"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" Ambrose Bierce audio book ― Chilling Tales for Dark Nights

Chilling Tales for Dark Nights produces all-original horror audio content. Everything we produce features custom professional voice acting, music and/or sound effects. All stories featured are either written by our staff writing team or performed and adapted with the kind permission of their respective authors. Visit us at ChillingTalesForDarkNights.com for more information today.
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Jesse Cornett brings to this life the tale "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," as written in the late 19th century by American author Ambrose Bierce (1842--1913). Originally published by The San Francisco Examiner in 1890, it was first collected in Bierce's 1891 book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians. The story, which is set during the Civil War, is famous for its irregular time sequence and twist ending. It is Bierce's most anthologized story. It is the story of one Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer condemned to death by hanging from Owl Creek Bridge. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist stands bound at the bridge's edge. Read (and listen!) on to discover just what is so unusual about the occurrence at the Bridge.
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Narrator: Jesse Cornett
Sound Design: Jesse Cornett
Post-Production: Jesse Cornett
Artwork: Craig Groshek
Story © Ambrose Bierce (public domain)
Audio production © Chilling Entertainment, LLC
Jesse Cornett is an executive producer, editor, film scout and narrator for Chilling Tales for Dark Nights.
► Reverb Nation | www.reverbnation.com/sonofman1
★ Official Website | pleromaproductions.wix.com/ple...

[@kelpk0re]

we're required to read this for american lit. and i'm dyslexic so this audio reading made it so much easier to understand the story! thank you so much!

[@shadow-cx6mv]

Same

[@xxxzzzip8961]

Me too

[@CJM-rg5rt]

It's weird.. I'm dyslexic but only with left/right and east/west, never words. It's embarrassing but I do genuinely wonder what that says about my brain?

[@wheatisme]

Me too, I’m a junior in high school and I didn’t even understand that the man being hanged was the one they described in the first sentence, my brain doesn’t price things together

[@annaharris4396]

I WAS LISTENING TO THIS FOR A LITERATURE CLASS AND I WAS NOT READY FOR THE ENDING AND I'M IN SHOCK AND SAD

[@travisblackerby2772]

Can you tell me what’s it about I really don’t want to read it

[@bambammacho]

Travis Blackerby same lmao

[@GenerallyChaotic6839]

@@travisblackerby2772 The story is about a man who is about to be executed. During the story we see the reason why he is executes and the man escapes the clutches of his executioners and makes it back home and to his family. In the end it is told that his escape wasn't real and was instead the desperate imagination of a dying man.

[@wynnzhu1015]

Generally thanks

[@SeanMcGeeWebDude]

@@travisblackerby2772 bro. It’s 30 minutes. Just give it a listen.

[@TheJoeWerewolf]

I had headphones on and the whispers scared the shit out of me

[@bugyear2005]

This is so beautifully read that is really feels like one was actually there, but it is the voice of Jesse Cornett that brings it all together!

[@DonnieKatona]

So I take it, what he had said was possible about his escape earlier in the story had played out in his mind only for him to snap back to reality right as he was hanged? Cruel but a great twist on the ending

[@HerbalistGuybrush]

Dudes be like : oh! Snap back to reality oh there goes gravity

[@zachseatdriver9671]

In pretty sure its more what happens in his mind in the instant his neck is snapping

[@GenerallyChaotic6839]

@@HerbalistGuybrush thats some serious dark humor, marry me.

[@HerbalistGuybrush]

@@GenerallyChaotic6839 We can arrange something

[@NockaMama]

I had to be to class in 45 mins and were having a discussion about this story. Your reading of the story was engaging and exciting

[@chillingtalesfordarknights]

Glad we could help!

[@jamesnull8124]

They made this into a Twilight Zone episode, it’s very good

[@jeanneratterman4174]

Serling liked it so much he negotiated to include it. It was a borrowed episode of an award winning French-produced film. It is not included in the TZ boxed set because TZ did own it.

