Showing results by author "AJ Merlin" in All Categories

At twelve years old, I killed my motherAnd found my father dead in the bathtub.I didnt mean to; at least, thats what I tell myself. Years of neglect, cruelty, and being told I wasnt really her daughter pushed something inside me past the point of return. When she stood over me with a shattered...

I'm careful not to show my face, so why do I feel like I'm being watched when the camera turns off? No one should know who I am or be able to find me, but they do—and things quickly spiral out of control. The two unhinged men who fill my cam chat with all the deplorable things they want to do to me are closer than I think. To them, I'm just a pretty little tease. Their obsession turns into something so much more than I bargained for. I should have run away when they found me because now it's too late for me to be anything except theirs.

They saved my life the same way a butcher saves meat—by deciding it's theirs. It was just supposed to be a road trip with new friends, heading to Dallas to see a concert for a band I barely listen to. But one night on a rural road somewhere in rural Texas, my reality crashes down and becomes...

Having been a camp counselor for the last three summers, I can handle most situations that come my way courtesy of rowdy children. This year shouldn't be any different, even with a new counselor who's everyone's type and too good to be true. But even so, Kayde Lane is nothing I can't deal with. Until I stumble upon him at night with an ax and sinister intentions towards the campers we're meant to protect.

Every town has a history. Ours is just a little darker than most. For years, I've celebrated Halloween and Hollow Bridge's history with everyone else who lives here. Parades, festivals, and insane Halloween parties have always been a staple for us. Some bad behavior is expected, given what we're celebrating. But murder has never been on the table before. Someone in Hollow Bridge wants to bring the stories to life, and they're not firing any warning shots. When rumors of someone wearing a Halloween mask surface, it isn't long before the first person is killed.

I should force myself to forget both of them exist, not crave for them to find me again. Yet as soon as my plane touches down in St. Augustine three days before the start of the spring semester, my sweetest nightmares are waiting for me, reminding me of all of the reasons I can't stop thinking about why I let myself fall prey to their affections in the first place..

Being an artist has its ups and downs, dealing with rejection, frustration, being visible and finding your voice.Join AJ Merlin, a Creative Mindset Coach and writer, as she shares practical mindset tips and visualisations so you can feel empowered in your creative career and live a life that feels right to you. This podcast is twice a month (on Tuesdays), and is for artists at any stage of their career who want to work on their mindset, wellbeing and self-development.

When I'm back at school for my last few weeks of college, I find normalcy for the first time in months. Despite getting comfortable, I can't give Rook and Oliver the answer they so clearly want, even if it's not the one they want to hear. They have to understand it's not that easy. Don't they? Following them across the country brings more than just new house problems and adjusting to their lifestyle. Issues from not so long ago come to light, and I realize I'm not as normal as I'd hoped to be, after killing my professor for what he did to me.

It was just a joke. Just a prank call. After surviving a miserable week with my family, I needed something to lift my spirits. My two best friends thought a late-night movie binge—one of those stupid, loud ones we used to have as teenagers—was the answer. Reluctantly, they talk me into...

There's nothing to be scared of. That's the brand I used to build my following. As a horror blogger and content creator, I made a name for myself by diving headfirst into haunted houses, cursed films, and urban legends—all without flinching. Fear? I don't even believe in it. But that was...

All it took was one time. One breakdown, and I ended up behind the locked doors of Bluebone Ridge Sanitarium. Something is wrong here. It whispers through the cracked windows, coils beneath the floorboards, and breathes in the frozen Washington air that never truly warms, even in the summer...

When a snowstorm hits days before Christmas and I'm the only one at the house, I'm quickly informed that I'll be spending Christmas alone, with only my dog for company. That's before things take a turn for the worse. I never would have come if I'd known they'd be here. Fletcher and Boone, my stepbrothers, were never the family I'd hoped for. They're the reason I ran away, the ghosts that haunt my sleep. I was promised they'd be too busy to come to the cabin this year, but someone broke that promise.