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The Showers
Jack's former English teacher, Mr. Mays, told a scary story every Halloween. It was about a place out in rural Nebraska—a building he called "The Showers"—and the supernatural horrors there that threatened to consume him. Now that school is long over, Jack wonders if there isn't more to the infamous tale. Curiosity leads him on a hunt for the mysterious building, and what begins as a road trip quickly spirals out of control. Maybe The Showers is a real place. And maybe, it's more than just a story. Dylan Sindelar's debut novella comes to you revised and expanded from its original appearance on Reddit /r/nosleep, where it was awarded "Scariest of the Year" by the board. Since then, its initial parts have appeared on the award winning NoSleep Podcast, and the story continues to terrify readers and listeners alike. This new edition features the complete story as it has never appeared before—rewritten and further developed by the author. Look no further for your Halloween reading. The Showers is more than just a ghost story; it's an exploration into mental illness, and the things we use to hide from our inner-demons. Sindelar's horror has a human pulse—building dread with each tick as the clock counts down to the ultimate conclusion. Will Jack manage to look evil straight in the eyes? Will he escape his own undoing? One thing is for nothing can prepare him for what's ahead... "He told us how the bulb flickered to life and cast a dim light on the group of people in front of him. He could see children—at least twenty of them—all dressed in nightgowns that were tattered, torn, and stained dark with mud or something worse. Their bodies and faces were nearly obscured by their long and matted down hair. Not a single one of them appeared to have seen a shower or nice bath in their entire life. "Mr. Mays told the class that the most terrifying aspect of the entire situation was that not a single child moved an inch. They all stood staring, most of them only visible from the light reflecting off of their eyes. The group was collectively paralyzed with fear when they heard what sounded like an animal in the distance yelping. The sound morphed slowly into something resembling the dying cries of a larger beast—wounded and pleading in the darkness. Despite being unable to determine the full size of the room from the lack of light, he said that the noise filled the space so fully that the creature at the source of the sound would have needed to be impossibly large in order to conjure such a cry. This spurred the group into desperate action as the children began to step towards them. Mr. Mays’ friends grabbed their injured comrade and lifted him out of the room and into the tunnel as quickly as they could. Mr. Mays took another moment to move and had difficulty finding his bearings. He reached to his left in an attempt to find a wall to lean against, eventually grasping a handle and pulling on it hard, never taking his eyes off of the children..."
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
23 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 5, 2024
another banger creepcast episode
November 10, 2018
Absolutely great modern and intelligently made horror story. First the author hears about an uncanny location in class, then he goes to that place himself with a pal and in the climax he goes there again together with his girlfriend. But what is this cellar like maze below ground about? What was the reason for the showers? We don't know. No one is covering up its secret. Is it real or just imagination? Does the hero meet his inner demon projected on a scary surrounding in the woods? A great extremely tight short novella that comes up without much gore and violence. Great perspectives and a great read. Absolutely loved this ebook!
December 1, 2018
"The Showers" has long been one of my favorite stories from the Internet. A YouTuber named Mr. Creepy Pasta read it back in 2012 and I fell in love with the story. A few months ago, he randomly uploaded a new part, which is when I learned that after almost six years, the story had continued. I was enthralled by the new addition to the plot, and I felt that it wrapped up everything very nicely. But then I learned that the author had actually released a book, an extended version of the story. As soon as I learned this, I immediately went and gladly bought it, grateful for the chance to give something back to the author of one of my all-time favorite scary stories.
I was not disappointed. This book is extremely good. I'm an avid horror fan. I've read literally thousands of stories and books from the horror genre, seen a couple hundred horror movies, I stay up to date with all the horror shows, etc. As such, it takes a lot to faze me. This book succeeded. I mostly read it in the dark in my room, and when I finished it last night, I had my window open with the rain going outside. It was a perfect atmosphere. I found myself getting very creeped out during the final act.
The biggest thing I can praise this book for is its subtlety. At the risk of vague spoilers, I'll just leave it here that not much is explained. You are given lots of puzzle pieces, but you are not told how to put them together. At the end, you are explicitly told by the author to make the story your own. I think that's a fantastic way to leave this book. After finishing it, I can't tell you what's really going on, but I can tell you my theory. Fans of David Lynch's work will appreciate this aspect of the book - it doesn't hold your hand or spoon feed you information. It simply tells the story it wants to tell, and ends. At a mere 144 pages, this novella can be knocked out in a single sitting, and I highly recommend doing so, as it is one of those rare stories that comes full circle at the end. It doesn't overstay its welcome. There is no filler, no wasted space. Every page is important to either the plot or to setting the mood. It's tight, well-constructed, creepy, and even a bit emotional at the end. I highly recommend this.