[@chris55529]

*Much better than I expected. The "Southern accent" of the narrator DOES help, and he narrates much better than I could, and that's saying a lot, because this story (which, all by itself, planted the seeds of the much-beloved Twilight Zone TV series), has haunted me since I was a kid. **_WELL DONE!!_*

[@jessecornett2597]

Good evening Chilling Tales fans... I want to thank you for listening and hope you enjoy this story. It is especially unsettling as I had the experience of visiting the Atlanta Cyclo-rama Civil War Museum and Memorial as a child and it had a profound effect on me. I have no idea how they accomplished it, but it had the distinct smell of death and blood. I hope this story will encourage you to learn more about this extremely important time in our collective history as Americans. A time when this fragile experiment of ours almost collapsed in on itself as a fledgling nation attempted to combat the true dark nature of man's ability to oppress his fellow man... Pitting brother against brother, father against son and state against state... Both sides were acutely aware in their belief that what they were doing was the right thing.This is but one man's version of the horrors he saw.

[@gregzsidisin]

An exceptional reading of this classic story. I hadn't read it in years, and I just saw the Twilight Zone adaptation, which was originally an award-winning French short. Except for the background on how Peyton Farquhar came to be hanged.

[@calebwilliams1663]

This story was excellent to read in class, due to its expression of historical themes which you know I love Mrs. Freeman!

[@Natedog-xf3xm]

Adultery

[@hexkwondo]

I saw a black and white movie of this story when I was in school! Great story and I love the narrator's accent!

[@huntrrams]

+Hexkwondo CreepyPasta it was french film turned into a twilight zone episode in the 60s! The best best episode in twilight zone!

[@dragonchr15]

Awesome narration...particularly the patrician Southern brogue...

[@CrystalSmith-uk6hd]

Jessie just has this way of creating this intense atmosphere when storytelling!!

[@nathankrasner222]

Dude, AMAZING read. I'm an English teacher and very familiar with this story. I was looking this up to show my class and I'm totally floored. My seventh graders are gonna love this. Thanks and kudos! 11/10

[@michaelknight4041]

I was shown a dramatization of this story in 7th grade by my English teacher, Mr Burkowski. I never forgot it.

[@Emper0rH0rde]

This story was made into a Twilight Zone episode.

[@freeman3320]

***** I believe that Rod Serling used a number of Ambrose Bierce stories as the basis for several Twilight Zone episodes. Until I learn differently, from someone who is more sure of the facts than I, I can truthfully say, at least, that Serling surely learned much about how to tell a story from reading men like Bierce.

[@limelightraver5690]

Ruben T I remember that episode it was really cool

[@jeanneratterman4174]

Serling liked it so much he negotiated to include it. It was a borrowed episode of an award winning French-produced film. It is not included in the TZ boxed set because TZ did own it.

[@tsunderes]

i remember reading this story for class and adored the ending. came back to visit it again and found this audio recording, which was really great! i think it adds a lot to the enjoyment of the story. like the suspense is good on its own but i was really on the edge of my seat while you read it!

[@michaelallport5816]

It could be argued that Ambrose Bierce was the greatest short story writer of all time.

[@marthagastelum271]

you read really beautiful, the sounds fits perfectly the story description

[@michellehenninghaus9716]

This was made into a movie. I remember seeing it when I was in elementary school. I had been trying to remember the title for a while now. Thanks for answering that question. Great job!

[@najah_k7825]

probably one of the best story narrations i've ever heard..Thanks!

[@user-jv3oe3vf1l]

One of my favorite stories. What great production value!

[@itinerantmercenary6988]

Jesse Cornett and Ambrose Bierce, author of the devils dictionary and a contemporary of Mark Twain. Called the roughest man in San Fransisco, at a time when San Fran was a really rough town. Great job bringing this tale to life.

