Get Into the Halloween Mood With America House Spooky Podcast
Remember the time when you were a kid and you would sit by a campfire or at a sleepover with friends, telling each other scary creepy stories, maybe even dare each other to summon Bloody Mary… Well, we decided to bring all that spookiness back into your life with our newest podcast series — America House Spooky Podcast.
This is our special series of Halloween campfire stories to get you into a spooky mood. We have prepared some classic American urban legends and real-life ghost stories for you, all topped with fun, jokes and quite a few English learning tips. Sit back, relax and warm yourself by our virtual campfire!
Below you will find an audio track for each episode featuring different ghost stories and English vocabulary tips. We also included a short vocabulary list and text versions of each story that you can open and look through for easier understanding. And at the very end of the page you will find our special episode with a bunch real-life ghost stories. Boo!
Have a killer Halloween!
EPISODE 1: NO TRESPASSING
This episode’s story is entitled “No Trespassing” and read by Lucy Zoria. Keep listening if you dare!
You can read this story here.
Vocabulary list:
Trespassing (v.) — enter someone's land or property without permission.
Formidable (adj.) — inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable.
Creepy (adj.) — causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease.
Uneasy (adj.) — causing or feeling anxiety; troubled or uncomfortable.
Thumping (adj.) — pounding or throbbing in a heavy, continuous way.
Ninny (n.) — a foolish and weak person.
Mangle (v.) — destroy or severely damage by tearing or crushing.
EPISODE 2: THE LADY IN THE VEIL
This episode’s story is entitled “The Lady in the Veil” and read by Scott Whitmore.
You can read this story here.
Vocabulary list:
Glinting (v.) — give out or reflect small flashes of light; (of a person's eyes) shine with a particular emotion.
Infatuated (adj.) — possessed with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone.
Be in over one's head (phrase) — be involved in something that is beyond one's capacity to deal with.
Desiccated (adj.) — having had all moisture removed; dried out; lacking vitality or interest.
Specter (n.) — a ghost.
Withered (adj.) — (of a plant) dry and shrivelled; (of a part of the body) shrunken or wrinkled from age or disease.
Abomination (n.) — a thing that causes disgust or loathing.
EPISODE 3: JACK O'LANTERN
This episode’s story is entitled “Jack O'Lantern” and read by Walter Braunohler.
You can read this story here.
Vocabulary list:
Marshlands (n.) — land with a lot of wet, muddy areas.
Wretched (adj.) — (of a person) in a very unhappy or unfortunate state; of poor quality; very bad.
A chunk of molten fire (phrase) — rock, metal, or glass has been heated to a very high temperature and has become a hot thick liquid.
Jovially (adv.) — in a very friendly and pleasant way.
Menacing (adj.) — suggesting the presence of danger; threatening.
Loom out (phrase) — to be or become visible by piercing or penetrating some thick, blanketing thing, such as fog, shadow, mist, etc.
Petrified (adj.) — so frightened that one is unable to move; terrified.
Gaze (n.) — a steady intent look.
EPISODE 4: BLACK AGGIE
This episode’s story is entitled “Black Aggie” and read by Claire Manning.
You can read this story here.
Vocabulary list:
Eerie (adj.) — strange and frightening.
Obscuring (v.) — keep from being seen; conceal.
Sweep through (phrase) — to move, rush, or pass quickly through something or some place.
Fraternity (n.) — a male students' society in a university or college.
Initiation rites (n.) — acts or rituals that a person must perform in order to be officially recognized as having joined a group or organization or as having achieved a new status.
Ominously (adv.) — in a way that suggests that something bad is going to happen.
Chagrin (n.) — annoyance or distress at having failed or been humiliated.
EPISODE 5: THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
In this episode you’re about to hear a real-life ghost story told by Cynthia Nichols.
You can read this story here.
Vocabulary list:
Creak (v.) — (of an object or structure, typically a wooden one) make a harsh, high-pitched sound when being moved or when pressure or weight is applied.
Groan (v.) — make a deep inarticulate sound conveying pain, despair, pleasure, etc; (of an object) make a low creaking sound when pressure or weight is applied.
Jolt (n.) — an abrupt rough or violent movement.
Gasping for breath (v.) — to breathe quickly in a way that can be heard because you are having difficulty breathing.
Welts (n.) — a raised, red area of skin caused by being hit or by cuts healing.
SPECIAL EPISODE: REAL-LIFE GHOST STORIES
In this very special episode, our guests Tetyana Strelchenko, Scott Whitmore and Charles Blake will share a few super creepy stories from their lives. You’re in for a spooky, yet fun ride!