I was not disappointed. This book is extremely good. I'm an avid horror fan. I've read literally thousands of stories and books from the horror genre, seen a couple hundred horror movies, I stay up to date with all the horror shows, etc. As such, it takes a lot to faze me. This book succeeded. I mostly read it in the dark in my room, and when I finished it last night, I had my window open with the rain going outside. It was a perfect atmosphere. I found myself getting very creeped out during the final act.
The biggest thing I can praise this book for is its subtlety. At the risk of vague spoilers, I'll just leave it here that not much is explained. You are given lots of puzzle pieces, but you are not told how to put them together. At the end, you are explicitly told by the author to make the story your own. I think that's a fantastic way to leave this book. After finishing it, I can't tell you what's really going on, but I can tell you my theory. Fans of David Lynch's work will appreciate this aspect of the book - it doesn't hold your hand or spoon feed you information. It simply tells the story it wants to tell, and ends. At a mere 144 pages, this novella can be knocked out in a single sitting, and I highly recommend doing so, as it is one of those rare stories that comes full circle at the end. It doesn't overstay its welcome. There is no filler, no wasted space. Every page is important to either the plot or to setting the mood. It's tight, well-constructed, creepy, and even a bit emotional at the end. I highly recommend this.
August 8, 2024
naw bruh. started off promising, but it had tons and tons of build-up and then a suuuper anticlimactic conclusion that answered literally no questions. i'm all for ambigous endings in these kinds of stories, but this is ambiguity on another level, where you literally get nowhere and nothing's changed. it's barely scary either, the monsters don't do anything, like, literally. i know i've said 'literally' a lot in this short little review but i just want you to know that i am not exaggerating when i say that NOTHING. HAPPENS. 😭 at least i read this through the creepcast podcast so the boys' commentary was what kept me going lmaoo. cannot believe this is heralded as an r/nosleep classic and also scariest story of 2012. :/
September 3, 2024
god I really do wish we had a little bit more of this. It’s a great plot and story but it feels like it cuts off abruptly :(
May 5, 2024
Very well written, but left me wanting so much more!
May 19, 2025
This was so awful. The writing was atrocious and the story was directionless. This should’ve been a DNF but since it was so short I figured I would stick it out.
February 27, 2025
The Showers is a bundling of the the parts of the creepypasta original "The Showers" by Dylan Sindelar. Parts I & II, which are the most famous and well known parts of the story, are a decently fun, atmospheric presentation taking place in the middle of nowhere. As a midwesterner myself, I have to say that the great, vast, nothingness that can be the midwest is an untapped well of terror. So it's a perfect setting for some strange cult, demon, god activity stuff that goes on in The Showers. It's fun to see the main character of Jack find such an identity in the concept campfire stories so that when he finds himself wrapped up in his own sort of horrific campfire story, it feels like a stinging, ironic outcome akin to the boy who cried wolf.
However, Parts III & IV completely let the story down and honestly taints the first part for me. It feels the need to explain things but also not explain anything at all. The characters are all extremely unlikeable and make random, rash decisions. Not only that but the writing is really all over the damn place with events that feel very poorly written and disjointed. That was a bit of an issue in the first two parts but it was a little easy to overlook because of an original setting that sort of lent itself to speculation. But if you're going to do sequel pieces there has to be something to add and expand and unfortunately this is not that.
So if you're going to read The Showers, stick to and enjoy the first two parts and let the second two parts disappear into the ether, you'll enjoy it more in the long run that way.
However, Parts III & IV completely let the story down and honestly taints the first part for me. It feels the need to explain things but also not explain anything at all. The characters are all extremely unlikeable and make random, rash decisions. Not only that but the writing is really all over the damn place with events that feel very poorly written and disjointed. That was a bit of an issue in the first two parts but it was a little easy to overlook because of an original setting that sort of lent itself to speculation. But if you're going to do sequel pieces there has to be something to add and expand and unfortunately this is not that.
So if you're going to read The Showers, stick to and enjoy the first two parts and let the second two parts disappear into the ether, you'll enjoy it more in the long run that way.
June 22, 2025
I have very conflicting feelings about this story. The first half starts relatively strong with the protagonist's English teacher, Mr. Mays, detailing his experience with a strange abandoned building in rural Nebraska and the horrors within. It does a decent enough job at creating a sense of ominous tension and terrifying intrigue surrounding "The Showers", so much so that you could probably end the story here and it would still work as a compelling campfire tale.
