By the Light of My Skull

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Before I could prevent myself, I jerked up the flashlight beam. What did I see? Not much for long, but far too much. The hands belonged to a shape occupying a solitary dilapidated chair, its substance seemingly derived from the surrounding grime. A soft, insidious sound hinted at the restlessness of this figure, and I had the dreadful thought that it might be trying to breathe. I glimpsed a face—eyes as black and unstable as its lopsided bulk, nostrils dilating, lips sagging into a grimace before struggling to form another expression or speak—before the figure collapsed. This collection features Ramsey Campbell’s recent tales of supernatural horror and psychological disintegration, uncovering disquiet in familiar settings. A Bingo game hides a dark secret, while car number plates convey monstrous messages. A headphone commentary leads a visitor into terror, and remnants of a funfair awaken worse horrors. A modern retelling of a fairy tale is both grim and Grimm, and a beach search brings an unwelcome helper. Childhood memories stir nightmares, and the influence of the first great horror film refuses to fade. Even a Beatles tour contains madness, while brass rubbing stirs spectral forces. Halloween is marked by an apparition, and a bird hide conceals a sinister watcher. The dead letter office communicates with the restless dead, and the passwords we rely on become a source of panic. The collection is illustrated by award-winn