Remember when ghost stories were like an invisible force that brought people together? In school, we exchanged “True Philippine Ghost Stories” books as a measure of friendship. At home, we would share (slightly tweaked) urban legends with our neighbors— most especially during a power interruption. Meanwhile online, we would tag our friends on threads of creepy university stories.
If you’re a horror buff and can’t get enough of the chills, there’s a podcast for you. Independent Philippine podcast “Stories After Dark” features true crime and mystery stories that have been embedded in our horror storytelling culture. Within 10 to 30 minutes long, you’ll be able to listen to the narrative version of the stories that were passed on from years back (in an equally goosebumps-inducing fashion). Now, you know what to listen to before going to sleep. Well, if you could get yourself to bed, that is.
“Stories After Dark” features detailed accounts on haunted Philippine roads (like Balete Drive and Loakan Road), hanging coffins at Sagada, Baguio’s Diplomat Hotel and more. It also retells kidnaps and massacres. Its latest episode, “The Ozone Disco Fire (1996)” was uploaded on Mar. 22. Just reading through the titles already gave me the chills.
Don’t worry—if you find yourself hiding under your blanket in broad daylight or avoiding mirrors more often, we also have a couple of feel-good podcast recos. Hope that balances you out.
Read more:
These 8 scary stories prove we’re not alone in this world
Do you think you can handle these new horror flicks on Netflix?
QUIZ: Which low-budget Halloween costume are you?
Art by Renz Mart Reyes