Ripley's Believe It or Not! #85

In "The Dead Hand," a greedy lawyer’s ambition leads him to forge a dying man’s will, only to be tormented by the ghostly hand of his victim—reaching from beyond the grave. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, this chilling 1979 horror-suspense tale unfolds with a creeping dread that lingers long after the final page.

In "Phantoms in the Mirror," Professor Jenkins visits an aging poet and stumbles upon a haunting vision in a dusty mirror: a long-forgotten moment when young Keating accidentally caused the death of his sweetheart’s husband, a tragedy that shattered their love. The poet quietly confirms that this painful memory, buried for decades, is the true heart of his most famous verses.

In the eerie stillness of the Irish coast, Fred Holmes stumbles upon a chilling sight: a ghostly horse plunging over a cliff, followed moments later by a spectral man. The innkeeper’s grim tale reveals the truth behind the apparitions—Michael Langley and his prized stallion vanished years ago, their fate now echoing in the haunting visions Holmes has begun to witness.

In the jungles of Burma, skeptical archaeologist Tyler dismisses local legends—until an earthquake brings him face to face with the Guardian Spirit, an ancient old woman who warns him to leave the dig. Her eerie presence and cryptic plea unsettle him, but her words linger long after she vanishes into the dust.