S01 - EP16 - One Always Comes Back by Robert McDermott | A Scottish new year's folk-horror story
Haunted UK Fiction: Tales of the Supernatural, Paranormal, and UncannyShow Notes
Ancient customs and lore haunt visitors to a remote Scottish forest...
'This place gives me the creeps,’ said Ruth, ‘it’s too quiet. It doesn’t seem natural.’She was right of course, the location, time of year and warning from the night before gave the moment an uncanny quality. Ruth wasn’t given to strange notions but for a second, she couldn’t tell if what she was seeing was real or some very convincing simulation…
What begins as a simple visit to a secluded Scottish woodland soon unravels into something where local customs aren’t simple tradition, but something far deeper, and darker.This original paranormal horror story explores ancient folklore and isolated landscapes.
If you enjoy this story, continue your listening with: Fossils (a disturbing discovery where something ancient refuses to stay buried) Echoes in the Mist (a folklore-rich tale rooted in Scottish landscape and second sight) The Pale One at the Window (a slow-building, deeply unsettling presence that lingers just beyond reach)
About the Author Robert McDermott is an Irish author whose work spans literary fiction, crime, and the supernatural. His debut novel Jone$town (2019) was followed by the short story collection The Occulting Light (2022), and his recent novel The Fifth Shot explores the world of detective thrillers.His writing often blends atmosphere, psychology, and the uncanny, drawing readers into stories where something just beneath the surface begins to emerge. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertmcdermott73author/ Email: [email protected]
Submit your story: Have a paranormal or supernatural tale? Send it to: [email protected]
Credits: Story by Robert McDermott Narrated by Steven Holloway Script prepared by Melissa West Produced by Pink Flamingo Home Studio
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Enter the world of Haunted UK Fiction — a paranormal fiction podcast and sister show to the Haunted UK Podcast.We bring you original supernatural stories, ghost stories, and eerie fiction written by authors from the UK and around the world. From hauntings and poltergeists to strange creatures, folklore, and the unexplained, each episode features professionally narrated horror and paranormal fiction designed to unsettle, intrigue, and stay with you long after listening.If you enjoy atmospheric storytelling, dark fiction, and immersive audio experiences, Haunted UK Fiction is your home for weekly supernatural tales.
All links (listen, follow, support, submissions): https://linktr.ee/hauntedukfiction
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If you enjoy atmospheric storytelling, dark fiction, and immersive audio experiences, Haunted UK Fiction is your home for weekly supernatural tales.
All links (listen, follow, support, submissions): https://linktr.ee/hauntedukfiction
Contact: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Haunted UK Fiction: Tales of the Supernatural, Paranormal, and Uncanny
“The man fanned himself with this hat. This time a different odour caught in Lara’s nose, something sweet, but not exactly pleasant, like overripe fruit…” This is Haunted UK Fiction, original stories of the supernatural, the monstrous, and the unknown. Today’s story is The Same Dark Heart by Robert McDermott. If you’ve been listening to our show for some time, you’ll recognize Robert as the author of other brilliant stories like It Shows Up When It’s Needed, One Always Comes Back, and Sukie in the Graveyard. This particular story of Robert’s skews less toward nostalgia than his previous work, and more towards outright terror.
“Amidst the hundreds upon hundreds of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes that lay in that field, there sat one unique and peculiar, and rather large misshapen one. Creepily, it displayed all of Eugene’s exact same facial features, right down to his large set of slowly blinking, bloodshot eyes, bulbous, crooked nose, as well as his quivering, signature devious grin…”
“I persisted up those grimy stairs. I had to. For up on the thirteenth floor was Mr Barnes. The man who said he had a message for me; a message from my dead husband, Simon…”
“As I looked at this John Doe, I felt odd. Not scared, or creeped out, just… I don’t know… an unease? That might be the word… I had the oddest feeling, difficult to describe, a sort of apprehension. A bit like the feeling when you think you are being watched, but no one is there…”
“You’ve run out of time. But if you let me have your watch for just a moment, I can give you some back…”