Mystic #17

In "The Vampire," Teddy stumbles upon the corpse of a man slain by vampires, only to be silenced by his parents—whose sudden, unsettling behavior hints at a far darker truth. As they send him to his room, their quiet concern suggests they’re not just protecting him from the dark, but from their own secrets.

In "Hate!" from *Mystic* #17 (1953), Jo Crewe can’t stand the sight of his unkempt neighbor—so he flees to Sleepy Junction hoping for peace. But when he finds his new roommate is the very man he despises, his hatred spirals into violence, leading to a chilling twist where the roles reverse in the most unsettling way.

In "Behind Locked Doors," elite psychiatrist Denby takes on a troubled nobleman staying at his hotel, drawn in by the man’s melancholy and a strange red drink he sips nightly. When Denby offers hypnosis to help his friend overcome feelings of inadequacy, he begins to unlock something far more unsettling—revealing the man’s father was not just a legendary figure, but something far older, and the drink is no mere indulgence.

In the isolated village of Borgy, fear grips the townsfolk as a vampire targets the fattest men, leaving Emil next in line. A silent stranger with a violin case draws suspicion, his presence shadowing Emil’s every move—until the stranger finally corners him at home, driving a stake through his heart. The truth, however, is far from what anyone expected.