  Horror/Scary
This week: Chilling tales Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week:
"Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen."
~Willa Cather |
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Right now many areas of the world are experiencing one of the hardest winters in history. Record breaking snowfall, hazardous driving conditions, and "bomb cyclones" seem to make the news almost every day. While winter is a time of playing in the snow, ice skating, and drinking hot cocoa, it can also be an excellent setting for a horror story. Here are some of the scary sides of winter that might help you create a chilling story:
Cold
Extreme winter temperatures can be life threatening in real life, and much more in a horror story. Maybe the only way the protagonist of your story can escape the villain is by going out alone in a blizzard.
Darkness
Darkness goes hand in hand with winter. At the winter solstice in the far north, the sunlight almost disappears, and darkness covers the land most of the time. Darkness provides perfect cover for evil beings and questionable activities.
Snow and ice
Snow, ice, and frost can create a magical winter fairyland when the sky is clear and blue, the wind is calm, and home is close by. But an overcast sky, a howling wind, and snowflakes that feel like daggers slicing into your face can turn this idyllic scene into a nightmare
Travel hazards
Slippery roads and poor visibility make winter travel hazardous for even the best drivers. There is nothing more frightening than losing control of your car on an icy road. Imagine how much more frightening it would be to lose control of your car when trying to escape a murderer, a vampire, or the scariest monster you can imagine.
Isolation
Winter storms can disrupt communication by interfering with electrical power, TV and radio broadcasts, and cell phone or internet service. Your characters might not receive messages intended to warn them about whatever unspeakable horror is heading toward them. Isolation can also drive people mad if it goes on too long. Many violent acts happen in areas with long brutal winters when people have "cabin fever" from being cooped up too long.
Maybe the evil being in your story is the winter itself. What if winter did not end? While the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow" is said to be one of the most scientifically inaccurate movies ever made, the idea of a modern ice age is definitely frightening. This would be a great premise for a story written by someone who actually understands how weather and the laws of physics work!
The evil entity of your story might also be a mythological creature associated with winter. In Terry Pratchett's story, "The Wintersmith," the spirit of winter becomes enchanted with a young girl and refuses to leave.
One mythological creature associated with winter is the Wendigo of Native American folklore. A Wendigo is often portrayed as an emaciated creature that is always starving no matter how much it eats. Tales differ, but in some versions, people who consume human flesh during a famine are said to become Wendigoes.
Something to try: Write a horror story that takes place in winter.
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Horror/Scary: March 07, 2018 Issue [#8791]
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