Podcasts by Dark Softly Tales

Part Two—Spark Your Creative Fire: A Chat about Creative Inspiration and Perserverance from 2022-12-19T01:11

This is part two of Spark Your Creative Fire. Hopefully, it is helpful to those of you out there chomping at the bit to do something creative! Lots of love to everyone. Happy holidays! I hope to...

Spark Your Creative Fire: A Chat about Creative Inspiration and Perserverance (Part One) from 2022-12-14T01:11

I am still website building, but wanted to assure everyone I am still here and so is the podcast. I decided to take a break to share one of my current frustrations about website building and res...

Announcement! from 2022-10-14T01:11

Quick announcement!

The Ebony Horse, Part Fifteen ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-10-06T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Fourteen ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-10-03T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Thirteen ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-09-26T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Twelve ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-09-19T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Eleven ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-09-12T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Ten ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-09-08T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Nine ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-09-05T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Eight ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-08-29T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Seven ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-08-22T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Six ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-08-15T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Five ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-08-08T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Four ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-08-01T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Three ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-07-25T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part Two ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-07-18T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

The Ebony Horse, Part One ~ Arabian Nights, Summer Bites from 2022-07-15T01:11

Welcome to Dark Softly Tales: Arabian Nights~Summer Bites.

Our Summer Bites series centers around an unknown but dramatic and rather steampunk story called The Ebony Horse. The story featu...

Introduction to Arabian Nights Summer Bites 2022 from 2022-07-14T01:11

We kick off the 2022 Summer Bites with an introduction to Arabian Nights and the story I'll be narrating over the summer called The Ebony Horse.

Summer Bites are shorter episodes than our ...

Neverwas of Koppleburg Hill by Mav Skye from 2022-07-04T01:11

Following in the footsteps of the Pied Piper series, I wrote my own story based off a dream I had:

Neverwas is trapped in an abusive relationship with her mother. When she meets the Pied P...

The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning from 2022-06-27T01:11

Though written several hundred years after the event, Robert Browning's poem catches the eerie mystery of when 130 children were led away by a magician over Koppleburgh hill, never to be seen ag...

The Children of Hamelin by the Grimm Brothers from 2022-06-20T01:11

In the year 1284, a hundred and thirty children went missing from a small German town. This has been a historically documented event that actually happened. Tonight we will be straying from...

Reminder! from 2022-06-06T01:11

A quick reminder we are on break the next two weeks as I continue to put material together on the Pied Piper and for the Summer Bites series. I hope everyone has a great week! <3

The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (Part six) from 2022-05-30T01:11

This week brings us to the conclusion of Algernon Blackwood's The Wendigo where reality and the hauntingly fantastic meet at the tipping point of sanity...

I will be taking two weeks off b...

The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (Part five) from 2022-05-23T01:11

We continue on this week with part five of Algernon Blackwood's The Wendigo, where Simpson meets up with Hank and Dr. Cathcart. The two hunters struggle with Simpson’s story…trying to argue it a...

The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (Part Four) from 2022-05-16T01:11

Simpson performs an investigation to find clues to where the guide disappeared. He makes a startling revelation when he finds not one but two sets of footprints in the snow. One set is 18 feet l...

The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (Part Three) from 2022-05-09T01:11

Huddled in the tiny tent amongst the smothering trees, there are not two shadows, but three...two of human form and one very distinctly not human. Join Dark Softly Tales in Part Three of The Wen...

The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (Part Two) from 2022-05-02T01:11

Hunter and guide set out by themselves deep into the heart of the vast unknown. The beauty is unfathomable, yet impersonal. Still, late into the evening, the guide catches the scent of something...

The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (Part One) from 2022-04-25T01:11

In the the wilds of Canada, an ancient evil taunts a group of hunters, creating such madness that is sure to send goose bumps down your spine and cause you to double think going out into the woo...

We Do Not Play on Graves by Emily Dickinson and Other Dark Poems from 2022-04-18T01:11

Last week of our improv, short episodes with dark poetry by Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe. Next week we return to our regular program with The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood. Poems in Order:Si...

Rise Up by Rumi from 2022-04-11T01:11

This week is a lovely poem called Rise Up by Rumi. His wise words bear to witness that there is always a light within the dark. A reminder that Dark Softly Tales is creating shorter, unscripted, ep...