[@lenpfluger3356]

Great for you Jesse Cornett. Read this a few time, but wanted a brush up for an online discussion. Your reading was just terrific!! Really great!

[@susanmunford1394]

I absolutely loved this story. Although it was nothing like the typical scary stories it reminded me of my favorite author James Lee Burke and reader of his stories on audio book, Will Patton. I thoroughly enjoy this type of story, Thank-You so much. Wonderful job.

[@jaimefio643]

Ambrose Bierce is a wonderful writer and you did a brilliant job narrating ❤

[@shelbysmith7725]

That was SO cool, extremely immersive! Great voice acting!

[@nadiaminerva]

Great reading. I closed my eyes and you painted the story so vividly. I love your voice too.

[@cdmetruk]

Thank you so much for these, I am so enjoying them!

[@JCArules13]

I remember reading this in English class, but you portrayed the surreality of the story amazingly.

[@MasterMoonClap]

The emotion in the readers voice added to the sorrow of the story. Very well done.

[@mtvernon1000]

This is amazing. The farther that I look back on your older episodes the I love this channeql. I have seen the short movie Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge written by Ambrose Pierce. I remember seeing it when I was 16 years old. When watching it for the first time I actually thought that the rope did break and he swam away almost all the way to the end. That is when I realized that he was imagining it to not think about that he was getting ready to die. The mind is truly an impressive and complex thing. If anyone has not seen the short movie by this name I recommend watching it. Great upload I loved the story...

[@SM-ic4pe]

I needed this for my Literature assignment.Thank you, I really liked the way you narrated it 🌺💕

[@deemaahmed941]

amazingly read ! thank you made the story way more interesting by the sounds effects

[@Berto1983]

wow, nice readying and love the sound effects.

[@assassinproductions3545]

Great reading!. Plus amazing sound effects!!!.

[@greatbooksofthewesterntrad2091]

Love the excellent reading. Well done by all involved in this project.

[@A_Cold_Winter9219]

This is my favorite story of all time

[@caball3ro]

This story was one of the inspirations for the movie Jacob's Ladder. Definitely a great movie to check out.

[@JenniferRodriguez-jy4qt]

Most perfect audio thank you! Loved the little music which went with the theme excellently. Reminds me of titanic lol

[@daniel5730]

I think it's the "Dixie Land" theme, which is fitting, considering the protagonist.

[@niyachaney9065]

Thank you so much for the audio reading! You done such an expectational job of reading I actually felt like I was Peyton Farquhar.

[@xiomaraavila4462]

thank soo much! we had to read this in class and this made it 10x better with the emotion and background sounds absoulutly amazing!

[@stormangelus6638]

Thanks for the help with my English homework!

[@chillingtalesfordarknights]

Happy to help!

[@777Rowen]

Covering this story in class. Fantastic narration. Really atmospheric!

[@ryanberthiaume5723]

Great story and love the narration it help me focus on the story

[@abi.gail.b]

we had to listen to this in my language arts class and in the end everyone just collectively gasped 💀

[@WWEMUSICish]

I read this in English Class. Excellent hearin it again.

[@belleretiredaccount]

Thank you for this!

[@daniellaperez3226]

THANK YOU SO MUCH 😊 I have a test on this and I UNDERSTAND IT NOW!

[@jessecornett2597]

How'd ya do on that test?

[@johnnicholas1488]

Very well done. Thank you.

[@mesken96]

Excellent narration and background !

[@walterfristoe4643]

I mentioned, yesterday, to a friend, that I was in the process of reading the Ambrose Bierce book The Devil's Dictionary, and she asked me if I'd ever read An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge. I had not, so last night I Googled it and read the short story. Today I called her to tell her that I had read it, and she told me that there is a movie version, and that I should try to watch it. So I did find it here on KZbin and watched a short version, then did a search for the full version, and came across this audio version. I'm really glad I did, since it was awesome! This was read even better than my own reading of it! Much better than the AI versions of audiobooks I've been listening to lately. 🖖

[@nathanbishop4897]

Wow, what a writer. Loved it.

