The Bonfire Circle

TheBonfireCircle

The Bonfire Circle — terrifying scary stories, told as they were told to us. Each episode, Ash shares 2–3 spine-chilling accounts gathered around one theme — the deep ocean, truckers, first responders, national parks, and places best avoided after dark. New episodes daily. Stories are shared as accounts of real experiences, but they are unverified. Listener discretion is advised.

  1. 1d ago

    VETERANS DAY SPECIAL: Scariest Veterans War Stories | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 18

    Tonight the Bonfire Circle marks Veterans Day with two stories told by the veterans who say they lived them. In Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, an Army radio operator on night watch hears a calm voice on a secure net, using a callsign that was retired when its owner was killed three months earlier. Outside Ramadi, Iraq, a Marine squad leader's night patrol is followed home by a barefoot figure that leaves no heat on thermal, and that is closer every time his men look away. Told with respect for everyone who served, by Ash around the bonfire. 0:00 Intro2:10 The Voice on a Dead Callsign (Kandahar Province, Afghanistan)30:23 The Patrol That Was Followed Back (Ramadi, Iraq)58:19 Closing The Voice on a Dead Callsign — Daniel Reyes, 34, former Army radio operator, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, 2011. The voice knows the patrol timings, the private jokes, and the one secret Daniel never told anyone about the night Sergeant Cole died. When the net is ordered silent and every frequency is changed, the voice is already waiting on the new one. The Patrol That Was Followed Back — Thomas Ward, 38, former Marine squad leader, outside Ramadi, Iraq, 2006. It follows at a fixed distance for hours, mimics their signals, and leaves barefoot prints pressed over their own boot prints. At the gate the headcount is right. In the courtyard, it is one too many. The accounts in this episode were told to us by the people who say they lived them. We cannot prove they happened, and we cannot verify the facts. We only know that to the people who lived through them, they are entirely real. More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer

  2. 2d ago

    Scariest Rideshare Stories | Rideshare: He Knew My Address | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 17

    Tonight the Bonfire Circle rides in the back seat. Two rideshare drivers working the night hours — the hours that pay best — each unlock their doors for a stranger the app chose for them. Outside Columbus, Ohio, a polite passenger begins, ride by ride, to tell a driver things about his own family that no passenger should ever have known. Outside Portland, Oregon, a driver picks up a couple at closing time — and for the whole ride, her rearview mirror insists there are three people sitting behind her. Told by Ash around the bonfire.0:00 Intro2:24 The Passenger Who Knew My Address (Columbus, Ohio)28:33 The Third Person in the Back Seat (Portland, Oregon)54:41 ClosingThe Passenger Who Knew My Address — Marcus, 36, drives nights after his warehouse shift to keep the mortgage paid and his daughter's care covered. The quiet man in the dark coat knows his street on the first ride, his wife's name and schedule on the second — and on the last ride, he gives Marcus directions to Marcus's own house.The Third Person in the Back Seat — Denise, 41, has driven weekend nights for three years and checks her mirrors out of habit. The app said two riders. The mirror showed three. And when the ride was over, the trip record agreed with the mirror.The accounts in this episode were told to us by the people who say they lived them. We cannot prove they happened, and we cannot verify the facts. We only know that to the people who lived through them, they are entirely real.More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer

  3. 3d ago

    Scariest Night Clerk Stories | Night Clerks: Alone at 3 A.M. | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 16

    If you are looking for scary stories to fall asleep to, settle in — tonight the Bonfire Circle spends the night shift behind the counter. Two overnight clerks, each alone in a bright little store on a dark road. Outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, a man begins coming in at three in the morning, paying for one coffee in exact change, coin by coin, and asking questions no customer should ask. On a desert highway outside Reno, Nevada, a friendly stranger in a reflective vest offers to keep a clerk safe — and knows things he should never have known. Told by Ash around the bonfire. 0:00 Intro2:20 The Man Who Paid in Exact Change (outside Tulsa, Oklahoma)30:15 She Locked Herself in the Cooler (outside Reno, Nevada)55:29 Closing The Man Who Paid in Exact Change — Danny, 23, works nights to pay down his mother's hospital bill. The man who counts out exact change knows the store better every night — and on the last night, he is already inside.She Locked Herself in the Cooler — Marisol, 31, works the desert night differential for her son's asthma medicine. A silent pickup, calls that track her steps, and a helpful man in a vest. The safest person on the highway is the one she should fear. The accounts in this episode were told to us by the people who say they lived them. We cannot prove they happened, and we cannot verify the facts. We only know that to the people who lived through them, they are entirely real. More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer

  4. 4d ago

    Unsolved: The Night They Vanished | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 15

    Unsolved night at the Bonfire Circle — our first Unsolved episode: two real, documented cases that were never solved, and where what is NOT explained is the most frightening part. In Fayetteville, West Virginia, on Christmas night 1945, the Sodder family home burned for less than an hour — and no remains of five of their children were ever found in the ashes. Twenty-three years later, a photograph arrived in the mail. In the Northern Urals in 1959, nine experienced hikers cut their tent open from the inside and walked out into a lethal night — and not one of them came back. Told by Ash from the documented record; where the record disagrees with itself, we say so, and every theory is labeled a theory. 0:00 Intro 2:21 The Children Who Left No Ashes (Fayetteville, West Virginia) 31:13 The Tent That Was Cut Open From Inside (Kholat Syakhl, Northern Urals) 61:53 Closing The Sodder children — Maurice, Martha Lee, Louis, Jennie Irene and Betty Sodder, missing since Christmas night 1945. A fire, a missing ladder, a cut phone line, no remains, and a photograph that arrived in 1968. The Dyatlov Pass incident — nine hikers, February 1–2, 1959. A tent cut from the inside, footprints walking calmly away, injuries no one has fully explained, and an official file closed on an "overwhelming force." This episode covers real documented unsolved cases, researched from the case record and told with respect for the victims and their families. Unlike our encounter episodes, nothing here is presented as unverified: these events are a matter of public record — what remains open is what happened. More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer

