They Come in the Dark | A Folk Cult Horror Story of War, Faith, and Hunger

An army on the march.
A road that grows emptier each night.
And something watching from beyond the firelight.

When a young country noble joins the army in service of crown and country, he writes faithfully to his parents, recording the hardships of the road, the camaraderie of his fellow soldiers, and his devotion to duty and faith. But as the march continues, soldiers begin to vanish. Veterans. Camp followers. Officers. Gone without trace.

What begins as unease becomes certainty.
What becomes certainty becomes terror.
And terror gives way to something far worse.

This episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, unfolds through a series of letters that chart a steady psychological descent, from discipline and belief to isolation, dissociation, and hunger. As the army collapses and faith fractures, the narrator is forced to confront not only an inhuman threat, but what survival demands of him.

They Come in the Dark is a bleak folk horror story about the erosion of identity, the corruption of faith under unbearable strain, and the moment where duty gives way to instinct. It is a tale of dark forests, unseen hunters, and the terrifying question of what remains when the gods fall silent.

Expect creeping dread, ritual violence, and a slow unraveling that does not end with death, but with transformation.

If you’re drawn to epistolary horror, psychological collapse, and stories where survival carries a terrible cost, this episode awaits you in the darkness.

Content warnings: death, violence, torture, gore, cannibalism, psychological breakdown

Episode Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:38 - They Come in the Dark

00:36:41 - Background Discussion

00:40:13 - Listener Support

00: 40:57 - Outro

Malevolency | A Gothic Horror Story About Twisted Faith and Buried Secrets

A silent church.
A ruin left untouched.
And a presence that refuses to be forgotten.

St Matthew’s Church of the Eternal Redemption has stood abandoned for decades. Its records are gone. Its history erased.

And yet it remains.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, an urban exploration blogger discovers the church and sees an opportunity for viral fame. A story no one else has told. A place inexplicably overlooked.

But some secrets don’t want to be uncovered.

And some places remember.

Malevolency is a slow-burn gothic horror story about religious symbolism, forgotten spaces, and the dangerous pull of places left to decay. This marks my first full dive into religious horror, shaped slowly over months and brought to life through metaphor, atmosphere, and creeping dread.

Expect ruined sanctuaries, unsettling revelations, and the sense that not every silence is empty.

If you’re drawn to quiet gothic horror, strange ruins, and stories that linger long after the final line, this one is for you.

Content warnings: death, violence, mentions of child death, torture and abuse, explicit language, religious symbolism, body horror.

Episode Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:36 - Malevolency

00:35:52 - Background Discussion

00:38:53 - Listener Support

00: 39:32 - Outro

Season 02 of Tales Under A Broken Sky arrives Friday!

St Matthew's Church of the Eternal Redemption looms imposingly over the town it once served.

Ots last service long since passed from living memory, and its existence forgotten about even in church records, its origins and history are an enigma.

Intrigued by a suggestion from a follower, and urban exploration blogger sees an opportunity inexplicably missed by others in their field, and ripe for the taking.

With visions of viral fame and mainstream media attention catching their imagination, they arrive to investigate the ruins of the old church.

But some secrets are best left buried...

The Muse | A Psychological Horror Story About Ambition and Faustian Bargains

A blank page.
A chance encounter.
And the moment ambition becomes predatory.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we return to original fiction with The Muse, a story that recently appeared in Volume Four of The Dark Corner

This one is close to my heart.

Written during a bout of post-holiday writer’s block, inspired by a random prompt, and drafted in fragments on buses and in a tattoo chair, this was the story that pulled me out of a creative slump and reminded me why I do what I do.

In The Muse, a struggling writer is on the edge of breakdown when a chance meeting with a devoted fan changes the course of his career. What begins as encouragement quickly becomes opportunity. And opportunity becomes temptation.

But sometimes a deal is too good to be true.

The Muse is a slow-burn horror story about artistic desperation, external validation, and the quiet horror of discovering what you’re willing to sacrifice for success. Expect creeping tension, psychological unease, and the realization that inspiration doesn’t always arrive alone.

If you’re drawn to creative obsession, dangerous bargains, and stories that linger like unfinished sentences, this one is for you.

Follow the show for more original horror and dark fantasy, released every two weeks.

