23/10/2026
HORROR SHETLAND
The Hollow Pony
They say that when the October gales first howl across Shetland, something ancient wakes beneath the peat.
Long ago, a farmer stole a silver bridle from a trow’s burial ground. He thought it was just an old treasure. He was wrong.
One stormy night, beneath a bright October moon, the Red-Eyed Trow emerged from the earth. Its eyes burned like embers, and its twisted fingers dripped with black peat.
On the hillside, it found a lone Shetland pony.
The creature whispered a curse and reached into the pony’s shadow, stealing its life but leaving its heart beating. Flesh split, pale ribs emerged, and its golden mane turned the colour of bone. One eye glowed blood-red.
The pony rose again, neither living nor dead.
Now, every October, the Hollow Pony hunts the hills, searching for the farmer who stole the bridle. The trow rides unseen upon its back, whispering through its rotten teeth.
One night, the farmer heard three knocks at his croft door.
Through the window, he saw the pony standing in the rain, its ribs shining beneath the moon.
Behind it stood the Red-Eyed Trow.
The door handle began to turn.
Then a voice came from the darkness:
“Ye took whit wis mine. Noo I’ll tak whit is yours.”
By morning, the croft was empty. Deep hoofprints led towards the peat bank. The farmer was never seen again.
So, when the October wind howls and you hear hooves outside your door, keep the curtains closed.
And whatever you do, never look into the red eyes waiting at your window.
