Wilhelm Presents: Frightening Tales
Wilhelm
Subscribe
Welcome brave listeners to my collection of frightening tales, scary stories and ghostly yarns. Each season runs from May till the finale on All Hallows Eve. I‘ll post a new story for my listeners each Friday till then. So, make yourself comfortable and settle in for a spooky time, there is currently more than 13 hours of paranormal stories for you to listen to... if you're brave enough.
Have a frightening story of your own? Please submit it at FrighteningTales.com.
"LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED" These stories are varied and may contain an assortment of triggers.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Oct 31, 2023
The Tuck at the Foot of the Bed
Why is it that some of us can't shake the need to refrain from dangling a limb off the bed during the night... perhaps that need is there for a reason.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2023
Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave
They say in the deep south that when the rains come down hard and God plays his drums, it may wake loved ones long since gone. And on one dark and stormy night there was a knock at the door.
playlist_add
Oct 20, 2023
Recollections of Annie
There were two strong women in his life – and one of them were dead.
playlist_add
Oct 13, 2023
Ruth's Pool
Billy had made concessions to give his wife her dream pool, but what would this really cost them?
playlist_add
Oct 6, 2023
Lost Hearts
A retrospective visit to the classic tales by renowned authors. In this tale author M.R. James shares arguably his best ghost story, written in 1894.
playlist_add
Sep 29, 2023
Papa Gumbo
What lengths would you go through for success in your career? This weeks story examines the dark place one might be led to in an effort to get... a head.
playlist_add
Sep 22, 2023
Death of a Drop of Water
How many of us are haunted by the life that might have been... But what happens when that haunting is no longer metaphor?
A story from Sara Century's new book "A Small Light & Other Stories" available through publisher Weird Punk.
playlist_add
Sep 15, 2023
The Red-Eyed Thing
We all have our vices, our personal demons. But some demons are a little more tangible than others.
*Listener Discretion is Advised horrific scenes depicted.
playlist_add
Sep 8, 2023
The Park
What happens with the unoticable is noticed? Starved for attention how far would a being go once it finally felt 'seen' This weeks story asks just such a question, in an exclusive story by Mark Wilhelm.
playlist_add
Sep 1, 2023
The Friend in the Mirror
What happens when you peer into the mirror only to realize that something was off a little about your reflection. As though it just wasn't right.
playlist_add
Aug 25, 2023
The Limelight
A magician is only as good as their assistant. Sometimes the entire act hinging on the skills they possess.
This dark tale was written by Katharine Widdows to a prompt from reedsy.com "Write a story about a magician who never reveals their secrets"
https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/i1i78l/#comments
playlist_add
Aug 18, 2023
Spuds
A seemingly normal date is interrupted by the demands of an unassuming side dish.
playlist_add
Aug 18, 2023
Fear
A recounting of the terror filled moments hunted by... something in the dark woods.
A story created at the prompt provided by Reedsy.com "Start your story with an unusual sound being heard"
https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/6g70s7/
playlist_add
Aug 11, 2023
Daniel Damned: Mr Nobody
Pilot Episode. An odd man with a very personal connection to the paranormal is on a hunt, shaking down hells minions for information that will help him aquire a powerful divine relic. Along the way he meets an even stranger man that seems to remain outside the perceptions of hell, a real life Nobody. Thrust together seemingly by fate the two start to try to unravel this mystery but will they do it before hells warden notices it's getting kind of empty and comes looking... for Daniel Damned!
playlist_add
Aug 4, 2023
Philly
Clarabelle and her Father are trying to make their new house a home. But Clara's unplanned roomate seems to have darker idea's for the new residents. It wouldn't be long before dark secrets would take these negotiations to a whole other level.
playlist_add
Jul 28, 2023
Pests
It was a sad and somber thing that set about one of the truly great moments for nearly any New Yorker. Henry Adams was dead, and that meant there would be a vacancy.
playlist_add
Jul 21, 2023
Sleepy Hollow
Special Presentation!
