I loved scary/creepy stories as a kid and sometimes Goosebumps were just a little too tame for me (except for that stupid ventriloquist dummy).
Like a junkie looking for bigger and better highs, I encountered Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Theoretically, these books are for kids but they were terrifying. The stories were mainly adapted urban legends and folklore and were beyond creepy, like the one about the scarecrow who comes to life and skins one of the farmers.
Some of the stories weren’t quite as frightening but to compensate, the book was filled with nightmare-inducing drawings just to ensure there wasn’t a single urine-free bed in the 90’s.
Go back to sleep.
In college, my roommate and I found a collector’s edition of all three volumes of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark at the bookstore. We immediately purchased it and ran home to relive our childhood and laugh at how easily scared we were as kids. However, we decided to abandon the book after a few stories and self-medicate with a Disney movie.
Much better.
If you feel like reliving your night terrors or laughing at student films, a lot of users on YouTube have created short films based on the tales in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Also, CBS Films acquired the rights to the series and is planning on turning it into a movie. The film is tentatively about a group of outcast kids who face their fears when their nightmares come to life, ensuring these stories scare the shit out of a whole new generation.
Emily Regan 
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