CRAWLING CANCER: E.F. Benson's Most Disturbing Ghost Story, “Caterpillars”

A guest at an Italian villa discovers luminous, crab-clawed caterpillars swarming an unoccupied bedroom where someone died of cancer a year before, and watches helplessly as the creatures crawl toward his fellow lodger's room in a prophetic nightmare that becomes horrifyingly real. Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/survey SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… “Caterpillars” by E.F. Benson: https://weirdfictionreview.com/2013/06/caterpillars/ =====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: May 02, 2024 EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/caterpillars ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. #ClassicHorror #GhostStories #EFBenson #Caterpillars #VintageHorror