The Paranormal Digest for Dec 27, 2025

Axe murders, werewolves, online puzzles, and more

Well, we have reached the final digest for 2025, but fear not, it will be back and churning out the spooky in the New Year. This week, I am also adding something new to the regular features. While I love writing this stuff, fiction is really my main thing. With that in mind, I will be adding a weekly drabble (100-word story) into the mix. I hope it’s something you will all enjoy. We do have a bit of a theme this week, which I hope will be a howling good time for all, so let’s get to it.

Haunted Location - Lizzie Borden House

Even if you are not a big fan of all things spooky, you will almost certainly have heard of Lizzie Borden and her work with an axe. The entire Borden family was hacked to death in the house, located in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892, and while Lizzie was tried for the murders, she was eventually acquitted. Nowadays, the home is used as a museum and bed & breakfast. It seems nice enough, but reports suggest that there are permanent ghostly residents hanging out with the frequent guests.

Urban Legend - The Highgate Vampire

This story started to take shape in the 1960’s, with reports of bodies rising from the graves and people being grabbed by cold hands after falling asleep in Highgate Cemetery. Why anyone would consider taking a late-night nap in a cemetery is beyond me. The story soon evolved into sighting of a dapper man in a top hat who would simply vanish after being spotted. It wasn’t long before that figure became part of vampire lore. It was the media who created all the hype at the time, making this story a little hard to believe, as well as one that is far removed from the more interesting early reports of the supernatural.

Creepy Cryptid - The Beast of Bray Road

The first sighting of this wolflike creature in Elkhorn, Wisconsin came all the way back in 1936. A local farmer reported seeing a 7-foot tall wolfman digging by a burial mound, perhaps in search of a late-night snack. Reports continued to drift in over the years, but things really took off in the 90s when the media sensationalized the whole story. A reporter named Linda Godfrey was sent to look into the story and eventually wrote an entire book related to the Beast of Bray Road.

Video of the Week - The Last Werewolf Sighting

The good folks at the Cambrian Chronicles have put together a really interesting video about werewolves that is a must watch. They cram a lot of information into the 25-minute video. If you do head over there, please be sure to like the video and subscribe to their channel. We need more of this type of quality content. You may need to go directly to YouTube to watch this one.

Horror Book of the Week - Bishop by Candace Nola

To be totally honest, I have been looking for a reason to mention this author since I started this whole project. Candace is not only one of the most talented indie horror authors out there, but she is also easily the most supportive. Bishop is the perfect book to bring into the werewolf theme this week. If you grab this amazing book, be sure to also get your hands on the sequel, which is another banger.

Deadly Drabble - Full Moon

I awake in pain, feeling as though I have been beaten, although I remember no such event. My body bears inexplicable marks; scratches and bruises that I cannot account for, not to mention patches of dried blood.

I try to remember the events of the previous night, but it’s like looking at a jigsaw puzzle with many missing pieces. I remember drinking with friends, but the memories skip and jump, the laughter and merriment interspersed with growls and screams for mercy.

In all of these memories, I see something bright overhead. The beautiful full moon.

Random Weirdness - Cicada 3301

From 2012-2014, a series of cryptic puzzles appeared online, suggesting that the poster, username 3301, was looking for “highly intelligent people. The purpose of the search was never revealed, but people flocked to the puzzles, which included the cicada emblem, in hopes of solving them. As quickly as they appeared, they were gone. There have been subsequent puzzles since the last one in 2014, but they have all been copycat versions of the originals.

That is all I have for this one, my friends. I hope you all have a Happy New Year, and I hope to see you all again in 2026.