Do Not Love Half Lovers by Kahlil Gibran from 2022-04-04T01:11

This week we ponder the wonderful words of Kahlil Gibran in his poem"Do Not Love Half Lovers."The next few weeks will be slightly shorter episodes as I'm helping my son with his move to Montana. To...

Violet Visions by Mav Skye from 2022-03-28T01:11

Tonight’s poem called Violet Visions, is inspired by a passage I wrote in one of my books called Wanted Single Rose, and also by world events. It’s kind of a mashup of things. Find the illustrated ...

Part Two-Come Lady Death by Peter S Beagle from 2022-03-21T01:11

Death makes quite the entrance at Lady Neville's ball. To everyone's surprise, Death is young, beautiful and charming. So charming in fact, that Lady Neville and her guests request Death remain wit...

Come Lady Death by Peter S Beagle from 2022-03-14T01:11

Lady Neville has thrown the most wonderful parities that even the king himself has attended. Now in her old age, she wants to throw the grandest party of all…but she can’t think of who could be gra...

The April Witch by Ray Bradbury from 2022-03-07T01:11

A woodland fairy decides to enter the body of a young woman to discover what it feels like to be in love. Through the ups& downs of this experience, she considers giving up her magic to become...

Courage from 2022-02-27T01:11

In light of current events, I decided to pause the regular programing this week and make an impromptu episode discussing courage and freedom. I recorded this on Friday, Feb 25th. The two clips of s...

Lacerta by Mav Skye from 2022-02-21T01:11

A blind woman meets a mysterious man in the forest who is very coy about who he is. She bargains a potion from an old gypsy so she can finally see her lover. She does see her lover, but pays the ul...

Part Four—The Fisherman and His Soul by Oscar Wilde from 2022-02-14T01:11

The soul and the Fisherman lead us to a surprising conclusion and give us yet another piece of the human spirit to ponder on. This isn't the Valentine's episode I was planning on, but perhaps it's ...

Part Three—The Fisherman and His Soul by Oscar Wilde from 2022-02-07T01:11

The Fisherman's soul continues its journey to a wealthy city's wondrous bazaar and meets the rich young emperor. The soul makes demands that is too great and the young emperor meets an uncertain fa...

Part Two—The Fisherman and His Soul by Oscar Wilde from 2022-01-31T01:11

This week our story takes a turn as the fisherman's heartless soul takes a journey through many marvelous lands. It enters the temple of a priest and demands to see God or else... Join Dark Softly ...

The Fisherman and His Soul by Oscar Wilde from 2022-01-24T01:11

A fisherman hoping to score a few fish in his nets, catches a beautiful mermaid instead. In order to marry her, he must get rid of his soul. By asking how to get rid of his soul, many other questio...

Growing Pains from 2022-01-17T01:11

Hey Everyone! So I.... accidentally deleted this week's episode and couldn't retrieve the file. That means no story this week! Dark Softly Tales is growing which is a good thing, but also means gro...

The Frost Giant's Daughter by Robert E Howard from 2022-01-10T01:11

A frosty maid taunts a warrior after a long fought battle. He chases her to where her ice giant brothers are waiting... yes, this is a Conan the Barbarian story called The Frost Giant's Daughter by...

The Glamour of the Snow by Algernon Blackwood from 2021-12-20T01:11

There is no doubt that Nature is a seductress, luring souls through our senses and instincts. Blackwood takes this a step further, giving Nature a haunting and irresistible human form through The G...

Part Four—The Color out of Space by HP Lovecraft from 2021-12-13T01:11

We’ve reached the end, though Lovecraft implies this is only the beginning…Beware of the strange days, my friends, for what might seem to be bright and colorful can be a gray death in disguise. Joi...

Part three—The color out of Space by HP Lovecraft from 2021-11-29T01:11

The town finally investigates the deaths and disappearances at the Gardner farm. After Ammi tells his suspicion of the well, the men insist in drawing up the water, but what they find is…unmentiona...

Part Two—The Color out of Space by HP Lovecraft from 2021-11-22T01:11

Madness, silence, multi-chrome butterflies…all is not well on Nahum’s farm and the whole town knows it. Unwholesome colors have sprung upon the property where the meteorite hit. Come take a walk wi...

