Over the centuries, all sorts of methods have been used to govern people. And while some have been just and humane — such as most modern legal systems — others have been more unusual. Social fear, religious tyranny, and military might. However, few examples stand out as much as the events that took place over a century ago on a small island off the coast of Chile.

Humans have been obsessed with escaping the grasp of death for thousands of years. It’s impossible, of course, but we dream of it nonetheless. Which makes the events in a small Caribbean village all the more horrifying.

Safety is a basic human need, and we build a lot of our life around achieving it. This is nothing new, really; humans have always sought safety in a dangerous world. And because of that, it’s those moments when safety is shattered that haunt us the most.

Stories leave a mark on us. They can act like scars or decoration, always there, always reminding us of things that happened. But in some cases, those stories leave behind literal, physical marks. Or do they?

Thanks to the writings of Stephen King, the state of Maine has become known as a place of fictional horror and tragedy. But it's at the real-life intersection of Maine's harsh winters and deadly coastline that we find the most tragic stories of all. Stories that no one would want to experience for themselves.

When two boys discovered a macabre surprise while playing in a Connecticut gravel pit, they uncovered more than a piece of the past. Their discovery echoes stories that are much older, stories with roots that reach far deeper than anyone might imagine.

We spend every waking moment surrounded by people. People who talk to us, who interact with us, and who are very much alive an breathing. Which is why it’s that much more shocking when we stumble upon those who aren’t. And it’s more common than you’d think.

Maybe it’s human pride, or maybe it’s a tendency toward superstition, but humans are very good at making excuses. When things don’t go our way or when something breaks, there always seems to be a reason for it. And apparently, those excuses have occasionally walked among us.

Folklore can change and evolve over time. But when we uncover the roots of these stories, we often find that the real events at their core are the darkest version of all.

Folklore has often developed as a response to real-world events, but the opposite has also been true. History has, upon occasion, unintentionally confirmed ancient tales. And nowhere is this more evident, or more bloody, than in the tale of one particular 16th-Century countess.

Popular culture is obsessed with the idea of a lost humanity. Countless films, novels, and television shows all ask the same question: what would happen if only a few of us were left? Unfortunately, the answer was discovered a century ago off the coast of Mexico.

The cities and buildings where tragedy has concentrated over the years always seem to hold stories. Stories of loss, of pain, and of things that refuse to move on. That quality, though, isn’t unique to places on land.

For as crowded as this world has become, most people feel isolated and alone. Perhaps that’s why so many of us believe that there’s another world, just beyond the veil. But when that veil is tampered with and pulled aside, it’s hard to say what might emerge.

Humans have always wandered off into unexplored territory. It’s a key part of our identity to leave safety behind in pursuit of adventure. Those journeys, though, don’t always end in success. In fact, sometimes they end in horrible tragedy.

For as long as humans have lived together in community, there has been the need for crimes and disputes to be settled by some form of court. Many of those trials have been fair, while others have been unjust. Some, though, have been downright weird.

The older the city, the more stories there seem to be. Some places are home to tragedy, while others have played host to disaster or war. Few cities have it all, though, and judging by the pain those stories often reveal, that might be a good thing.

We’ve been taught since childhood to be honest, because our actions have consequences and our words can hurt people. But the events that took place in a Scottish village over three hundred years ago took that lesson to a darker level.

Most of our fears can be blamed on a deeper, more instinctive anxiety: we hate losing control. And no place on earth represents that sensation more viscerally than prison. Contrary to popular belief, though, not all prisons have been created equal.

Throughout history, certain individuals have managed to rise to the challenge in the face of difficulty. But in 1827, that attitude was taken to a new—and horrific—level.

Civilization was transformed the moment we discovered it. We’ve built it into our religions and use it to advance our technology. Whether we take it for granted or not, there’s a darker side to this tool, and if we’re not careful, we might get burned.

We say it all the time. It’s a phrase we hang our hopes on. It represents our wants and desires. But “a dream come true” has an older, darker side as well. Darker, and a lot more creepy.

For almost as long as there have been stories of supernatural beings, there have been tales of those who hunt them. From ancient traditions to Hollywood blockbusters, these characters have filled our imaginations. But in 1969, those ideas became real.

Our world is full of mysterious sightings, but most of them can be explained away with cold logic and common sense. When multiple reports flood in, though, the unbelievable can sometimes become undeniable.

Tragedy is never something we plan for. It sneaks up on us like a bandit in the night, and takes away our sense of security and purpose. But throughout history, there have been places so plagued by tragedy that those who live near them consider these locations to be cursed.

It’s often said that our real identity is the person we are in private, away from the public eye. Over two centuries ago, however, one person gave life to that idea, and in the process, gave birth to an entirely new thing to fear.

The Spiritualist movement placed a large focus on reaching beyond the veil, which made us the outsiders pressing into a foreign realm. In the late 1800’s, however, that realm pressed back, and what a wonder it turned out to be.