A drifter joins a strange sheriff’s posse, only to discover he’s part of a ghost-hunting ritual—and far closer to the dead than he ever realized.

This story appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of SPOOKY Magazine.

Chad Gayle’s short speculative fiction has appeared in DreamForge Magazine, Inner Worlds, and Cosmic Horror Monthly.


You can read "Dead Man's Posse" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
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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].

Two brothers flee through frozen fells from an unearthly pursuit, only to discover a city that chooses who may enter and who must be lost.

Bio: Daniel Stride has a lifelong love of literature in general, and speculative fiction in particular. He writes both short stories and poetry; his stories have appeared in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Tales to Terrify Podcast, and Eternal Haunted Summer. His first novel, Wise Phuul, was published in 2016 by a small UK press, Inspired Quill. A sequel, Old Phuul, is due out in the near future. He likes chocolate and cats, and can be found blogging about the works of Tolkien (among other things) at https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/. Daniel lives in Dunedin, New Zealand.



You can read "Fleeing To The Dawn" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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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].

A celebrated self-help guru meets a follower whose “infinite patience” twisted his teachings into something dark.

Rick McQuiston is a 57-year-old horror fanatic with over 400 publications, including three novels. A new novel is due for publication in 2026. McQuiston spends his time working on new full-length and short stories.


You can read "The Patience Factor" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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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].

A pastor reconnects with a troubled parishioner only to find prophecy and madness entwined in tragedy.

Nathan Perrin (he/him/his) is a writer and Anabaptist pastor in Chicagoland. He holds an MA in Quaker Studies, and is a doctoral student studying Christian Community Development at Northern Seminary. His doctorate work centers on creating a writing program for nonprofits and churches to use to help under-resourced communities process trauma. His work has been published in the Dillydoun Review, Bangalore Review, Collateral Journal, Esoterica Magazine, etc. His forthcoming novella Memories of Green Rivers will be released in winter 2026 by Running Wild Press. He is also a screenwriter for an unannounced indie comedy series. For more information, visit www.nathanperrinwriter.com

You can read "A Prophet's Hometown" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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

When a priest sells his dying church to a nightclub owner, he discovers that even the dead still demand redemption.

Ed Ahern resumed writing after forty odd years in foreign intelligence and international sales. He’s had over four hundred fifty stories and poems published so far, and nine books. Ed works the other side of writing at Bewildering Stories, where he sits on the review board and manages a posse of eight review editors, and as lead editor at Scribes Microfiction.
https://twitter.com/bottomstripper 
https://www.facebook.com/EdAhern73/?ref=bookmarks
https://www.instagram.com/edwardahern1860/'


You can read "Penance" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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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].

A ski trip to Japan turns into a darker adventure when two friends encounter a spirit that wants something.

Paul Walter is an Irish-born, recently retired illustrator, art teacher, and occasional author. He has had two children’s books published by Penguin; Grandpa’s Big Adventure, and Grandpa’s Space Adventure. His literary novel, Fin Rising, was originally published by Really Blue Books in 2012 and was re-published in 2022 by Púca. It is available on Amazon In his spare time, Paul likes fishing, playing pétanque and writing novels. 'Hungry Ghost' is the first chapter of a half-finished manuscript with the working title 'The Suicide Forest'


You can read "Hungry Ghost" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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

A student filmmaker recreating an old murder discovers that the past is not done performing its part.

A life-long resident of Melbourne, Australia, Rick is retired after 42 years in the transport industry. His stories have appeared in magazines, anthologies and podcasts and he has several books on Amazon. He hasn’t been owned by a cat for decades and must resort to talking to next door's white tom who sometimes condescends to talk back to him.


You can read "TheFaces in Morgan Alley" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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

When the Rodadora arrive, born of blood and storm, a family braces for survival against an ancient, inescapable force.

Helen Gallegos Evans has taught Los Angeles students for 24 years. She enjoys writing, photography, reading, walking, and engaging conversations. Her works have appeared in Gingerbread House Literary, Acentos Review, The Amaranth Review, Papercuts, Bards and Sages Quarterly, and elsewhere.


You can read "The Rodadora" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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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].

A woman servant is under a monster’s spell. A chance encounter with a stranger makes her  question whether her life—and her very identity—are her own.

Salem Savage-Cutcher strives to spark whimsy in the world. They write experimental and just plain weird fantasy, horror, and magical realism. They have previously been published in the Iris Review. You can find them at [email protected].


You can read "Brainworm" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
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Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann 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].

A boy hears his mother’s voice calling from the closet—but didn't he just see his mother downstairs?

David Corisis is a born-and-raised Idahoan and graduate of Gonzaga University. He lives the exciting life of a programmer by day and aspiring writer by night. When not sharing a keyboard with his cat, David enjoys running, brewing mead, playing Magic the Gathering, camping, and worrying about the ever-marching hand of time stealing everything he holds dear. His favorite books include At the Mountains of Madness, and Flatland. He couldn’t be happier taking on the world and its challenges with his eternally inspirational wife at his side. To find out more, you can visit www.dcorisis.com.

His Spine-Tingling Tales anthology was just released. See his webpage for more information.

You can read "The Gap in the Closet" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Please feel free to contact me through the website contact form.

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Photo by Veronica 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].