The Color out of Space by HP Lovecraft (Part One) from 2021-11-15T01:11

There is a place where the forest is dense, where water creeps from yawning darkness, where shadows are longer and leaner than they should be, to where the colors of the world are just a little…off...

Crypt Curiosity from 2021-11-08T01:11

In a small Texas town, a young woman takes her dog out for a walk after dinner. She discovers an elderly fellow riding in an electric chair toward the graveyard. Curious, she follows him. Later, sh...

The October Game by Ray Bradbury from 2021-10-30T01:11

It’s Halloween Night, Mich is throwing a ghastly party. All the neighbors will be there, and he has the perfect game planned down in the darkness of cellar… trick or treat.  Tonight’s story is...

The Screaming Skull—Part Three by F. Marion Crawford from 2021-10-25T01:11

Ready to solve the mystery? We come to the harrowing conclusion of The Screaming Skull. Halloween episode will be released a few days earlier. Enjoy! And I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween.

The Screaming Skull—Part Two by F. Marion Crawford from 2021-10-18T01:11

“Think of having boiling lead poured into your brain. Think of it. She was dead before she could scream.” Does that make you shiver? Me, too. Listen on to Part Two of F. Marion Crawford's The ...

The Screaming Skull by F. Marion Crawford from 2021-10-11T01:11

An old sea captain shares a tale of murder and revenge with a supernatural twist in The Screaming Skull by the fantastic F. Marion Crawford. This is the first part of three. Music: Air of Mystery b...

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe from 2021-10-04T01:11

We celebrate our 100th episode with a gothic classic from the “saintly days of yorn.” The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe is a chilling piece of literature that has captured imaginations for over 175 year...

Quickie! from 2021-09-27T01:11

A slight pause between our Summer Bites and autumn kick off. Next week, I'm excited to see you all again in our 100th episode: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.

Waste Land by Madison Julius Cawein from 2021-09-20T01:11

Welcome to the Waste land, a place where nothing survives except the grief of dreams. Fun little fact: Madison Julius Cawein's poem Waste Land was published in a journal that TS Eliot was reading a...

Nothing Gold Can Stay and other poems by Robert Frost from 2021-09-13T01:11

Silence is like a canvas for sound to glide across, and no one shows this better than Robert Frost’s dark, moody prose where wind calls to window flowers, dead leaves creep along the forest floor a...

The Truth of Intercourse by Robert Louis Stevenson from 2021-09-06T01:11

"The cruellest lies are often told in silence."Robert Louis Stevenson delivers an interesting viewpoint on silence, expression and speech. After our several weeks of reading through The Strange Cas...

Silence—A Fable by Edgar Allan Poe from 2021-08-30T01:11

They say the devil spins the best yarns. Edgar Allan Poe puts that theory to the test in his chilling short story, Silence—A Fable. Music: Something Darker by Spectacles Wallet and WatchWelcome to...

Stars in the Rifts, poems by Rudyard Kipling from 2021-08-23T01:11

Rudyard Kipling leads us into another form of silence within the bounds of the jungle where elephants run for their freedom and metamorphosis turns worms into butterflies in Episode 95: Stars in th...

Silence by Edgar Lee Masters from 2021-08-16T01:11

Listen in this week as Edgar Lee Masters explores the silence spaces between young and old, country and city, war and peace, man and woman and all the vastness between life and death. Music: Closer...

The City of the Dead by Kahlil Gibran from 2021-08-09T01:11

Silence, sorrow, struggle, shadows, what does it all mean? Where do we fit in? Let Dark Softly Tales take you on a journey through the quiet thoughts of the beautiful mind of Kahlil Gibran. Music:...

Apocalypse and other poems by Madison Julius Cawein from 2021-08-02T01:11

The greek root of the word Apocalypse means to reveal or uncover knowledge. Lets uncover the sound of silence through Madison Julius Cawein's stunning words of shadow and light. The five poems of h...

Dream within a Dream and other poems by Edgar Allan Poe from 2021-07-26T01:11

Let Dark Softly Tales guide you into Edgar Allan Poe's Dream-Land, where you'll discover silence inside a Dream within a Dream. Music by Inside Light Ray VortonWelcome to the Dark Softly Tales Sum...