Content Warning: Death, violence, substance abuse, depictions of child death, explicit language

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:38 - The Muse
00:30:21 - Background Discussion
00:33:40 - Listener Support
00:34:03 - Outro

Classic Reading | Carmilla (Final Part) | A Gothic Meditation on Desire and Tainted Love

A truth fully spoken.
A ruin waiting in silence.
And the end of a long journey.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we reach the conclusion of our reading of Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

General Spielsdorf completes his account, finally revealing the mystery behind his niece’s death and the strange journey that followed. As the truth comes into focus, the group gathers in the ruins of Karnstein Castle, where recognition replaces doubt and Carmilla is forced to flee.

With the aid of a mysterious stranger, they pursue her into the dark and attempt to bring an end to what has been quietly feeding on them all.

This final chapter brings Carmilla to its close, where long-buried knowledge meets decisive action, and an ancient horror is confronted at last. Expect gothic ritual, emotional resolution, and the sense that some endings carry echoes long after the danger has passed.

Not every victory feels like triumph.
Some simply feel like survival.

If you’re drawn to classic gothic fiction, haunted ruins, and stories where revelation finally gives way to release, this chapter is for you.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like A Deal With The Devil or Eternal Sunshine, original stories exploring similar themes.

Thank you for listening, for following along, and for joining me by the hearth.

Original stories return soon. Until then, thank you for walking in the dark with me.

Content Warning: Death

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:35 - Carmilla - Chapter Fourteen
00:10:00 - Carmilla - Chapter Fifteen
00:16:46 - Carmilla - Chapter Sixteen
00:23:54 - Background Discussion
00:25:52 - Listener Support
00:26:215 - Outro

Classic Reading | Carmilla (Part Five) | A Gothic Meditation on Desire and Tainted Love

A story finally told.
A pattern made visible.
And the silence before something returns.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we reach the penultimate chapter of our classic reading of Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

General Spielsdorf recounts the events surrounding his niece’s death, a tale that bears chilling similarities to what is unfolding in Laura’s household. As his testimony draws lines between past and present, unease hardens into recognition. What once felt coincidental now reads as inevitable.

The atmosphere tightens. Truth gathers weight. And the group waits for Carmilla to awaken.

This chapter brings Carmilla to the edge of confrontation, where grief clashes with hard-earned knowledge and the cost of denial becomes impossible to ignore. Expect confession, mounting tension, and the sense that revelation doesn’t bring relief.

It brings urgency.

If you’re drawn to classic gothic fiction, converging timelines, and stories where testimony becomes warning, this chapter is for you.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like A Deal With The Devil or Eternal Sunshine, original stories exploring similar themes.

Follow the show for more original horror, dark fantasy, and reflective audio fiction, released every two weeks.

Content Warning: Death

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:37 - Carmilla - Chapter Eleven
00:09:21 - Carmilla - Chapter Twelve
00:18:05 - Carmilla - Chapter Thirteen
00:27:08 - Background Discussion
00:29:08 - Listener Support
00:29:27 - Outro

Classic Reading | Carmilla (Part Four) | A Gothic Meditation on Desire and Tainted Love

An empty room.
A body growing weaker.
And the moment doubt becomes certainty.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we continue our classic reading of Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, exploring Chapters Eight, Nine, and Ten.

As Carmilla vanishes from her room, unease gives way to alarm. A search is launched. A doctor arrives to examine Laura’s growing lethargy and disturbing weakness. And with the return of General Spielsdorf from his long and unsettling travels, new knowledge enters the house, bringing with it the weight of hard-earned experience.

What was once unspoken now demands attention.

This chapter marks a turning point in Carmilla, where suspicion sharpens into recognition and the cost of inaction becomes impossible to ignore. Expect rising tension, gothic investigation, and the sense that the walls themselves are listening.

The stakes are no longer distant.
They are high.

And imminent.

If you’re drawn to classic gothic fiction, encroaching dread, and stories where revelation tightens the noose rather than loosening it, this chapter is for you.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like A Deal With The Devil or Eternal Sunshine, original stories exploring similar themes.

Follow the show for more original horror, dark fantasy, and reflective audio fiction, released every two weeks.

