Mystery Tales #1

In "The Dark Tunnel," an exterminator ventures into a pitch-black tunnel during a routine job, only to be captured by a colony of giant, telepathic cockroaches who’ve been waiting in the dark for humanity’s self-destruction. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, this eerie 1952 tale from *Mystery Tales #1* turns a simple pest control call into a chilling encounter with an ancient, patient enemy.

In "The Little Black Box!" from Mystery Tales #1 (1952), a man stumbles upon a mysterious black box that grants wishes—but only when he lies to it. As he tests its power, the box’s true horror begins to unfold, revealing a price far beyond imagination.

In "The End of the World," a skeptical man dismisses a carnival swami’s warning that the world will end at midnight—only to find the prophecy lingering in his mind as the hour approaches. As the clock begins to strike twelve, his focus wavers, and he doesn’t see the car that kills him.

In "The Stroke of 12," a desperate embalming assistant takes a deadly gamble, killing the undertaker who exploited him—only to face a chilling reckoning at midnight when the dead rise to claim what was stolen.