The Hollow Men by TS Eliot from 2021-07-19T01:11

This week we take a walk in TS Eliot's dream kingdom under a twinkling of a fading star in The Hollow Men followed by Wait without Hope.Music: Take a Break by AG Music Welcome to the Dark Softly Ta...

What Does the Silence Sound Like to You? by Mav Skye from 2021-07-12T01:11

I turned a poem I wrote into a song called,"What Does the Silence Sound Like to You?"I hope you all enjoy it. ;-) Write and let me know at darksoftlytales@gmail.com. We'll be back next week with ...

The Sleeper Awakens ~ Intro to the Summer Bite Series from 2021-07-05T01:11

Our program diverges from the norm this week. I introduce the theme for the Summer Bite series and my experience with the silence within. Next week, we'll kick off the series with Mav Skye's creati...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Ten, Part Three from 2021-06-28T01:11

“There comes an end to all things; the most capacious measure is filled at last; and this brief condescension to my evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson sums up ...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Ten, Part Two from 2021-06-21T01:11

The end draws nigh as Jekyll struggles with the duality of his soul. He confesses with the most delightful phrases ~ “the animal within me licking the chops of memory.” Come take a listen as we co...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Ten, Part One from 2021-06-14T01:11

We’ve come to the part of the story where finally we get to hear Dr. Henry Jekyll’s full explanation of, well…what the hell is really going on:  “a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a ...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Nine from 2021-06-07T01:11

Utterson reads a letter from Jekyll addressed to Dr. Lanyon. It describes desperation from one friend to another, and lists very peculiar, specific instructions of what Dr. Lanyon is to do to save ...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Eight, Part Two from 2021-05-31T01:11

Utterson and Poole literally face the monster in the closet while also considering the themes of loyalty and honor. This week’s story is Part Two of The Last Night of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Eight, Part One from 2021-05-24T01:11

The story takes a Sherlock Holmes type spin as Utterson and Poole investigate Jekyll’s laboratory. Using handwriting and voice analysis, they make a shocking discovery that it has been hiding insid...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapters Five, Six and Seven from 2021-05-17T01:11

Wherein Utterson is given a shady letter, Dr. Lanyon falls mysteriously ill and they happen upon a Jekyll at his lowest. Today’s tale is Chapters 5,6& 7 of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lou...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapters Three and Four from 2021-05-10T01:11

Despite Jekyll’s convenient explanation, a murder witnessed by a housemaid makes an all too compelling case against Mr. Hyde. Today is Chapters 3 and 4 of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyd...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Chapter Two: Search for Mr. Hyde from 2021-05-03T01:11

Stumped by the mystery of Mr. Hyde, Utterson calls upon Dr. Lanyon to query more into their good friend’s mysterious and mischievous new friend. Unsatisfied, Utterson declares “If he be Mr. Hy...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde—Chapter One The Story of the Door from 2021-04-26T01:11

Mr. Utterson’s curiosity is peaked by a friend’s revealing tale of a black laboratory door and the cruel man who stepped out of it. We begin a longer journey today traveling through the trials of a...

The Sower from 2021-04-19T01:11

Stuck in an infinity loop of time, a woman sows seeds in the graveyard while the Reaper munches bones at her side. Can she ever break free of the dark? This week's story is called The Sower. Writt...

Iris from 2021-04-12T01:11

A blind man taps his cane down a forest path path on a cold, wintry morning. One might have the tendency to feel sorry for him....but don't let looks fool you—what he's looking for and what he want...

Bunnyman from 2021-04-05T01:11

Did you hear? There's a party at the Bunnyman Bridge on All Hallow’s Eve! An evil spirit inhabits a troubled teen. Together in a bunny suit, they recreate the past. Bunnyman was originally publishe...

Witch from 2021-03-29T01:11

Amy discovers her infant sister is a witch and her mother must be protected. Amy’s new best friend, Jules, knows just what to do with a witch. She even brought a butcher knife from home. Hmm…wonder...

Tap from 2021-03-22T01:11

Left alone in the house for the evening, a teen hears an uncomfortable tap on her bedroom window and footsteps in the kitchen. She uses her wit, urban legends and what she's learned from true crime...

