What happens when promises are made, but not kept; when commercial ambition collides with traditions that demand patience, respect, and remembrance?

In Gabriele Micozzi’s “Forty-Nine,” a newly acquired restaurant in Takayama, Japan, carries more than the memory of its former owner. As the days following a death pass, something begins to change inside the restaurant—and the traditions surrounding the dead may matter more than its new owner realizes.

Drawing on Japanese Buddhist beliefs surrounding death, mourning, ritual, and the forty-nine days after death, this atmospheric ghost story explores the importance of ritual to the living...and the dead.

About the author: Gabriele Micozzi is an Italian author based on the Adriatic coast. His short fiction has been accepted by parABnormal Magazine (Hiraeth Books, ed. H. David Blalock) and The Literary Hatchet (PearTree Press). His work is grounded in what he calls "systemic horror" — the quiet, clinical terror of institutions and rituals that function perfectly while the human beings inside them disappear. He has also published non-fiction and poetry in Italy. Website: www.gabrielemicozzi.it

Listen to Unpleasantville episode 3 here.

Listen to Unpleasantville episode 4 here.

Listen to Unpleasantville episode 5 here.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

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Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

There are people who can spot the value in almost anything. A chipped piece of pottery, an old painting, a box of forgotten papers—one person's rubbish can be another person's treasure. And places like Glasgow's Barras Market are built on that possibility. You never quite know what you're going to find, or who owned it before you. Most of the time, the history attached to an old object is harmless. But every so often, you come across something that has been waiting a very long time to be found.

JS Apsley is the pen name of a horror and noir author from Glasgow, Scotland. He won the Ringwood Short Story Prize in 2024 and has gone on to publish over fifty short stories around the world. You can find his work at jsapsley.com and on Instagram at @jsapsley_author.

Listen to episode 1 of Unpleasantville.

Listen to episode 2 of Unpleasantville.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

When Aveline's family moves into Greymist Manor overlooking a lonely coastline, local whispers of a curse seem easy enough to dismiss. But after discovering a mysterious necklace washed ashore, vivid dreams begin to blur into waking life. An unseen presence calls her by another woman's name, and every tide seems to pull her closer to a centuries-old promise.

Perfect for listeners who enjoy gothic horror, haunted houses, ghostly romance, cursed relics, and eerie coastal folklore.

Lara Shamas is a writer, Poet, and literature enthusiast based in Lebanon. Lara's work often explores the intersections of love, loss, and the supernatural.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

There is said to be a gate somewhere in County Wicklow that whistles whenever the wind blows. It never stays in the same place for long, dogs sense it before people do, and there is one rule that is not always followed: Never open the gate.

In The Whistling Gate, Silke Phillips draws on the rich traditions of Irish folklore to weave an unsettling tale of curiosity, superstition, and the terrifying consequences of ignoring old warnings. Atmospheric and quietly chilling, this story captures the feeling that some legends survive because they are true.

Author Bio: Silke Phillips is a freelance writer, editor, and translator from Germany who has found a new home in Ireland. In her fiction, she likes to explore the uncanny. In her real life, she enjoys art and crafting, cooking and eating, reading and writing, and her big fluffy dog and husband.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silke-phillips-1a3945208/
Website: https://www.text-und-lektorat-phillips.de/en

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

After the sudden death of her husband, a woman tries to rebuild her life and create a new future for herself and her young daughter. But as strange events begin to occur, she is forced to confront the possibility that some bonds are not easily broken. 

A poignant ghost story that explores the lingering presence of those we love. 

Author Bio: Frances Brindle lives in Oxfordshire, England, with her husband, a Greek dog, and an American cat. After studying microbiology at university, she moved into marketing and was once responsible for sending an animatronic kangaroo down a ski jump in New Zealand for a beer campaign. She was shortlisted for the H.G. Wells Short Story Prize, and her stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

When a local teenager receives a personal invitation from the mayor's influential family, he assumes he's simply been singled out for a special occasion. But as the gathering unfolds, small details begin to feel increasingly wrong, and what should be a memorable day becomes something far more unsettling.

A tense supernatural horror story exploring power, privilege, family, and the hidden costs of getting exactly what someone wants.

Tim Law writes fantasy, horror, and often a combination of the two. A husband, father of three, and self-described "fur-father" of four, he lives in a small town in Southern Australia where he manages the local library. He enjoys discovering stories as he writes them and never plots in advance.

Narrated by Tim Law

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

A woman out for an early morning run encounters something unexpected on a remote hill at the edge of the woods.

Inspired by Japanese folklore surrounding the Ubume, this chilling tale blends modern life with ancient fears, asking what happens when ordinary people cross paths with something that should exist only in stories.

Atmospheric, unsettling, and darkly imaginative folk horror.

Alice Kinerk enjoys writing, reading, and sometimes jogging. She has published dozens of stories. Learn more at alicekinerk.com

Narrated by Deborah Sale-Butler

Image: Ubume in the Moonlight by Hokusai. This is one of my absolute favorite works of art. There is so much sympathy for the character in Hokusai's work, and Ubume is a character to feel empathy towards, not enmity. Read the ekphrastic story I wrote about this art here.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

Oliver arrives at a casino looking for excitement and distraction. What he finds is a mysterious woman. His obsessive personality soon presents an option. Can he stop his obsession with her, or is he willing to take one more chance? 

A haunting psychological horror story that taps into a very human trait. 

Author Bio: Growing up with TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, and Star Trek, Ivan Richardson developed a love of dark fantasy and science fiction. Born in Scotland, he studied Mechanical Engineering at Leicester University and is a member of the Leicester Writers Club. He also holds a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Narrated by MN Wiggins and Melissa Miles.

Photo by Jonathan Greenaway on Unsplash

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

When Julia answers an ad offering cash to spend the night in one of England’s most haunted hotels, she expects cheap scares and staged ghost stories. Instead, she finds herself trapped inside a place where reflections linger too long and corridors shift in impossible ways.

A gothic supernatural horror story filled with mirrors, whispers, and creeping dread.

Originally from the UK and living in the USA for nearly 20 years, Ria is an author and artist with a background in journalism and communication. Blending creativity with storytelling, Ria published their debut book, Elara’s Tea Leaves, a whimsical journey through magic and meaning. Their next book, a richly illustrated tale about gnomes, is set for release in 2026. With a love for folklore, nature, and visual storytelling, Ria combines words and art to craft immersive experiences. Their work reflects a lifelong passion for narrative in all forms, shaped by both European roots and American life.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

Set high on Mount Everest, HEAT is an atmospheric survival horror story about isolation, ambition, and the dangers that await in the frozen darkness.

As a climber reflects on the choices that brought her to the world's highest peak, strange figures begin to move through the snow and something unseen stalks the mountain's isolated expeditions. On Everest, survival can become far more terrifying than the climb itself.

A chilling blend of Mount Everest horror, supernatural horror, and survival fiction, HEAT explores the thin line between endurance and obsession—and the unsettling truth that some places refuse to let go of those who enter them.

About the Author
Caolán Mac an Aircinn is a translator, classicist, and musician from Dublin, Ireland, who writes in both English and his native Irish. He has published numerous short stories and poems in the horror and science fiction genres. When he isn't writing, he enjoys playing traditional Irish music and bothering his cats. He can be found on Instagram at @writercaolan.

Narrated by Caolán Mac an Aircinn.

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
Facebook
Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].