Written in 1820 by American author Washington Irving as part of a collection of 34 essays and short stories in a volume called 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon'. This is the a reading of the original story of Sleepy Hollow.
As this was written in 1820, what was considered proper in life back then deviates from what is considered by today's standards of proper. Keep in mind that this piece suffers from anachronism and as such is a historic look at the period.
Episode Notes:
There is reference to 'Chanticleer'. I myself had to look this up to figure out how to pronounce it or what it was. My research reveals it was a childrens character from a kids book of the time that was a very proud Rooster. It was as common to children then as the Cat in the Hat is today.
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2023
Darcy Girl
Trigger warning: descriptions of family violence.
A Mother's love can span greater distances than the measurements of mankind, in time Darcy would learn how far a Mother would go for her little girl.
playlist_add
Jul 6, 2023
Stay Hungry
What would you give to change the things about yourself that you just don't like? What if you were approached with a miracle fix to get that perfect you? Would you leap before you look?
playlist_add
Jun 30, 2023
Even the Angels Don't Love Me
Lisa is having trouble getting a song out of her head... a song that only she can hear. Seemingly now the soundtrack to all the tragedy in her life. But where did it come from? And who made it?
playlist_add
Jun 23, 2023
The Red Snow
Sprinkled throughout the snow-covered Canadian north, hidden military bases monitor the arctic circle. Their orders are not to watch for enemy threats, but to alert domestic forces should the things that makes their hunting grounds in that desolate north… move south.
playlist_add
Jun 16, 2023
A Ballad for Buck Dumpster
The burden of guilt, given enough time, can weigh down a soul, forcing us to revisit the past... perhaps one last time. But revisiting our old haunts has been known to stir up ghosts.
playlist_add
Jun 9, 2023
Midnights Curtains
We all must come to terms with those things in our lives that we fear... What happens though, when we're finally free of those shackles that nature put there for our own protection...
playlist_add
Jun 2, 2023
Shhhhhh
In the heart of summer, a house - just waiting for a family to fill its halls - sits nearly forgotten by the nearby city. That is until an unassuming couple bring with them the inherent sounds of the living. But some neighbours don't appreciate those who disturb their rest.
playlist_add
May 26, 2023
The Papercut
When I wake up, the doctor gives me the facts. She delivers them to me gently—her voice like a warm cup of water you could steep a bag of tea in. Somehow, she’s made a car accident sound like a papercut, and so I decide that's what I'd like to call it from now on—a papercut.
playlist_add
May 19, 2023
Buyer's Remorse
A good magician never reveals their secrets. But, today as I lie in my deathbed, I am prepared to tell you mine...
playlist_add
May 12, 2023
The Lottery of Fate
Nothing I had been taught in school or in social settings could have prepared me for the irrational events that unfold when you encounter a ghost. Nothing prepared me to deal with the fear and panic that inevitably comes with that, either. But that’s getting ahead of my story.
playlist_add
May 5, 2023
Who Brings a Baby
The devilishly clever Clay McLeod Chapman offers up our season 3 premier tale.
A moviegoer realizes that what he assumed was an ignorant parents' negligence is actually... something far more sinister.
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2022
The Straw Doll & Pulling The Plug
In the Straw Doll, a dying monarch bestows a gift to the next generation, but not all gifts are so innocent.
Pulling the Plug explores the weight of traveling the expanse of our universe so far from home. And the toll it weighs on the soul.
playlist_add
Oct 21, 2022
Acorns
Author Brett B asks the question... does the guilt of an action sometimes reach out and tether something else to us? Perhaps the universe's need for balance is what haunts us... who's to say?
playlist_add
Oct 14, 2022
In the Quiet of the Night
Author Rachel Ryan takes us on a journey with an Alaskan research student and the discoveries made in nature's quiet places.
playlist_add
Oct 7, 2022
Bricks & Branches
Author Wemory Charnel's tale challenges everything we've known about princesses and forests full of cute playful animals.
playlist_add
Sep 30, 2022
Finish What You've Started
Author Katharine Widdows brings us an unexpected twist to a botched suicide. Trigger warning suicide.
