The Striding Place

Title: The Striding Place

Author: Gertrude Atherton

Narrator: Jonathan Dunne

Original Publication: 1896

Public Domain: Yes

Series Placement: Timeless Terrors No. 80

Description:

The Striding Place is one of Gertrude Atherton’s most unnerving and atmospheric tales — a precise exploration of obsession, fear, and the fragile line between rationality and superstition. The story follows two men traveling a lonely English road at night, where local legends and strange happenings test their beliefs and perceptions. When one dismisses superstition and the warnings of the landscape, a sudden, impossible event changes everything.

Central to the story is the eerie road itself, where Atherton’s attention to detail transforms the setting into a character — dark, menacing, and morally indifferent. The tension grows quietly, with dread arising from what is implied rather than shown, and the narrative moves toward a haunting, unforgettable climax.

Atherton’s restrained, elegant prose makes the horror subtle yet compelling, emphasizing psychological unease over overt spectacle. Narrated by Amazon-bestselling horror author Jonathan Dunne, this performance captures the story’s suspense, uncanny atmosphere, and slow-burning terror.

The Striding Place remains a timeless reminder that even familiar landscapes can conceal forces capable of sudden, unsettling, and irrevocable consequences.