The Discourager of Hesitancy from 2021-03-15T01:11

Riddle me this.... A young man requests to be married to one of the beautiful women of a semi-barbaric kingdom. The king grants his wish, only there is a clause: the young man must be blindfolded d...

The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank Stockton from 2021-03-08T01:11

In today’s episode we head back to semi-barbaric times, where a king has come up with an unusual system for determining guilt or innocence. All is well, until the princess’s lover is discovered and...

Options from 2021-03-01T01:11

Mercury poisoning in the drinking water—it has affected everybody—humans and animals alike. Those with natural immunity are given “options” by the government in the form of a federally funded suici...

Beyond the Door by Philip K Dick from 2021-02-22T01:11

Larry Thomas gives his wife a gift hoping for a little respect— respect he doesn’t dare give but demands to receive. He learns the hard way from a little cuckoo clock that has been wound one too ma...

Skin from 2021-02-15T01:11

The year is 2050. Humans wear metal sleeves and depend on mechanical organ replacements...science and logic drives society, but we discover there is still a touch of humanity of left in our tale to...

Asleep in Armageddon by Ray Bradbury (Part Two) from 2021-02-08T01:11

Leonard Sale determines to stay awake for six days—when the rescue ship arrives. But, six days is a long time, especially when there are hungry beings waiting to take his body over. Join us in Part...

Asleep in Armageddon by Ray Bradbury (Part One) from 2021-02-01T01:11

"Avoid Planetoid 787. Lush and sunny, with fine air and no dangerous beasts, it'll tempt you to curve in for some nice solid-ground sleep. DON'T!"—Planet Stories, 1948 This week we bring you part o...

In an Unmarked Place by Stephen J Golds from 2021-01-25T01:11

Guest author, Stephen J Golds, steeps our senses in the minds of psychopaths where anything can and will happen in"A Short Story."There's a time and place for all kinds of love in this world. We so...

Lucy Comes to Stay by Robert Bloch from 2021-01-18T01:11

A strange sequence of events lands Vi at the sanatorium. Her best friend, Lucy, visits her often and as a best friend will do, dishes out some rather juicy secrets about Vi's husband and his plan t...

Caterpillars by EF Benson from 2021-01-11T01:11

This week we discover that haunted houses and haunting dreams go together like a coffin in a grave. Our protagonist does well to trust his intuition, but his friend who takes a more logical approac...

Dead Sunset Red from 2021-01-04T01:11

It’s 2021, the time of the axe, the time when the blade hacks and hews at sinew and bone, at the moon and stars and the universe that lies between.  At Faraday Psychiatric Hospital, Cecilia ma...

Peace on Earth Is at War from 2020-12-28T01:11

A double zombie feature for the New Year! You’re welcome. ;-D  Weeping Stones is about the “ideal” all American family who demonstrate how to keep up with the Jones when it comes to outsiders ...

Buffalo Gal Won't You Come Out Tonight and Give Hell's Bells a Shake: A Noir Christmas Story from 2020-12-21T01:11

The North Pole isn't what it's made up to be, neither is Santa. Kidnapped and forced to be Santa's elf, Henrietta hatches up a plan that's much more naughty than nice. This story is extremely dark ...

Hollow Secrets from 2020-12-14T01:11

One lonely rest stop. Two sisters. Their secrets so grim, even the reaper would kill to know. Join me in dark story for the darkest nights of the year: Hollow Secrets Looking back through my notes,...

Strings from 2020-12-07T01:11

It started with a tap on the ceiling, then it grew a heartbeat and a pulse. The beast calls to Cassie nightly in a world beyond her own—the great abyss. Her husband, Brian, insists medication will ...

Burning Yesterday from 2020-11-30T01:11

Losing everything can be despairing, but sometimes there is a seed of hope. It’s hidden by shadows and we need to look harder to find it. This week’s story is Burning Yesterday. It placed second pl...

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Part Three) from 2020-11-23T01:11

Today is our conclusion of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper. I am once more experiencing technical difficulties, this time with the new mac update. Please hang in there with me while...

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Part Two) from 2020-11-16T01:11

Creeping crawling women in a caged attic... The 1800's produced horror that is just as chilling today as it was back then. Join me in part two of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper. To...

