The Hook
| Category: | Ghost Stories |
|---|---|
| Notes: | A classic "urban legend" style story rather than a supernatural one - the scare comes from the idea that something real and dangerous was right there the whole time. Play up the radio announcement and the drive home in tense silence, then let the last line land quietly instead of shouting it. |
A teenage couple decided to park for a while out on a quiet road at the edge of town, the kind of spot everyone's older brother or sister always talked about. They turned on the car radio for some music while they talked.
Partway through the evening, the music stopped, and an announcer broke in with a news bulletin. A dangerous man had escaped from the state hospital that afternoon - convicted of terrible crimes years before, and easy to identify because his right hand had been replaced with a sharp metal hook. Police were warning everyone in the area to stay inside and lock their doors.
The girl got nervous right away and asked to go home. The boy laughed it off - what were the odds that an escaped man would come all the way out to this exact spot, on this exact night? But she insisted, and finally, a little annoyed, he started the car and pulled back onto the road.
He drove faster than usual, still a little irritated that their evening had been cut short over a silly radio story. When they finally pulled up in front of the girl's house, he got out, walked around to her side like a gentleman always does, and opened her door for her.
And there, hanging from the door handle, was a hook.