Details:
Her original story was written for the prompt "Write about a character who is trying to convince others to play a game." As seen on Reedsy prompts and presented here with her permission. https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/.
playlist_add
Sep 24, 2022
Promo: New Episodes Weekly
Welcome brave listeners, I'm your host Wilhelm, Tune in weekly for a new creepy tale of the paranormal. If you're brave enough.
playlist_add
Sep 23, 2022
Cellared
Sometimes more than just the past can haunt us. In this beautiful tale by Katharine Widdows a family learns what secrets there are to dig up in the basement.
Details:
Katharine's original story was written for the prompt "Start your story with someone sharing a secret that has a big impact on everyone." As seen on Reedsy prompts and presented here with her permission. https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/xc3oac/.
This episode was updated in 2023 with more accurate content.
playlist_add
Sep 16, 2022
The Straw Men
Sometimes the strings that come with gifts can lead to deadly consequences. An inheritance, in this case, introduces two brothers to a darker place they would otherwise have never found.
playlist_add
Sep 9, 2022
The Shadowman
A mysterious force seems to be haunting Sam, it only wants her to be safe... but how far will it go to ensure that? Listen, if you're brave enough.
playlist_add
Sep 2, 2022
A Little Homework Never Hurt Anyone
The focus you give your homework just might become the thing that saves your life.
playlist_add
Aug 26, 2022
Dukes After Dark (Expletives)
(Content Advisory: Use of Expletives)
Christmas eve has long been a time for reflecting and sharing. The 3 staff on hand at Duke's are about to share an unforgettable experience.
playlist_add
Aug 19, 2022
The Unofficial History of Hide and Seek
Humanity has often defiantly mimicked things that were dangerous, who would have thought that unofficially something as innocent as hide and seek started more malevolently?
playlist_add
Aug 12, 2022
Someone has Died
Have you ever been so attuned to people that you could sense even the subtlest of changes with them... and dreaded knowing deep in your heart that something has happened to one of them? But who?
playlist_add
Aug 5, 2022
Off to Bed
Sometimes your regular routines are interrupted by something altogether unimaginable... how would you react?
playlist_add
Jul 29, 2022
The Tangled Man
When faced with imminent doom, how will you react? will you own it proudly... or find another to take your place. Either way, the Tangled Man is coming for someone. Will it be you?
playlist_add
Jul 22, 2022
The Dangers of Deadlines
Harry has been working overtime for far to long... but has it finally blurred the lines between what is real and unreal? find out in this frightening tale by Daniel Jankowski
playlist_add
Jul 15, 2022
Marienvoglein (Ladybug)
Learning the in's and outs of the family business can often dig up the ghosts of our family history revealing the true sacrifices a family does for one another. In this tale a man is faced with the weight of taking on the family business.
playlist_add
Jul 8, 2022
Gurgleplop
Her song is sung in local taverns... its warning clear and true. If you're not careful you'll cross paths with Gurgleplop. Balin would learn all to well what that entails.
playlist_add
Jul 1, 2022
On, Off
What if the thing to be afraid of, wasn't hiding in the dark, but in among the photons of the light? On, Off shines some light on fear.
playlist_add
Jun 24, 2022
Click Clack the Rattlebag & The Shadows Stare Back
Hoping to make a good impression on his girlfriend a young man lends a hand when her little brother asks that simple question, "will you tell me a story?" Our other tale follows a man living in a world that has been over run by feral shadows, and the reflection that inherently happens when faced with oblivion. Listen now... if you're brave enough.
playlist_add
Jun 17, 2022
Library of Lost Souls
A drifter finds himself rolling into a part of the country that seems like it's not even part of the world. And there, he is confronted with something that could shatter everything he's come to believe. Challenging his resolve. How will he react to learn that he's found the Library of Lost souls, and who might be there waiting to meet him. Written by George Frost.
playlist_add
Jun 10, 2022
The Man By The Tree & The White Woman
Author's Gunnar Ladd and Frances Hogg Lockow bring us this weeks 2 doses of scary.
