Westside Fairytales: Horror and Dark Fiction Stories

In today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales, the first of a four-part series, we join a young person, a human animal cast loose of the nest by a sudden death of one parent, and the just as unexpected madness of another. Setting out on a journey to understand a new and unfamiliar life, this child will come across demons both external and internal, and characters both familiar and unfamiliar to yo...

Today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales will let us see the furthest limits to which loyalty might push us, by putting us in the shoes of a soldier faced with unthinkable duties. In the last months of a war he does not yet know has all but ended, he’ll be pushed to carry out orders beyond the scope of anything he’s ever, even in his worst nightmares, thought could come to pass. And we’ll see if...

Today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales is the second half of a two-part tale. Last episode, we left the subject of our story, a young man named Barden, in his hermitage of a flat in Paris. He’s been bothered by strange knocking from the apartment downstairs, and visions of some pale-faced apparition that may or may not be a symptom of his self-imposed isolation. Barden is a man who likes solit...

Today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales is about a man living alone, with little more than the glow of his computer to keep him company. But something from beyond the veil of death and time may soon enter into the life of this modern hermit, whether he wants it to or not. This month’s recommendations: Literature recommendation: ”My Friend Dahmer” by Derf Backderf Random horror recommendation: T...

I fought a war once. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen combat, more than a decade actually. But even after all that time, the memories of Iraq: The sand. The heat. The people. The violence. Those have stayed closer to my heart than almost any other thing I’ve done. In today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales, we follow a veteran who faces a similar problem, coming to terms with the guilt of...

The grind can get to you. My guess is you know what I’m talking about. Most of you, my Dear Listeners, are probably listening to this in the background of some banal task. You’re driving yourself to work, or the kids to school. You’re out mowing the lawn or sitting on a cold bench waiting for the train to finally show. But like most people in this modern world, you’re somebody with someplace to be...

Life is like the tides. It comes and goes, rises and falls with the moon and light and darkness. This endless force propels us forward no matter our situation, until we can be moved no more. Today's minisode of the Westside Fairytales is about a man who takes his elderly grandfather on a late night surf trip. A last bit of kindness before the moon sets in the west.  Thanks for listening! Subs...

Some fears are not shared evenly amongst the inhabitants of this little blue marble. The fear, for instance, that your agency could be stripped away at any moment without recourse isn’t something we all feel, but that some of us know all too well. It’s fear that comes with a shaky position in society. Women, minorities, and folks with lifestyles and predilections that buck the status quo. If you’r...

Today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales is about a man trapped in a relationship he despises. He doesn’t know if he hates his wife, but he does know he plans on leaving her, just as soon as they reach the end of the long trip they’ve embarked on together. But his plans are put on hold when they stop for gas at a remote desert gas station. Strange things have the building and its occupants under...

Life has a pace, a rhythm. It’s always unsettling when things disturb it. The death of a friend, an injury, an accident, when the unexpected comes calling it usually visits with bad news in tow. Today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales is about a man who sets his watch by life’s banalities. He lives a boring life, a life he generally enjoys, but things are about to change for him. It starts smal...

There’s an old sort of saying that the best judge is one who hates his work. A man eager to pass judgment on others, that is, is the man least capable of doing the job. Today’s episode of the Westside Fairytales is about just that sort of man, a reserved individual sent to a small village in a seemingly medieval country, tasked with finding out why people passing by the town are being branded as c...

We all feel the urge to run sometimes. Pressure builds up around us, pushing on our chests and heads, caving in the soft bits inside our ears and eyes until we feel fit to burst. Money, family, loneliness, the struggle to be known, the pain of being forgotten, it all stacks up and gets heavier. And heavier. And heavier. And when it gets to be too much, there’s a part of you inside that lets you kn...

Guilt grows like a weed in the hearts of sinners. It’s hard to imagine anybody who’s never wronged another person. At some point, all of us are going to make a decision we’ll have trouble living with for the rest of our lives. And even if it’s a small thing, a trifle, it’ll sit with you in the dark hours of the night, stroking the skin at the back of your neck to keep you awake. Today's episode of...

You know the fear of drowning, even if you've never been near water. It's as inborn in us as the desire to keep breathing. When last we left our protagonist, she was in deathly danger of drowning, and trapped in the kitchen of a sinking ship. This is part two and the conclusion of the Westside Fairytales story, "The Water-Rotted Doll." We hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening! Subscribe and review...

Today’s tale is the story of a woman’s journey from a war-torn country to one of safety and prosperity. It is a time of sickness, of death, and the specter of death itself follows her on her voyage in the form of an ugly doll made of plaster. This episode of the Westside Fairytales will cover only the first half of the story, and the second half will be available next episode. This month’s recomme...

We all feel lonely sometimes. Some of us never really feel like we’re not alone, even when we’re surrounded by people. For guys like me, and our main character of this episode of the Westside Fairytales, that means slinking out to the bar. Secreting yourself away somewhere dark and comfortable, where it’s okay to be a man on his own. Thing is, that kind of lifestyle can wear on you. It can get too...

Ever felt stuck in a rut? Today's episode of the Westside Fairytales is about a woman who feels trapped in a life she never expected to live. Her husband doesn't appreciate her. She doesn't have any hobbies, any friends, or really any social interaction aside from her children. But an old friend has stopped by to help her break out of this funk. Somebody from her childhood that always shows up whe...

Sometimes the things you own end up owning you. This is the last of the minisodes for the Westside Fairytales summer off-season. We've got a slew of terrifying new content heading your way at the beginning of November, so remember to stay up to date with us on social media. We hope you enjoy your Halloween. Stay safe out there. Thanks for listening! Subscribe and review us on iTunes or wherever yo...

We're now more than halfway through the off-season, and new episodes of Westside Fairytales are just around the corner. Today's minisode is just a trifle. A snatch of memory. The creeping sort of horror that walks with you for a while even after you've said goodbye. Thanks for listening! Subscribe and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Buy our book "The Eyes Beneath My Father's...