  5. 5d ago

    True Crime: He Was Already Inside the House | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 14

    True crime night at the Bonfire Circle: two real, documented cases with the same terrifying heart — a home asleep, a door that was not locked, and a killer already inside. In Holcomb, Kansas in 1959, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock drove more than 400 miles chasing a safe full of money that never existed, and the Clutter family paid for that rumor with their lives. In Tallahassee, Florida in 1978, an escaped Ted Bundy came through the Chi Omega sorority house's faulty rear door and attacked four women in less than fifteen silent minutes — then attacked a fifth woman eight blocks away within the hour. Told by Ash from the documented record; where the record disagrees with itself, we say so.0:00 Intro2:06 The Clutter Family: The Farmhouse in Holcomb (Holcomb, Kansas)30:09 Chi Omega: The Night He Came Through the Rear Door (Tallahassee, Florida)58:47 ClosingThe Clutter family murders — Herb, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon Clutter, November 15, 1959. A robbery built on a prison rumor, an unlocked door, and less than fifty dollars taken.The Chi Omega murders — Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy killed; Kathy Kleiner, Karen Chandler and Cheryl Thomas survived, January 15, 1978. A faulty lock, a witness who saw him leave, and the bite-mark evidence that helped convict him.This episode covers real documented cases, researched from the case record and told with respect for the victims and their families. Unlike our encounter episodes, nothing here is presented as unverified: these events are a matter of public record.More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer

  6. 6d ago

    Scariest Security Guard Stories | Security Guards: He Knew Her Name | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 13

    Two security guards. Two buildings that were supposed to be empty. Tonight on The Bonfire Circle, Ash tells two true scary stories about the people who watch over empty places at night — and what watched them back. 0:00 Intro 1:30 The Man on Camera Nine 31:28 The Voice on Channel Four 60:26 Closing Story 1 — "The Man on Camera Nine" (Tacoma, Washington): Dale works the overnight shift alone at a closed warehouse, watching nine cameras in the rain. One night a man appears on Camera Nine, standing in the rain, facing the lens — no alarm, no gate entry, no motion light. Then Dale realizes the camera feed is four minutes behind… which means the man at his booth door has already had four minutes. Story 2 — "The Voice on Channel Four" (Galveston, Texas): Elena is the winter caretaker of a closed beachfront hotel as a Gulf storm makes landfall. On her first night, the front-desk phone rings from Room 214 — a room in a wing that has been sealed for years, its phones disconnected. The voice on the line is polite. It knows her name. And it always seems to be one stop ahead of her on her rounds. The accounts in this episode were told to us by the people who say they lived them. We cannot prove they happened, and we cannot verify the facts. We only know that to the people who lived through them… they are entirely real. More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer

  7. Nov 5

    Scariest Delivery Driver Stories | Delivery Drivers: He Knocked Back | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 12

    Some deliveries, the house is waiting for the driver. A diner driver in rural West Virginia keeps bringing the same order to a farmhouse that knocks back before he knocks — and prints his name on the receipt. A grocery driver outside Phoenix follows her app's instructions off the street and into a stranger's garage, where he can see her headlights, her photos, and her. The accounts you're about to hear were told to us by the people who say they lived them. We cannot prove they happened — we only know that to the people who lived through them, they are entirely real. Chapters0:00 Intro1:35 The House That Ordered Every Night28:56 Leave It in the Garage57:56 Closing New episodes daily. Settle in — and keep the fire.

  8. Nov 5

    True Crime: Setagaya & Keddie — The Killers Who Stayed | The Bonfire Circle Ep. 11

    Two real, documented, unsolved cases — and in both of them, the killer did not run. In Setagaya, Tokyo, on the night of December 30, 2000, an intruder murdered the Miyazawa family and then stayed in their house for hours, eating their food and using their computer. In Keddie, California, in April 1981, three people were killed in Cabin 28 while three young boys slept unharmed in the next room — and twelve-year-old Tina Sharp vanished, her remains found three years later, sixty-two miles away.0:00 Intro1:50 The Killer Who Stayed in Setagaya30:24 Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders59:47 Closing"The Killer Who Stayed in Setagaya" — the Miyazawa family murders: Mikio, Yasuko, Niina and Rei, killed in their home beside Soshigaya Park; the killer left his DNA, fingerprints, blood and clothes behind — and has never been identified."Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders" — Sue, John and Tina Sharp and Dana Wingate; the overlooked letter, the counselor allegation that was never charged, the hammer found in a pond in 2016, and the DNA matched to a living suspect in 2018. No one has ever been charged.This episode covers real documented cases, presented from the published record. Where a detail is disputed or a claim is only an allegation, the narration says so. Both cases remain open and unsolved.The Bonfire Circle is a nightly true-scary-stories show, narrated by Ash. New episodes every day.More nighttime listening: The Ancient Dreamer — sleepy history to fall asleep to: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientDreamer#ScaryStories #TrueCrime #TrueScaryStories #HorrorStories #UnsolvedMysteries

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About

The Bonfire Circle — terrifying scary stories, told as they were told to us. Each episode, Ash shares 2–3 spine-chilling accounts gathered around one theme — the deep ocean, truckers, first responders, national parks, and places best avoided after dark. New episodes daily. Stories are shared as accounts of real experiences, but they are unverified. Listener discretion is advised.

Information

  • Creator
    TheBonfireCircle
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TheBonfireCircle
  • Show Website
    The Bonfire Circle