The Beyond #17

In the fog-wreathed isolation of Dread Isle, off Scotland’s jagged coast, a group of visitors finds themselves trapped by an ancient, unseen menace. Shifting forms of mist and shadow mimic their faces, crafting perfect doubles that turn friend against friend in a terrifying game of deception. As paranoia takes hold, the line between self and imposter blurs—leaving only dread in their wake.

In a chilling tale from *True Tales of the Supernatural #34*, a 1952 story drawn from *The Beyond #17*, a falconer’s obsession with the ancient art of falconry takes a deadly turn. When he trains his bird to attack a specific hat—its wearer doomed to die—the ritual of vengeance outlives its creator. Years later, in a moment of forgetfulness, the falconer himself dons the cursed hat, only to meet the same fate he once orchestrated.

In "I Walked at Midnight," two ancient vampires clash in a silent, moonlit cemetery, their centuries-old rivalry culminating in a brutal struggle for survival. As the last echoes of their fight fade, the stillness returns—peace restored, but at a cost only the dead can understand.

In "The Lyre of Doom," musician Emil Parkston's desperate bid for fame leads him to steal an ancient lyre from the museum, unaware it’s cursed by the satyrs of old Greece. As his playing brings sudden acclaim, the instrument begins to change him—body and mind—until his final performance becomes a transformation he cannot control.

In "The Tale of the Idol's Eye," a thief's greed leads him to steal a radiant ruby from a blind beggar—only to be struck blind by its unearthly glow. When the beggar reclaim the gem, the thief’s sight is restored, leaving the true nature of the idol’s power shrouded in mystery.

In "Treasure of the Dead," Ralph Sandon inherits more than just his father’s dying words—he inherits a debt to the dead. Bound by a promise made on a deathbed, he returns the stolen pirate gold, only to awaken a vengeful past that haunts both him and his wife, Phyllis. As ghostly pirates rise from the sea, their fate becomes a grim test of loyalty and sacrifice.