Horror books and stories can be a hit or miss, especially if they are from the internet. One of the sources of horror books and stories is creepypasta, an online forum known for its horror stories. Penpal is one of the stories accessible there.
This tale, “Penpal,” was written on the Reddit forum r/nosleep and grew so popular that the author, Dathan Auerbach, had it published as a book. The story, which follows the narrator’s childhood as he is stalked by someone who found him through a school pen pal project, hence the story’s name. The stories are strung together via the narrator remembering things, such as the aforementioned pen pal project, where a student has to tie a postcard to a balloon, and set it free, the narrator waking up in the woods at night, not knowing how he got there, and his childhood cat, Boxes, going missing.
We also get to know his best friend, Josh. The two boys enjoy making boats, having sleepovers, and many other childhood activities. Other important characters include the narrator’s mother and Veronica, Josh’s sister, whom the narrator has a crush on.
When the narrator grows older, it’s mentioned that he and Josh grew apart; however, the narrator actually grows close to Josh’s sister. The two go out, and she reveals that Josh ran away, worrying the narrator, considering how he was closed off and cold, almost nervous, the last time he saw him.
While on a date, Veronica gets hit by a car, and later passes away in the hospital, unknown to the narrator, who kept getting texts from “Veronica” saying how she was OK.
Toward the end of the book, the narrator is an adult, and he visits his mother, whom he’s also grown apart from. She tells him the whole story, piecing together all those memories.
This explanation lets the narrator know what happened to Josh: that he was kidnapped and murdered by whoever was stalking the narrator, who is in shock. His thoughts revolved around how his mother had done a good job protecting him, and how sorry he was for Josh.
Few stories have made me actually nervous, but this one truly did. This story, best read around Halloween, brings a sense of creepy confusion and truly deserves more attention.
–Oct. 7, 2025–