Best Horror Novels 2019 Novels & Stories

Instead, he replied with actual books I’ve read before in my first life that he firmly hated. “‘Darkness Within’ is my first recommendation. Absolutely amazing. ‘Death, are you real?’ is also good, as well as ‘The Next Morning’. Those three are my best picks.” I blinked several times, visibly surprised. Earlier events completely shoved to the side as this new discovery of Cassius Silverton reading thriller books had me utterly nonplussed.

POV: Hailey The drive home later that day was stuffy, terribly so, and the silence was heavy, really heavy, like a lead blanket thrown over us, we hadn't spoken anything since we left the café where Evans and Calix had that terrifying fight, and every minute felt like an hour, truly unending. I sat staring out the window, clutching the manila folder Calix had given me, the papers inside crinkling loudly, feeling the sharp points of the corners poking my chest, physical proof of the nightmare that was now my life.

And then— A child’s laughter echoed from inside. Small. Sweet. But ice-cold. Aarav’s blood turned to stone. “Who’s there?” he asked. No answer. Just that laughter again. And then— From the darkness behind the door, two faintly glowing eyes appeared. At the height of a child. But they weren’t human. Completely still. Completely cold. Like a painted image. Then— It stepped out. Aarav raised his flashlight. And what he saw became the greatest terror of his life.

He was lying near the fire pit. I thought he was sleeping at first. Then I noticed the way his arm was bent. Too stiff. I walked closer without meaning to. His eyes were open. They were staring at the sky. There was dark red on his shirt. I didn’t understand it immediately. Then my stomach flipped. Dead. He was dead. I stepped back quickly and my heel hit something. I almost fell. My scream came out before I could stop it. It was loud. It sounded like it belonged to someone else.

The sentence itself sounded normal, but something about the way she said it made the back of Winona’s neck prickle. Thankfully, the moment passed quickly as music resumed and the crowd relaxed again. “Definitely illegal,” Ava decided. Staff members began guiding guests toward elevators while handing out elegant black room cards with silver numbers engraved across them. Winona accepted hers automatically. Room 1313. “That feels... targeted,” she said. “You write horror novels,” Ava replied. “You're always paranoid.” Fair point. As they stepped toward the elevators, Winona caught sight of the dark-haired man again standing near one of the marble pillars. Unlike everyone else laughing and socia