Spine Chillers

Today Freddie Jones tells The Red Room by H. G. WELLS ' Looking round, one could well understand the legends that had sprouted in the room's black corners. My candle was a little tongue of flame in its vastness, that left an ocean of mystery and suggestion beyond its island of light ...'

Today John Woodvine tells More Spinned Against by JOHN WYNDHAM ' Lydia entered Edward's spider-room about once a week, partly to tidy and dust it, and partly to enjoy detesting its inhabitants in a pleasantly masochistic fashion.'

Today Jonathan Pryce tells The Music on the Hill by SAKI Sylvia Seltoun had achieved her ultimate ambition in marrying Mortimer Seltoun , and settling with him at his manor farm, Yessney. But there was a furtive, sinister ' something' that hung around Yessney ...

Today Michael Bryant tells The Mezzotint by M. R. JAMES ' Begging your pardon, sir, but it ain't a picture I should 'ang where my little girl could see it, sir ... if she was to ketch a sight of it she would be in a taking and no mistake.'

Today Freddie Jones tells The Treasure in the Forest by H. G. WELLS Hooker shivered as his eye rested on the figure of the dead China-man. ' Let's get out of this place.'

Today John Woodvine tells The Devil's Ape by BARNARD STACEY '... and then something happened. Something we couldn't see, but felt - something that made us afraid with a sweating fear. Some- body - something - came into the room...'

Today Jonathan Pryce tells Sredni-Vashtar by SAKI ' Conradin was dreadfully afraid of the lithe, sharp-fanged pole ferret, but it was his most treasured possession. Its very presence in the tool shed was a secret and fearful joy ...'

Today Michael Bryant tells A School Story by M. R. JAMES 'A moment ago, there was a man sitting on the window-sill. He was wet all over - and I'm not at all sure he was alive!'

Today Freddie Jones tells In the Avu Observatory by H. G. WELLS Was the thing, whatever it was, inside or out? Then something flapped almost into his face, and the sense of some strange bird-like creature hovering a few yards from him was indescribably terrifying.

John Woodvine tells The Running Companion by PHILIPPA PEARCE ' For years now, Mr Adamson 's hatred had been with him, not only when he ran, but all day, and often at night, too. Sometimes in his dreams it seemed to him that his running companion, his hatred, stood just behind him, or at his very elbow.'

Today Jonathan Pryce tells The Penance by SAKI In hunting to death a small tabby cat, Octavian had done a thing of which he scarcely approved himself. But Octavian kept chickens -at least he kept some of them; others vanished, leaving only a few bloodstained feathers to mark their going.

Today Michael Bryant tells The Well by W. W. JACOBS She dropped a stone down the well, and said ' Fancy being where that is now, clutching at the slimy sides, with water filling your mouth, looking up to the little patch of sky above.'

Today Freddie Jones tells The Stolen Bacillus by H. G. WELLS The bacteriologist took up a sealed tube. ' Here is the living thing - bottled cholera.' ' It is a deadly thing to have in your possession.'

Today John Woodvine tells A Sin of Omission by R. CHETWYND-HAYES "A flat head rose up, and small, watery-blue eyes glittered with malevolent intent, while jaws opened to their fullest extent, and Mr Faversham was permitted to view a pink-lined cavern that was equipped with two yellow, pointed fangs..."

Today Jonathan Pryce tells Gabriel-Ernest by Saki The boy laughed, a laugh in which the snarl had nearly driven out the chuckle, and then plunged out of view into a yielding tangle of weed and fern. 'What an extraordinary wild animal' thought Van Cheele.

Today Michael Bryant tells The Diary of Mr Poynter by M. R. JAMES ' There was about it so horrible an air of menace that, moaning with fear, he rushed from the room.'

Today Freddie Jones tells The Flowering of the Strange Orchid by H. G. WELLS They found him lying dead in a mangrove swamp with one of these orchids crushed up under his body. Maybe that plant cost him his life to obtain.

John Woodvine tells More Spinned Against by JOHN WYNDHAM ' Lydia entered Edward's spider-room about once a week, partly to tidy and dust it, and partly to enjoy detesting its inhabitants in a pleasantly masochistic fashion....'

Today Jonathan Pryce tells The Hounds of Fate by SAKI ' What do the folk around here say about me?' asked Stoner. ' They be bitter agen you, mortal bitter. Aye, 'tis a sad business, a sad business.'

Today Michael Bryant tells Jerry Bundler by W. W. JACOBS ' My father used to declare that the last time he slept here, the ghost of Jerry Bundler lowered itself from the top of his bed and tried to strangle him.'