How would you react to find an entirely new addition to something you were incredibly familiar with? Only then to find the un-natural source to its creation? That's what Gunnar Ladd explores in "The Man By The Tree.
Antony is a photographer in search of the perfect photo of his muse... the new tenant in his apartment building. But convincing her to be his model comes with its own dangers. Pulled from the dark corners of Frances Hogg Lockow's mind, The White Woman.
playlist_add
Jun 3, 2022
My New Home
Welcome brave listeners to another episode of Frightening Tales. Todays episode titled "My New Home" was adapted from a reddit horror story written by an author simply called Mikey. Our tale follows a man who does his best to make a new start for himself only to learn that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and some deals are too good to be true.
playlist_add
May 27, 2022
An Unfamilar Sound & Thumbs
Welcome brave listeners, to another episode of Frightening Tales. Our time today will be filled with two frightening stories. The first titled "An Unfamiliar Sound" written by Jordan Caves Callarman, which asks the question... what exactly did I bring home from the grocery store today? Our second tale, titled "Thumbs" Follows a young man offered powers by dark forces, but wondering if the price too steep?
playlist_add
May 20, 2022
Parcels
Welcome brave listeners, to another episode of Frightening Tales. Today's episode titled "Parcels" invites us into the world of unexpected packages and the mysteries held within them.
playlist_add
May 13, 2022
Pied Piper & April Showers
Welcome brave listeners to another episode of Frightening Tales. Today's episode fills our time together with two stories, the first "Pied Piper" written by Angeliki P, is about a young boy who's life is turned upside down when men arrive to burn his plague ridden village... and the keening pipe music that draws him to it. Our second frightening tale written by Mikayla Peterson "April Showers", is about a woman trying to survive in her home plagued by storms that seem to have a predatory intelligence about them.
playlist_add
May 6, 2022
Hover
Welcome brave listeners to another episode of Frightening Tales. Season 2 starts off with a special story written by Author Samantha Mabry. Her new book "Tigers, Not Daughters" is available in your local book store. Her story "Hover" follows two sisters adapting to life in a new home... with a ghost.
playlist_add
Nov 30, 2021
Trailer
Frighteningtales.com promo piece.
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2021
Lights
The Season One Finale Performance by: Mark Wilhelm, Written by: Ayden & Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by Mark Wilhelm.
Music provided by: epidemicsound.com
playlist_add
Oct 25, 2021
White Noise
Performance by Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by Mark Wilhelm. Music By: epidemicsound.com.
playlist_add
Oct 15, 2021
The House At Sunset Point Harbor
Performed by: Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by: Mark Wilhelm, Written by: Jethro Pili Music provided by epidemicsound.com: April Snow. Gavin Luke | Scranton Swing, Roy Edwin Williams | Candy Clown, Enigmanic | Ocean Traveler, Calm Shores | Unfettered and Unchained, Golden Anchor | Warning Signal, Max Anson
playlist_add
Oct 9, 2021
Muriel‘s 1 o‘clock
Written and Performed by: Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by: Mark Wilhelm, Music courtesy of: EpidemicSound.com
playlist_add
Oct 3, 2021
Goblins
Wilhelm Presents: Frightening Tales. This the debut story both written and performed by Mark Wilhelm. All rights reserved. Story and performance Copyright Mark Wilhelm. Visit Frighteningtales.com for more scary stories.
