Hello readers, and welcome back to 31 Scary Story Nights!  It’s October 7th!  We’re a whole week into the month of October. Tonight’s story hails from the the Emerald Isle.  It’s called Cry of the Banshee.

The banshee is one of the most recognizable, and possibly misunderstood, creatures from Irish lore.  The strange messengers of death come in every shape and size and can appear as everything from a beautiful young woman washing blood from clothes in a river to an aged Crone roaming the night.  When Death is due to arrive in an Irish home, the Banshee can be heard wailing somewhere nearby.

There are hundreds of stories of the banshee, and this is just one.  It’s time to turn down the lights, and read this terrifying tale of the Banshee.

***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!***

Cry of the Banshee as retold by Waylon Jordan

Caitlin and her sister Maeve had been playing in the fields all day.  They were especially close for sisters and could always be counted on to find mischief when left to their own devices.  Today, they were playing hide and seek as the sun was lowering in the sky.

Caitlin knew that Maeve was hiding in the tall grass and she had dropped to her knees to creep up behind her.  Maeve was only ten and Caitlin enjoyed taking whatever chance she had to scare he younger girl.

Out of the corner of her eye, Caitlin suddenly spied movement in the tall grass.  She raised up a bit to see what was there and froze when she spotted an old Crone in a black hooded cloak slowly creeping through the field at a distance.  It was then that she heard the faintest keening sound coming from the robed woman’s direction.

Caitlin’s heart was pounding.  Could it be the banshee?

She sat there unable to move as she focused on the old woman when she began to realize that the sound was slowly getting louder and the Crone seemed to be moving in the direction of her sister and herself.

Finding her feet and her voice all at once, Caitlin sprang up from the grass.

“Maeve!  Maeve, run home to mam!  The banshee’s coming this way, and she’s surely up to no good!”

Maeve didn’t stop to question, for she knew from her sister’s voice that she spoke the truth.  The younger sister took off like the crack of whip heading for home.

Caitlin wasn’t far behind her sister and she watched as the younger girl slipped through the barbed wire fence ahead.  Unable to help herself, Caitlin looked back over her shoulder and screamed as she saw the Crone moving more quickly behind her and realized that keening wail was louder than ever.

Finally reaching the fence herself, Caitlin jumped over as the wail became a scream to curdle the blood!  Caitlin felt a chill run down her spine as she felt a tug on the back of her dress.

She had gotten caught on the barbed wire and as she struggled to free herself a shadow suddenly loomed over her.  The crone stood there staring at her for a long moment.  Her white hair blew free in the wind and her gray skin seemed to crack along her face as her mouth opened to its fullest.  The banshee pointed toward Caitlin’s home and screamed so loud the girl was certain she’d never hear again!

Caitlin ripped free of the barbed wire and ran for home as fast as she could.  When the house came in sight, she saw the door open and waiting for her and she almost collapsed as she ran across the threshold and slammed the door behind her.

It was then that she saw a sight that would stay with her the rest of her life.  Maeve stood in the kitchen door with tears in her eyes, and just beyond her baby sister, their mother lay dead on the floor…

Now, that was a story to remember.  If you’re from a strong Irish family and hear a phantom keening wail in the night, prepare yourself, for death will surely follow the ululation of the Banshee!

Join us again tomorrow evening for another scary story, and if you missed last night’s story click here!