Unfortunately, it appears the author had played all his cards in the first half and was stumped on what to do for the second. His solution? Rewrite the entirety of Mr. Mays' story, except this time our protagonist is the one doing the exploring. The result is an entirely redundant second half; we don't actually learn anything new about the building's history, location, layout, or anything about the spirits that haunt it. Instead, we are treated to a rehash of what we've already read without any resolution to the mysteries presented by the first half.
I think that any discussion of this story turns into a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty debate: some might argue that the second half is a shallow retread of the first (I am, firmly, on this side of the fence). In contrast, others might say that the first half is a waste of time for setting up questions that would never be explored. The truth is that either half could stand on its own as an enjoyable, if unexceptional, spooky story, but together they undermine each other completely.
Unfortunately, it appears the author had played all his cards in the first half and was stumped on what to do for the second. His solution? Rewrite the entirety of Mr. Mays' story, except this time our protagonist is the one doing the exploring. The result is an entirely redundant second half; we don't actually learn anything new about the building's history, location, layout, or anything about the spirits that haunt it. Instead, we are treated to a rehash of what we've already read without any resolution to the mysteries presented by the first half.
I think that any discussion of this story turns into a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty debate: some might argue that the second half is a shallow retread of the first (I am, firmly, on this side of the fence). In contrast, others might say that the first half is a waste of time for setting up questions that would never be explored. The truth is that either half could stand on its own as an enjoyable, if unexceptional, spooky story, but together they undermine each other completely.
August 7, 2021
A short and thrilling story that nestles comfortably into the classic short horror fiction format of a tale told firsthand. It worked excellently in audio form as well!
Without getting into spoilers, the novella keeps its cards close to its chest and never breaks the cardinal horror sin of jumping the shark. The story feels restrained, believable, and just vague enough to work as an urban legend.
Without getting into spoilers, the novella keeps its cards close to its chest and never breaks the cardinal horror sin of jumping the shark. The story feels restrained, believable, and just vague enough to work as an urban legend.
November 29, 2018
Pretty creepy
My first read by Dylan Sindelar. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. It kept me wanting more. I couldn't wait to get back to reading, so I could see how the story ended. Great book.
My first read by Dylan Sindelar. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. It kept me wanting more. I couldn't wait to get back to reading, so I could see how the story ended. Great book.
September 14, 2025
Small town horror. The potency of stories. Unseen terrors. The past haunting the present.
Jack’s quest to find the apparently real Showers reveals the terrifying collapse between sign or the story and referent or the place, plunging him into a hyperreal nightmare where the constructed myth proves more powerful and consuming than any tangible truth. In this sense, the horror lies not in some pre-existing supernatural evil, but in the impossibility of escaping the symbolic order, the story itself becomes the monster, devouring those who dare to confuse the map with the territory.
This isn't to say there's no monster at the end of the tunnel. Rather, there's a monster at the end of obery tunnel. But the monster does not simply lurk in a fixed location, waiting to be found. It is conjured into being by the very act of seeking it. The horror lies in the infinite, self-replicating architecture of the narrative itself.
Jack’s quest to find the apparently real Showers reveals the terrifying collapse between sign or the story and referent or the place, plunging him into a hyperreal nightmare where the constructed myth proves more powerful and consuming than any tangible truth. In this sense, the horror lies not in some pre-existing supernatural evil, but in the impossibility of escaping the symbolic order, the story itself becomes the monster, devouring those who dare to confuse the map with the territory.
This isn't to say there's no monster at the end of the tunnel. Rather, there's a monster at the end of obery tunnel. But the monster does not simply lurk in a fixed location, waiting to be found. It is conjured into being by the very act of seeking it. The horror lies in the infinite, self-replicating architecture of the narrative itself.
July 23, 2025
I greatly enjoyed reading The Showers again after so many years. After seeing that Creepcast had done an episode on it I decided to pick up my copy and give it a re-read for nostalgia sake, and as expected it did not disappoint.
The first half of this tale is breath-taking, it reminds me of sitting around a campfire and sharing a story with friends. The way the narrator has difficulty remembering certain details due to the passage of time felt so genuine to real life. The way some parts of a story stand out compared to others in the grand narrative.
However the one downfall I saw with this story was the ending. It was very abrupt and seemed to come out of nowhere, of course this can be credited to where this story was written. Early online media needed to be short and sweet so it would stand that The Showers would also be expected to shorten its length to reach the point it has. Though it almost feels like the author may have accidently wrote themselves into a corner.
Regardless this does not take away from the legacy the Showers have left on creepypastas and online stories. The Shower stands as a golden example of great internet horror and how it can transcend past just web pages and copy-pastas and take on a life of its own.
