It’s been a week since my first blog post in this series, and breaking news—I still love Halloween, and I am still motivated to help high school ELA teachers keep things fresh and freaky in the classroom during the season. In my previous post, I featured four lesser known stories: “The Thing in the Cellar” by David H. Keller, “The Nightmare Road” by Florence Crow, “Pickman’s Model” by H.P. Lovecraft, and “Berenice” by Edgar Allan Poe. This week, four more obscure tales are featured. You may download each story in PDF format for free by clicking the title of each.

1. "It Walks by Night" by Henry Kuttner

Henry Kuttner’s “It Walks by Night” is a piece of psychological horror in which a widower visits a cemetery to defend his wife's corpse from "a horror that walks by night," only to face a horror he never could have imagined. The narrative's sinister atmosphere and intensity of emotion make "It Walks by Night" a compelling addition to a scary short story unit. It pairs especially well with works of fiction like "The Beast in the Cave" by H.P. Lovecraft and "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe.

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This Halloween (or any time of year), incorporate supernatural and psychological horror into the high school English classroom with this editable, plot-based quiz on Henry Kuttner's ghostly short story "It Walks by Night."

2. "The Witch's Cat" by Manly Wade Wellman

"The Witch's Cat" by Manly Wade Wellman (penned under the pseudonym Gans T. Field) is a horror story centering on a mysterious black cat, supernatural folklore, and the unsettling presence of suspected witchcraft in a rural setting. These traditional horror elements align well with the themes and tone of Halloween, creating a tense and seasonally relevant reading experience. This piece of fiction pairs nicely with classic works like "The Cats of Ulthar" by H.P. Lovecraft and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe.

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This Halloween (or any time of the year), bring suspense and seasonal flair to the high school English classroom with this editable, plot-based quiz on Manly Wade Wellman's short story "The Witch's Cat," penned under the pseudonym Gans T. Field.

3. "A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain

In "A Ghost Story," Mark Twain uses satire to poke fun at superstitiousness and gullibility. The story involves a narrator who takes residence in a run-down building and begins to have paranormal experiences. Initially frightened, he comes to conclude that his supernatural visitor is harmless, due in part to its amusing clumsiness. By the end of the tale, the ghost experiences an embarrassing epiphany about the body it used to inhabit.

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Mark Twain's tale "A Ghost Story," which uses satire to poke fun at superstitiousness and gullibility. Ideal for high school English Language Arts classrooms, this assessment is especially fitting for the Halloween season with its supernatural elements and playful incorporation of irony.

4. “The Evil Doll” by Hannes Bok

In “The Evil Doll,” a woman becomes the subject of an artist's vengeful witchcraft and struggles to overcome the dire complications that ensue. The narrative's chilling mood and emotional intensity make "The Evil Doll" an intriguing addition to a scary short story unit for high school and draws comparisons to other works of psychological horror like "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs and "The Hound" by H.P. Lovecraft.

Four Obscure Short Stories for Halloween (Part 2)

1. "It Walks by Night" by Henry Kuttner

2. "The Witch's Cat" by Manly Wade Wellman

3. "A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain

4. “The Evil Doll” by Hannes Bok

Inquiring Mind of the English Teacher Kind