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Part One) from 2020-11-09T01:11

Jane is enthralled with the Victorian house and garden that she is to spend a few months resting at. Her husband John, the good doctor, has decided that Jane has a temporary nervous depression, or ...

And the Scarecrow's Name is.... from 2020-11-03T13:00

Congratulations, Nancy! Message me for your prize. Thank you to all the participants. I was surprised at how many names I received in my email. We will do another giveaway soon! Thanks for playing ...

Halloween Games from 2020-10-31T01:11

What's Halloween without Halloween games? Jackie invites her boyfriend over for a little game of guess that feel... He shows up as a clown, and we soon discover there is no clowning around for what...

Smashing Roxy — Halloween Story! from 2020-10-26T01:11

A goth punk witch goes on a killing spree on her favorite night of the year. When she comes across ghostly children whom she can’t catch, she follows them to a deserted house where she meets The Re...

The Bridge by Alec Cizak from 2020-10-19T01:11

A history teacher, trying to find a way to connect with his teen daughter, discovers a local urban legend on Reddit about a haunted bridge. He offers to take his daughter to this bridge to see if t...

Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe from 2020-10-12T01:11

This week’s tale is one of horror and madness. Edgar Allan Poe takes us deep inside the mind of a madman, who, even in the midst of a crime, cannot escape the prison bars of his own conscience. Thi...

98 Ways to Skin a Clown from 2020-10-05T01:11

This week's tale is the first chapter of my first audiobook! In this riveting tale, we find a young Thomas Slade choosing a dark path after being kidnapped and inducted into the Night Devils biker ...

Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl from 2020-09-28T01:11

Mary Maloney adores her husband and is utterly devoted to him. She is presented with a challenge after they have an uncomfortable conversation. However, Mary is creative and resourceful, and knows ...

Dross from 2020-09-21T01:11

This is a short gothic experimental piece that is metaphorical and intended for the reader/listener to feel. Regular Dark Softly Tales program resumes in two weeks! Fall is almost here. YAY. Dross...

The Next Step from 2020-09-14T01:11

They call to her every night, the monsters deep in the abyss over the edge of the wall. She must walk the fine balance between madness and reality. She is destined to fall to one side or the other,...

Art from 2020-09-07T01:11

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but when it comes to a woman scorned, sometimes pictures, paintings or words just aren’t enough. The ultimate must be given, delivered and sealed with ...

Pillow Talk from 2020-08-31T01:11

If sexy Henrietta asks you if you are afraid of the dark, it's already too late. Join me in Pillow Talk. This story won Spinetingler's Best Short Story on the Web award and originally publishe...

Simply Wicked from 2020-08-24T01:11

It was not an evil doll, definitely, absolutely not evil; it was simply wicked. Wicked is what wicked does. Jane finds this out the hard way.  Join me in this week's episode, Simply Wicked. Th...

Tainted Lady from 2020-08-17T01:11

This week we meet the Painted Lady at a sideshow carnival who decides enough is enough… or is it? Join me in Episode 41: Tainted Lady.  This story was originally published in Sideshow 2: Tales...

Painted Black from 2020-08-10T01:11

Long past midnight, a mysterious man drags a black bag through the forest...nothing creepy about that, right? Join me in our next story in the Dark Softly Tales Summer Bites series, Painted Black....

Scars from 2020-08-03T01:11

Every night, Lucy’s lover blindfolds her and leads her away to the cornfields, where she plays along with his games. One evening, the blindfold is removed and an unspeakable horror is revealed.&nbs...

Abel's Blood from 2020-07-27T01:11

A crooked moon hangs over the young woman frantically digging in the garden. A mysterious voice whispers,"Death is in the dirt."Far off in the distance, an infant cries... This week's story is a So...

Rabid Decisions from 2020-07-20T01:11

On her way to grandmother’s house, a young girl decides to stop and write in her diary. She has a big decision to make, but only seconds to make it. Of course, this story is entitled Decisions...

Free Mercury from 2020-07-13T01:11

Some think a Mantra can keep it from happening to them, others induce it into sick Halloween Games. It often bumps in the night casting shadows against the walls, hiding under your b...

