TriskadeCATphobia - a Friday the 13th special featuring 3 short cat tails... er, tales.
“When I first arrived, the spirits were no more than shadows and mist. As a kitten, I’d pounce and tumble on tendrils of fog. Madame was angry at first, but soon discovered that her visitors willingly accepted my mewling as the sounds of spirits from beyond the veil…”
Hello and welcome, dear listeners, to Haunted UK Fiction – a sister podcast to The Haunted UK which features original flash fiction, short stories, and novellas with paranormal themes. All stories you will hear were written by a collection of talented writers, authors, and storytellers, both independent and professional.
To celebrate Friday the 13th we’ve assembled a trilogy of stories featuring one of the world’s most fearsome and wonderous creatures… the domestic cat.
Our first story "All the Cats are Black" was written by one of the villagers from Willerby, a strange and mysterious little town whose eeriness even affects the feline population. We aren’t sure who, exactly, is behind these stories, or even whether they’re authored by one person, or many. We stumbled upon the Willerby website earlier this year and found a collection of stories about the town’s inhabitants. After agreeing to a number of bizarre conditions, to which we’ve been sworn to secrecy, we were given permission to share some of these stories
Then, The Medium’s Cat, a story sent in by Susan Ballinger, a history buff with a bent towards the unexplained and a head full of trivia, her subjects reflect her diverse interests. Semi-retired in St. Petersburg FL, Susan spends her free time focusing on nature photography and checking the darkest corners for the weird and wonderful. The which you are about to hear was originally published in the UK by Mslexia.
Last, a story by Melissa West which features a sweet old cat whose appearances may be deceiving. Melissa grew up in both French- and English- Canada before moving to the Midwest U.S. several years ago. Her passion for writing stories and composing music began in childhood, as did her love of all things spooky and supernatural. Bringing all these elements together to co-create the Haunted UK Fiction podcast has been an incredible adventure, and connecting with other writers and creatives has been an inspiration. She loves all creatures great and small, but holds onto the sneaking suspicion that all cats are murderous fiends below their lush velvety exterior.
Get comfortable, grab a little something to sip on, perhaps cuddle up under a blanket to help offset the chills coming your way…We truly hope you enjoy these frightening feline stories!
If you would like to hear more from the eerie town of Willerby, you can find 50 more stories on their website and follow them on Instagram and Bluesky
Website: www.welcometowillerby.com
IG: @willerbyvillage
Bluesky: @willerbyvillage.bsky.social
Susan Ballinger is currently working on a book about the history of investigating spirit mediums (like the Madame!) which has the working title: Life Among the Spirits
Bluesky: @PeculiarSusan.bsky.social
IG: @birdshot127 and @cemetery_plots
Email: ballingersj@gmail.com
Melissa West is currently working on a full-length story for the Haunted UK Fiction podcast. She is also planning a relaunch of The Skylark Bell podcast for late 2026.
Website: www.theskylarkbell.com
IG: @theskylarkbell
Email: theskylarkbell@gmail.com
If you have an original story that would send a chill down our spines, and you would like to submit it for review, simply send it in to hauntedukfiction@hotmail.com, that’s hauntedukfiction@hotmail.com
Until next time, stay safe, and take care.
Episode credits:
Stories written by: Willerby, Susan Ballinger, Melissa West
Narrated by: Steven Holloway
Script prepared by: Melissa West
Produced by: Pink Flamingo Home Studio
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/haunted-uk-fiction--6761767/support.
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