Content Warning: Death

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:36 - Carmilla - Chapter Eight
00:07:54 - Carmilla - Chapter Nine
00:17:49 - Carmilla - Chapter Ten
00:23:48 - Background Discussion
00:25:52 - Listener Support
00:26:11 - Outro

Classic Reading | Carmilla (Part Three) | A Gothic Meditation on Desire and Tainted Love

Restless sleep.
Shared unease.
And the feeling of being watched from inside the room.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we return to Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, continuing our classic reading through Chapters Six and Seven.

As the household settles into an uneasy routine, strange dreams begin to trouble Laura, vivid, intimate, and disturbingly similar. At the same time, Carmilla’s behavior grows harder to ignore. Small inconsistencies surface. Private moments feel staged. And gestures once read as affection begin to carry sharper implications.

What was once merely unsettling now feels deliberate.

This chapter deepens Carmilla’s gothic meditation on corruption and control, where influence works quietly and boundaries erode in sleep and silence. Expect hushed tension, literary horror, and the slow realization that danger doesn’t always arrive with violence.

Sometimes it arrives with familiarity.

If you’re drawn to classic gothic fiction, haunted interiors, and stories that unfold like secrets shared in the dark, this chapter is for you.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like A Deal With The Devil or Eternal Sunshine, original stories exploring similar themes.

Follow the show for more original horror, dark fantasy, and reflective audio fiction, released every two weeks.

Content Warning: Death

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:38 - Carmilla - Chapter Six
00:09:09 - Carmilla - Chapter Seven
00:20:11 - Background Discussion
00:21:42 - Listener Support
00:22:03 - Outro

Dawn and the Spectre of Death | A Quiet Horror Story of Grief and Survival

A pale light on frozen stone.
A body pushed past its limits.
And the realisation that morning doesn’t mean safety.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we take a break from classic readings and return to original fiction with Dawn and the Spectre of Death, a story that appeared in Volume Three of The Dark Corner.

As first light begins to creep across the mountainside, a lone stranger finds themselves stranded far from help. Cold seeps into muscle and each step becomes a negotiation. With the dark finally loosening its grip on the sky, something else begins to draw closer.

What starts as a fight against exhaustion and exposure becomes something far more intimate.

This is a slow-burn horror story about isolation, endurance, and the thin line between survival and surrender. Expect stark landscapes, creeping dread, and the sense that sometimes the most terrifying thing you can meet on a mountain is what follows you into the morning.

If you’re drawn to wilderness horror, quiet desperation, and stories that linger like frost on skin, this one is for you.

Follow the show for more original horror and dark fantasy, released every two weeks.

Content Warning: Demonic Presence, Death, depictions of self-harm, torture

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:37 - Dawn and the Spectre of Death
00:09:02 - Background Discussion
00:10:38 - Listener Support
00:10:58 - Outro

Classic Reading | Carmilla (Part Two) | A Gothic Meditation on Desire and Tainted Love

A guest who lingers too long.
A kindness that feels rehearsed.
And the slow certainty that something isn’t right.

In this episode of Tales Under A Broken Sky, we return to Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, continuing our classic reading through Chapters Three to Five.

As Carmilla settles further into her host’s life, we begin to learn more about her temperament and her strange, unsettling way of moving through the world. What first appeared as fragility now carries sharper edges. Familiarity deepens. Boundaries blur. And beneath every quiet exchange, a creeping sense of wrongness begins to grow.

This chapter explores influence, proximity, and the unease that arrives when affection feels too carefully placed.

Carmilla continues its gothic meditation on desire and control. Expect hushed tension, literary horror, and the gradual realization that danger doesn’t always announce itself.

It waits.

If you’re drawn to classic gothic fiction, uneasy intimacy, and stories that unfold like secrets shared too close to the ear, this chapter is for you.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like A Deal With The Devil or Eternal Sunshine, original stories exploring similar themes.

Follow the show for more original horror, dark fantasy, and reflective audio fiction, released every two weeks.

Content Warning: Death

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:45 - Carmilla - Chapter Three
00:15:36 - Carmilla - Chapter Four
00:37:32 - Carmilla - Chapter Five
00:45:02 - Background Discussion
00:47:46 - Listener Support
00:48:09 - Outro