Tea Time with Warthog from 2020-07-06T01:11

Everyday Raymond must have tea with Warthog to keep out of the insane asylum—but he's not the one who belongs in the crazy house. Join me in the more lighthearted flash, Tea Time with Warthog. Orig...

Sacrifice from 2020-06-29T01:11

Every night, Matilda’s ghostly body is hunted down and burnt by the townsfolk. One day, Matilda fights back, balancing the scale of justice. Will her soul finally be free? Join me in kicking off ou...

Heart for a Heart from 2020-06-22T01:12

She would give anything to win the king’s heart, even sell her soul to Olgana, the sea witch. When she comes across Merlin, will the old magician help her or send her on her way? Due to steering of...

True Tales to Tell in the Dark #3: What Does It Mean to Have a Soul? from 2020-06-22T01:11

What is a soul? How can one obtain one? And why does it matter? And how the heck does this apply to us in 2020? We steer off course this week on a subject that I've been studying for period of time...

The Little Mermaid—Part Three by Hans Christian Andersen from 2020-06-15T01:11

The little mermaid finds herself between a rock and hard place when she realizes that she and the prince are not on the same page. Her sisters give her a knife from the sea witch and present her a ...

The Little Mermaid—Part Two by Hans Christian Andersen from 2020-06-08T01:11

The Little Mermaid makes sacrifices when she forms a deal with the sea witch. One could say she literally risks it all. This week's episode asks many questions. What does it mean to truly live? Wha...

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen—Part One from 2020-06-01T01:11

Deep under the sea, there is a palace made of coral, amber and pearls. The Sea King has five daughters. When each turn fifteen, each princess is allowed to emerge from the water and observe life ou...

Buried Deep Down by EM Fitch—Part Two from 2020-05-25T01:11

Tommy is angry when he realizes the ringmaster is a charlatan only dealing in fakes and illusions, when his own treasure is as true and real as the moon. A problem presents when he realizes the mer...

Buried Deep Down by E.M Fitch—Part One from 2020-05-18T01:11

Word around town is a shark had bitten a kid's leg off. Tommy knows different. It wasn’t a shark. The creature was something fierce with long flowing hair, wide eyes and a little tail wrapped aroun...

True Tales to Tell in the Dark #2: The Lore of Mermaids from 2020-05-11T01:11

Truth or lore, one thing is for sure: mermaids have fascinated humans for centuries. Why do they capture our imaginations? What do they represent to us? Why does she call to us through stories and ...

Killing Angels—Part Two from 2020-04-27T01:11

Jeffrey does his best to cover his mother’s sins, and believes the world is safe once more. But he doesn’t understand that Marley is wolf. A wolf will do what a wolf does, they deceive, they hunt, ...

Killing Angels—Part One from 2020-04-20T01:11

Marley wore her shawl like the wolf wore the night. Cranberries red as blood stain her fingers. A demon bird whispers at her side as she watches the children from the window... Marley's made a deal...

Bloody Blue Scarf from 2020-04-13T01:11

It starts with a lovers’ quarrel on a dark deserted road. When the man in the bunny suit shows up with an axe, the night is young…and just getting started.  What's Easter without the Bunnyman?...

The Juniper Tree from 2020-04-06T01:11

Magic& horror blend into one of the scariest fairytales the Grimm brothers recorded. If murder, cannibalism, bones and ghosts don’t scare you, then I don’t know what will! Join me in The Junipe...

Hansel and Gretel from 2020-03-30T01:11

In dire times of famine, two children are led deep into the forest and are abandoned by their parents. The children are clever, but when they happen upon a house made of sweets and a little old lad...

True Tales to Tell in the Dark #1: The Great Famine of 1315 from 2020-03-23T01:11

Welcome to our first episode of True Tales to Tell in the Dark! Since we are still waiting on the stories to roll in from our listeners, I’m using this time to dive into true scary tales from histo...

Finding Peace in the Times of Coronavirus from 2020-03-18T01:11

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I felt called to go a tad freestyle and create this quick episode. I talk about what’s going on in world right now and how we center ourselves. ...

Pigeons from Hell—Part Four from 2020-03-16T01:11

Griswell suggests that only the damned can see zuvembies. He just might be onto something. And if he is, what does this mean for himself and Buckner? They return to the scene of the crime, determin...

