Strange Suspense Stories #1

In the chill of a winter night, housekeeper and furnace-tender Gisetto tends to the heating in a house haunted by whispers of two old ladies. When he discovers their lifeless forms, the warmth of the furnace becomes a fragile shield against a dread that seeps from the walls.

In "He Bartered His Head!", Aldous Forsythe finds himself entangled in a dark bargain when he acquires a mysterious figurine that brings him sudden wealth and fortune—though at a cost that grows more unbearable with each passing day. Written by an unknown hand and illustrated by an unknown artist, this chilling tale from Strange Suspense Stories #1 (1952) explores the price of greed in a story that lingers long after the final page.

In "High Wire!" from Strange Suspense Stories #1 (1952), the spotlight shines on acrobat Vincent Bora as he defies gravity and applause—until one silent stranger in the crowd unsettles him. The question lingers: is this man the ghost of the past he thought he’d left behind, or is the act itself a trap woven from guilt and illusion?