A reminder from the master storyteller Alexander Kuprin - sometimes, there are but a few steps between your own front door and unimaginable horror.

In the time of paranoia and religious fanaticism, one young woman's life falls into the hands of two very misguided men.

The superstition upon which this tale is founded is very general in the East. Among the Arabians, it appears to be common: it did not, however, extend itself to the Greeks until after the establishment of Christianity; and it has only assumed its present form since the division of the Latin and Greek churches. At which time, the idea becoming prevalent that a Latin body could not corrupt if buried in their territory, it gradually increased, and formed the subject of many wonderful stories,...

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is considered a very "real life" writer, his feet solidly on the ground at all times. The Black Monk is his foray into madness and mysticism to rival the likes of Dostoyevsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, and Kuprin.

A peasant's son leaves his family after being drafted into the army and returns far more different than anyone ever expected.

These two fascinating pieces about the Mistress of the Copper Mountain come from Pavel Patrovich Bazhov's much larger collection of stories collected over many years and based on the lore of the Ural Mountains.

The Queen of Spades is decidedly one of Pushkin's gloomier tales, which inspired several movie adaptations and a magnificent opera by Tchaikovsky. Its determined but misguided protagonist stakes his life on a very old secret that might or might not even exist - with dire consequences.

It is difficult to combine mysticism with humor, but Alexander Grin takes on the challenge and comes out with flying colors. For all its mystical and mythical references, An incident at the apartment of Madam Cerize, is quite a heartwarming story, giving all of us some hope that, sometimes, powers that be do care.

Best known for his poetry and historic novels in the style of Sir Walter Scott, Alexender Bestuzhev-Marlinsky takes a turn down a different path with A Terrible Prophecy and delivers classic spooky tale on the dangers of having one's wishes fulfilled to the letter.

One day, a courier who deems himself quite the romantic hero, decides to follow a beautiful stranger... only to be plunged into a nightmare vortex in space and time.

A spooky, chilling tale from Nikolai Leskov, based on a true incident.

The Engineering Castle is a real building that still exists. It remains one of the most sought-after landmarks in St. Petersburg, and it is steeped in legend, ghost stories, and lore every bit as much as Nikolai Leskov makes it sound.