playlist_add
Sep 22, 2021
Pride
Performance by Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by A.G. Scott,
Music: Tales from the Grave, Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen | Born Sinister, Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen | Chronicles of a Mystic Dream, Grant Newman | Decomposed, Philip Ayers
playlist_add
Sep 16, 2021
The Haunting
A tale about a technician on a cable access ghost hunting show get‘s more than he bargained for.
playlist_add
Sep 9, 2021
The Night Job
Performance by Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by Jethro Pili, Music: Banshee, Jay Varton | Tales of the Uncanny, Prozody | Impulse, Hampus Naeselius | Light Utopia, FormantX | Our Last Hope, Dragon Tamer
playlist_add
Sep 3, 2021
The Damned Box
Performance by Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by Justan Romias Music: Eye For Detail, Jay Varton | Move Shady, Damma Beatz | Entering Madness, JH Coleman | Banshee, Jay Varton | Fright Night, Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
playlist_add
Aug 24, 2021
Basement Has Mold
Performed by Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by K.M. Kinley Music: Frozen Water Not Ice, Polar Nights | The Window Was Closed When I Left, Christian Andersen | Fugitive Drone, Amir Sharifi | Extraterrestrial, Dream Cave | Night Shuttle, Max Anson
playlist_add
Aug 19, 2021
Carlton‘s Drive
Performed by Mark Wilhelm, Sounding Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by Algernon Blackwood
Music: Awen, The Mind Orchestra | Nadir, REW_ | Cue 1, Soularflair | Hunted, Scott Holmes I took some creative liberties with the original script in an effort to modernize.
playlist_add
Aug 10, 2021
Peace & Quiet
Performed by Mark Wilhelm, Sounding Editing by Mark Wilhelm, Written by Ema Fancher
Music: Fried, Ketsa | Indigo, Another Brick | The Bright New Year, Yair Yona
playlist_add
Aug 5, 2021
Ancient Lights
Performed by: Mark Wilhelm, Sounding Editing by: Mark Wilhelm, Written by: Algernon Blackwood Music: Freyasberg, Greg Atkinson | Nettlevest, Secret Jane | Telepathy for Beginners, Les Hayden | Live sessions, Alessi
playlist_add
Jul 27, 2021
A Solider
Written by A.G. Scott for ReedsyPrompts Performed by Mark Wilhelm Music: The Spirit of Russian Love by Zinaida Trokai CymbalBird by Silence Just a Memory Now by Chad Crouch Flight to the North by Axeltree
playlist_add
Jul 22, 2021
Beneath the Sand
Written by Rachel Smith for ReedsyPrompts Performed by Mark Wilhelm Music: Gimmie All I want (instrumental) by Anthem of Rain Adaption (Instrumental) by Anthem of Rain Tuesday Night by Maarten Schellekens Hachimantai Snow by Maarten Schellekens Disaster Drone by Daniel Birch
playlist_add
Jul 20, 2021
The Firefly Fairy
Written by A.G. Scott for ReedsyPrompts. Contest 98 Performed by Mark Wilhelm. Music: Disaster Drone by Daniel Birch Country Boy Instrumental by Lobo Loco The Moon is Her Spotlight by Darkstar83 Just Wondering by Maarten Shellekens Sound FX by Soundsnap.com
playlist_add
Jul 19, 2021
The Deadliest Crop
Author: Calista Carine, Music: Sergey Cheremisinov
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2021
The Pale Man
The Pale Man, by Julius Long. Written for Weird Tales in 1934. Performed by Mark Wilhelm. A mundane visit in an out of the way hotel, becomes the setting for a dark encounter.
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2021
The Rotten Man
Performance by: Mark Wilhelm, Sound Editing: Mark Wilhelm, Written by: Tim Sprague. A different kind of perspective on an unexpected visitor. Music by: Rebecca on the Shore, by Mixkit | Intruder, by Zapsplat
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2021
The Tree's Wife
A story originally posted in Weird Tales by Mary Elizabeth Councilman. This tale looks at the limits of love and death. When does one stop the other...
playlist_add