News

31 Scary Story Nights: October 25th “Old Mad Henry”

Published

6 years ago

October 25, 2017

Hello, readers, and welcome back to 31 Scary Story Nights! Tonight’s tale has EVERYTHING! Zombies, necromancy, kidnap, and even a love story…sort of. It’s the tale of “Old Mad Henry” and it was related to me by a friend from New England who asked that her name not be included here. According to my friend, the story of Old Mad Henry has been told to kids in her area for over a hundred years, and though she knows it’s just a story, well, she didn’t want to take a chance.

Turn down those lights, and let’s read the tale of Old Mad Henry, and the woman he loved…

***Writer’s Note: We here at iHorror are big proponents of responsible parenting. Some of the stories in this series may be too much for your little ones. Please read ahead and decide if your kids can handle this story! If not, find another story for tonight or simply come back to see us tomorrow. In other words, don’t blame me for your kids nightmares!***

Old Mad Henry as related by Anonymous

Old Mad Henry lived all alone in a creepy run down mansion on the outskirts of town. People in town told all kinds of stories about Henry. Some said he practiced black magic, others said he ate human flesh, and still others said he could raise the dead. Regardless of what they believed, no one ever had much to do with Henry and he seemed to like it that way.

One day, a new family moved into town and their beautiful daughter Anna caught the eye of every man who saw her including, to the townspeople’s surprise, Old Man Henry.

He immediately began to shower the young woman with gifts. Nothing was too extravagant, but though she accepted the gifts of jewelry, fine clothing, and flowers that never seemed to fade, her heart belonged to another. His name was Elliot, and he had just returned from university. Not one week later, the two young people eloped.

Mad Henry was furious!

Upon returning from their elopement, Anna and Elliot threw a great party for everyone in town…everyone except Old Mad Henry, that is. They all gathered at the town’s great hall to celebrate young love.

It was while the two young newlyweds were dancing a waltz that the earth began to shake and the doors of the great hall rattled right from their hinges. A foul wind blew through the hall carrying with it the smell of death and decay, and suddenly Old Mad Henry stood in the center of the room, his eyes glowing red. He raised his hands and to the townspeople’s horror, an army of the dead began to file into the room, blocking every door and window.

Two of the foul dead approached the couple and with inhuman strength grabbed handsome Elliot and threw him at their master’s feet. Old Mad Henry produced a silver-bladed dagger from his coat and slit the boy’s throat with a look on his face that bordered upon boredom.

Anna screamed and begged Old Mad Henry, “I will not love you! Kill us both!”

But Old Mad Henry picked the girl up and threw her over his shoulder and swept her from the room as lightning flashed and thunder roared overhead. The dead followed them from the town hall after the old magician had time to escape into the night, leaving a maddened mob behind them.

The young couple’s parents led the search for young Anna, but they could find no trace of her, even when they stormed the mansion of Old Mad Henry. The building was empty and no trace could be found of the madman or his captive.

The search went on for days, but finally they accepted they would never find young Anna. Elliot was laid to rest in the local cemetery; the town’s great hall was torn down, and late one night a mysterious fire burned the former mansion of Old Mad Henry to the ground.

One year after the events of that fateful night, Anna’s parents were startled by a knock at the door late one evening. Upon answering, they found a seemingly old woman whose skin and hair was grey and whose body was shriveled. Anna’s father began to shut the door on the wraith-like woman when he noticed she carried the dagger that Old Mad Henry had used to kill Elliot the year before.

The dagger dripped blood on the doorstep as the man searched the face of the old woman. Suddenly, it struck him…this was Anna! He grabbed her up and carried her inside as her mother wept at the state of their only daughter.

It seemed the girl’s tongue had been removed so she could not tell them what had happened in the last year, but they inferred from her possession of that dagger that she had killed Old Mad Henry and escaped whatever hellish prison he’d held her in.

Anna died in her sleep that night. They say she had a peaceful smile upon her face when she was found the next morning.

No one has ever heard from Old Mad Henry since that day so long ago, but they say, at night when thunder and lightning break the sky, you can hear his enraged voice calling Anna’s name in the darkness…

I don’t know about you, but I’m sleeping with the lights on tonight! Thank you for joining us for this terrifying tale, and don’t forget to return tomorrow evening for another Scary Story!!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

12 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

13 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

^{Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott}

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

_{Great Movie Ride}

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

_{Alien Romulus}

^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

15 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.