The first half of this tale is breath-taking, it reminds me of sitting around a campfire and sharing a story with friends. The way the narrator has difficulty remembering certain details due to the passage of time felt so genuine to real life. The way some parts of a story stand out compared to others in the grand narrative.
However the one downfall I saw with this story was the ending. It was very abrupt and seemed to come out of nowhere, of course this can be credited to where this story was written. Early online media needed to be short and sweet so it would stand that The Showers would also be expected to shorten its length to reach the point it has. Though it almost feels like the author may have accidently wrote themselves into a corner.
Regardless this does not take away from the legacy the Showers have left on creepypastas and online stories. The Shower stands as a golden example of great internet horror and how it can transcend past just web pages and copy-pastas and take on a life of its own.
June 1, 2024
Creepy, but a touch too ambiguous for me personally. It is a fun, quick little scary story.
ANYWAYS!
why don't you take showers? people shower because it's a trend. someone else doing it, and everybody else doing it, i wanna do it, i wanna fit in, i wanna do it. you have to think to yourself; why do i shower? why do i bathe? why do i do it? what do i gain out of doing this? am i going to starve if i don't take a bath? am i going to die if i don't take a bath? it's not a nesserity like food and water. basically, you're just wasting your own water bill - for no reason! - because you wanna fit in. and i don't understand it because people don't know if you shower or not anyway! they cannot tell, they cannot tell from adam or eve if you take baths or if you shower-
ANYWAYS!
why don't you take showers? people shower because it's a trend. someone else doing it, and everybody else doing it, i wanna do it, i wanna fit in, i wanna do it. you have to think to yourself; why do i shower? why do i bathe? why do i do it? what do i gain out of doing this? am i going to starve if i don't take a bath? am i going to die if i don't take a bath? it's not a nesserity like food and water. basically, you're just wasting your own water bill - for no reason! - because you wanna fit in. and i don't understand it because people don't know if you shower or not anyway! they cannot tell, they cannot tell from adam or eve if you take baths or if you shower-
January 15, 2025
I really liked this and it was definitely spooky to listen to while walking my dog….I just wish the author answered more questions. I wanted more!!! I understand the choice to leave the interpretation up to the reader but I feel like there are a LOT of unanswered questions and random details that kind of went nowhere…My interpretation leans towards a hallucination of the mc because of that- especially considering there was no silo, he didn’t notice the shower heads until way later, there was only the one kid in the nightgown, etc. Maybe the showers were leaking something hallucinogenic?? I wanted more info on what the voice was at the end of the tunnel especially…Idk I feel like the ending was a bit anticlimactic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2024
A modern horror classic, as far as I’m concerned. I loved the ending, such a great message to go along with a subtly creepy story! I really love all the characters, but the thing I love most about this story? It feels REAL- that is what makes a story terrifying! The fact that the writing is excellent and the characters feel believable and real! This book does just that- and for it, I think it deserves a great rating! The story stayed suspenseful and terrifying throughout the entire read.
This is an excellent story that I would recommend to anyone looking for subtle horror that isn’t filled with gore or cheap scares! I’d give it a 4.5/5 stars!
This is an excellent story that I would recommend to anyone looking for subtle horror that isn’t filled with gore or cheap scares! I’d give it a 4.5/5 stars!
December 11, 2024
I finished this story in less than an hour. It was quite good and I liked the writing style. I'm only giving it three stars though because I honestly wish it was longer. I feel like so much more could have been done with this story if there was more.
The first part of the story was very good and very well written. I appreciated it. But the second part and what Jack dealt with, I felt like could have been rewritten. Jack's story was too similar to his teacher's and I felt like I could have gotten something different out of it.
Overall good book, I just think part 2 could be rewritten and it should be longer than 2 parts. I do recommend this though!
The first part of the story was very good and very well written. I appreciated it. But the second part and what Jack dealt with, I felt like could have been rewritten. Jack's story was too similar to his teacher's and I felt like I could have gotten something different out of it.
Overall good book, I just think part 2 could be rewritten and it should be longer than 2 parts. I do recommend this though!
May 15, 2024
Feeling obligated to make this review to counteract the knuckle-dragging reviews coming from the disrinctly not-knuckle-draggy, excellent Creepcast podcast. These inaccurate reviews are effectively review-bombing what it a REWRITE and EXTENSION of the story, their criticisms based on a reading of the original Reddit form of the tale. Take any review in the vicinity of May 5th 2024 with a handful of salt.
People, you have good taste in youtube content, but please remember that you should actually READ a book before presuming its contents.
People, you have good taste in youtube content, but please remember that you should actually READ a book before presuming its contents.
July 5, 2024
3.5 to be more accurate.
