntings

Jo-Anne Christensen
Haunted Hotels

Joseph A. Citro
Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings & Horror

Christopher K. Coleman
Ghosts & Haunts of the Civil War

Gerina Dunwich
A Witch's Guide to Ghosts & the Supernatural

Rosemary Ellen Guiley
The Encyclopedia of Ghosts & Spirits

Patrick M. Mendoza
Between Midnight & Morning: Historic Hauntings & Ghost Tales from the Frontier, Hispanic & Native American Traditions

Susan Rich, editor
Half-Minute Horrors

Nancy Roberts
Haunted Houses: Chilling Tales from 19 American Homes

S.E. Schlosser
Ghost Stories

Edrick Thay
Haunted Cemeteries: True Tales from Beyond the Grave

Eugene & Mary Kuryla Yelchin
Ghost Files: The Haunting Truth


Finally, for your reading pleasure, here are a couple of reference books that might capture your attention. You'll find even more filed under FOLKLORE.

Daithi O'Hogain
Irish Superstitions

Iona Opie & Moira Tatem, editors
A Dictionary of Superstitions

Mark Oxbrow
Halloween: Pagan Festival to Trick or Treat

Silver Ravenwolf
Halloween Customs, Spells & Recipes

Bridget Thoreson
The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook
The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook for Kids

John Hardy Wright
Sorcery in Salem


While you're here, you might want to see what horror writer Chet Williamson has to say on the nature of true horror.


What? You say you're too nervous to read tonight? Well, how about a movie to calm your nerves? We have just the thing! (If you're looking for movies that are a little less ... intense, you'll find plenty of choices in our VIDEO LIBRARY.)

All Hallows' Eve (2013)

The Amityville Horror, Amityville II: The Possession

The Blair Witch Project, Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Carnival of Souls

The Crucible

The Dead Zone

The Devil's Advocate

The Dog Who Saved Halloween

The Evil Dead

Frankenstein

Frankenweenie (1985)

Frankenweenie (2012)

From Dusk Till Dawn

Ghostbusters

Ghost Ship

Gods & Monsters

The Grudge

The Haunting

House on Haunted Hill, House on Haunted Hill (remake)

Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus 2

Interview with the Vampire

In the Mouth of Madness

The Mummy

Night of the Living Dead

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Practical Magic

Queen of the Damned

Room on the Broom

Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3

Shadow of the Vampire

Sleepy Hollow

The Tell-Tale Heart

Thirteen Ghosts

Vampires

Werewolf Hunter: Legend of Romasanta

The Wicker Man

Wolfen

Young Frankenstein

Finally, we have a little mood music to help you settle in for a long night's sleep. We hope we've helped to make your Halloween a little more entertaining!

Margo Carruthers
Speech from the Crone: Scarytales

Patrick Doyle
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire

Fairport Convention
Meet on the Ledge ("Tam Lin")

Loreena McKennitt
The Visit ("All Soul's Night")

Dave Miller
Demons & Devils: Wicked Tunes from the Doomed
Vampire's Lair: Blood Thirsty Beats for Halloween

Reclaiming & Friends (with Starhawk)
Let It Begin Now

Elmo Shropshire
Dr. Elmo Sings the Boos

Alan Silvestri
Van Helsing

various artists
Music from Castle Dracula (1996)
Music from the Land of the Vampires (1996)