Pigeons from Hell—Part Three from 2020-03-09T01:11

Buckner relates to Griswell the tragic story of the family and slaves who lived on the Blassenvilles Plantation.  In efforts to get to the root of the story, they decide to go visit an el...

Pigeons from Hell—Part Two from 2020-03-02T01:11

When Brackner, the local county sheriff, happens upon the plantation in the dead of night, he discovers a horrified Griswell screaming like a mad man in those dark, dark pines. Brackner has a macab...

Pigeons from Hell—Part One from 2020-02-24T01:11

Griswell and his friend Branner take refuge in an old plantation farmhouse off the main road. During the night, Griswell awakens to a shrill whistling from the staircase. Branner gets up to investi...

Gods, Guns and Serpent Tongues—Part Two from 2020-02-17T01:11

At the fountain of Hebe, four beasts sit around the sapphire obelisk of fresh streaming water—a baboon, a falcon, a jackal and an old man with the body of a cow. They await the young woman who is a...

Spindled Souls - Valentine's Special from 2020-02-14T01:11

Wallace and Anne are both scarecrows and lovers. They are forced to hang on poles and stare longing at each other season after season, until one day all scarecrows are brought to the castle for a m...

Gods, Guns and Serpent Tongues—Part One from 2020-02-10T01:11

She was an orphan in a world of two warring gods. He was protected by Horus. After the polar flip, they find themselves lost in a desert where colossal mole rats serve Ra during the day, and Horus’...

Layla and the Skull from 2020-02-03T01:11

A girl plunges into the deepest hell to rescue her brother. When she meets the Skull, they delve into a game Layla isn’t quite prepared for. Today's episode is called Layla and the Skull. Swing on ...

Dapper Cadaver from 2020-01-27T01:11

Joey is a Pre-Med student and desperate for money. When she finds an ad from the mysterious Doc Hollywood who offers a lot of money for a simple task, she finds herself digging up ancient bones in ...

Mantra—Part Two from 2020-01-21T01:11

The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out... are you feeling a little wiggle in your soul? In part two of Mantra... two ancient and vicious beasts collide in a strange and unreal state of primal inst...

Mantra—Part One from 2020-01-20T01:11

Mantra: One, two, three…
Nails and teeth go beneath.
 Hair and gums, unbecomes.Legs and fingers, let them linger.
 Heads and tails flip for sells.
What does this mean? Ask Rhiannon, she'll be happy...

Poison Lip Gloss—Part Four from 2020-01-16T01:11

The doll and scarecrow travel to the house upon the hill...where the little girl who had left the doll behind lives. All is not as it appears. Tonight is a night of magic...I'm sure you'll agree. I...

Poison Lip Gloss—Part Three from 2020-01-15T01:11

In Part three of Poison Lip Gloss, the doll sets out to complete the witch's new task and finds a kindred spirit in the fields. If you are just tuning in to the show, please go back to episode 4 to...

Poison Lip Gloss—Part Two from 2020-01-14T01:11

In Part Two of Poison Lip Gloss, the doll meets the troll under the bridge and finds herself breaking a dreadful curse, but in doing so has she condemned herself? If you are new to the show, please...

Poison Lip Gloss—Part One from 2020-01-13T01:11

A life-sized doll must complete the witch's three tasks before midnight if she wishes to become real, but when she accidentally kills the troll prince, the night takes on an unusual kind of macabre...

The China Doll—Part Three from 2020-01-08T01:11

In Part Three of The China Doll, Sabel awakes to her mother’s screams. When she rushes out of her bedroom, the first thing Sabel sees is blood...  Swing on over to amazon to find today's story...

The China Doll—Part Two from 2020-01-07T01:11

In Part Two of the China Doll, Sabel reads a letter from her father with specific instructions for the China Doll: 1. Put the China Doll away every night2.Do not make wishes around the China Doll S...

The China Doll—Part One from 2020-01-06T01:11

Sabel Gray has received a very special package from her daddy who is serving over seas in the Navy. She taps on the package wondering what it could be and is concerned when something inside taps ba...

A Dark Softly Introduction from 2019-12-30T09:00

Welcome to episode ZERO where I introduce myself and tell you a little about the podcast. Feel free to visit www.darksoftlytales.com where I hope to have submission guidelines up soon!The first thr...