I just finished listening to this story on CreepCast and ultimately I did enjoy it. The writing was amazing, the atmosphere was good and it gave me the chills. But it felt like a big chunk of it is simply missing.
Don't get me wrong, I do not want my horror stories to explain everything to me. That makes every story lose the spook factor. There is fear in the unknown. But this story simply did not have enough meat. Felt more like a teaser to something greater. A concept that never got finished.
I just finished listening to this story on CreepCast and ultimately I did enjoy it. The writing was amazing, the atmosphere was good and it gave me the chills. But it felt like a big chunk of it is simply missing.
Don't get me wrong, I do not want my horror stories to explain everything to me. That makes every story lose the spook factor. There is fear in the unknown. But this story simply did not have enough meat. Felt more like a teaser to something greater. A concept that never got finished.
May 12, 2024
3.5/5 stars
i listened/read this through the Creepcast Podcast with Wendigoon & Papa Meat. i enjoyed this experience. whether it was due to them reading it or the story, im not sure.
there was a lot left to be desired though. i wish there was just a bit more information & more depth. it felt very very short. too short. i wanted more in the showers itself. more lore even. the story did keep my attention & it was well written for a Reddit original. i just wish it had more.
i listened/read this through the Creepcast Podcast with Wendigoon & Papa Meat. i enjoyed this experience. whether it was due to them reading it or the story, im not sure.
there was a lot left to be desired though. i wish there was just a bit more information & more depth. it felt very very short. too short. i wanted more in the showers itself. more lore even. the story did keep my attention & it was well written for a Reddit original. i just wish it had more.
December 31, 2023
3.75 stars
A lot of fuck around and find out going on in this book.
I was listening to the audiobook at 3 am (who let me have this kind of freedom btw?) and I was pretty creeped out. I also like the depiction of abusive relationships in this book.
But really, stay away from creepy barns and their creepier cellars.
A lot of fuck around and find out going on in this book.
I was listening to the audiobook at 3 am (who let me have this kind of freedom btw?) and I was pretty creeped out. I also like the depiction of abusive relationships in this book.
But really, stay away from creepy barns and their creepier cellars.
July 1, 2024
I found it hard to follow sometimes or the descriptions didn’t mach up in my head with what was written. But nonetheless a great book. It makes you think a lot about whether or not this is true or whether or not the main character actually experienced it like this which is probably what makes it scary
July 6, 2024
Great r/nosleep read. Once again, it's one I'd reccomend you listen to on YouTube read by MrCreepyPasta. While it doesn't have the same melancholy of Penpal, the humor of Tales from the gas station, or the sheer gut wrenching plot twist of Borassca, I remember still being invested in the main character as he absolutely wrecked his life over this urban legend turned reality.
January 3, 2025
I listened to the entire story being told by lavendertowne (@youtube) while she drew some fantastic visuals in the mean time and I really enjoyed it! I wish we had gotten more answers of what really was going on, but on the other hand I love a good mystery and the not knowing what truly happened makes it perhaps scarier!
3.5/5 stars
3.5/5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2025
I feel so bad for this review dude, the first two parts of this story are absolutely phenomenal but the remainder is just completely ruined by the dude's girlfriend.
Still, doesn't mean the first two aren't still absolute classics. The way Dylan does tension is so goddamn admirable that it deserves the praise it gets.
Still, doesn't mean the first two aren't still absolute classics. The way Dylan does tension is so goddamn admirable that it deserves the praise it gets.
August 27, 2025
la mayoría de estos libros que empezaron siendo creepypastas tienen uno de dos problemas con los finales 1) se van al carajo con la espectacularidad y se pone todo re hollywoodense de la nada 2) termina muy abruptamente. El primero me molesta más, este tiene el segundo. Se siente como incompleta la historia. Igual me gustó, tiene una muy buena construcción pero quedé con sabor a poco.
March 19, 2025
eh
2 hours
- i really wanted to like this, but the vibe was all that carried it for me
- i don't really care for stories in which it's just like "iunno what the monster is it's some spooky shit"
- the ending really disappointed me too. so much hype, little payoff
2 hours
- i really wanted to like this, but the vibe was all that carried it for me
- i don't really care for stories in which it's just like "iunno what the monster is it's some spooky shit"
- the ending really disappointed me too. so much hype, little payoff
December 12, 2018
An interesting piece of horror fiction, that shows that there's a lot of promise in the future of this author.
January 31, 2021
It’s well written and somewhat entertaining (hence the 3 stars), but I didn’t find it creepy and it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat.
October 8, 2022
All tension dissipated when you find out that what is suppose to be scary is a group of "spooky ghost children" that do absolutely nothing but stand there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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