[@RightWingCorrectWing]

So the whole thing was his thoughts while he was falling off the bridge!

[@xeserupseinopelttil4574]

Nope, it all happened in an instant as his body released massive amounts of adrenaline and DMT. It is a beautiful illustration of reality and perceived reality written DECADES before the science was clear on this subject.

[@user-dj9jw9uz9p]

@@xeserupseinopelttil4574 Notice how time seemed to slow down for him in the beginning of the story.

[@HerbalistGuybrush]

Lol

[@Hjay-so4vd]

*Cough* spoiler alert😂😂😂

[@Kntrabssi]

The voice acting in this is top notch

[@amthe1]

I have to write a paper on this. Thank you for making a youtube account and putting this up.

[@chillingtalesfordarknights]

If you enjoy good creepy tales, check out our more modern stuff as well. Glad we could help with your assignment!

[@matthewstump7563]

Still shocked over the ending like I was in high school many years ago. Wow!!

[@rugdg13]

I remember reading this is Highschool History...Its crazy listening to it again after this long...knowing the ending...

[@robertcastro6508]

Thank you I had to read this for a quiz

[@511jfreeman]

This reading is great! I'll be using it in my 10th grade English class tomorrow. Thank you so much!

[@chillingtalesfordarknights]

+Jessica Freeman Don't forget to plug us! :)

[@chillingtalesfordarknights]

+Jessica Freeman Are you a full time teacher, by the way?

[@511jfreeman]

Yes, I am, and I sure will!

[@vincent21212]

"...and who in good faith and without too much qualification assented to at least a part of the frankly villainous dictum that all is fair in love and war." The irony here is that immediately after this line, a Union soldier dressed in Confederate uniform arrives at his home and tricks him into the trap at the bridge. Farquhar was measured by the same stick he measured. Beautifully written. And my God, the way the author sets up the slowing of time (which leads to the hallucination in an instant) by describing the slowing of the clock - genius! Finally, what blew my mind on second listening was how at 26:30 the author begins to describe him falling to his death ("...he could no longer feel the roadway beneath his feet."). But between falling at 26:30 and dying at 28:22, a whole set of beautiful descriptions are told, further emphasizing the slowed passage of time. This story is so much more than a twist ending. It's complete in every way.

[@sirkight54]

Thank you for helping me for an assignment!!!

[@BlaziNxTheO]

The sound of the swinging at the end is so eerie

[@warspite1494]

10/10. I need to see a therapist. This story is sad but I kinda dig it. Honestly i cant take stories seriously when they are like: "and then he died". But the execution was pretty good imo🎉

[@jackhelgerud214]

Th bruv needed this fr school

[@deecee8108]

good job.... loved this

[@bluesit3297]

I remember this episode of The Twilight Zone. No voices. No music. Very little sound. (Might have been music, it's been a long time since I saw it). I believe the episode was actually from a French film or something like that.

[@Shaunhydemma]

Towards the end it has the sound effects from COD BO 1 xD

[@andrewgriggs3600]

Got to see a live stage play of this and have remembered it every word since hs

[@JesseScott2016]

Thank you @OwlCity for recommending this story. This inspired their name.

[@Fv-mz8fi]

good job man like I was in the story keep it up!

[@Px828]

I saw a film of this in the early 1970s in Jr High. I'll never forget it.

[@maninironmask7925]

Incredible reading 👏

[@curuvari2247]

This is brilliant-bodied flies erasure.

[@christopherriccio8409]

Jesse... Keep em coming

[@shannonlycan3292]

wow! this is amazing!

[@chillingtalesfordarknights]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@shakeem457]

Another awesome narration by Jesse Cornett :D

[@jessecornett2597]

And once again Shakeem, thank you for listening to our stories. I appreciate your enthusiasm for our work and hope that you continue to let us know what you think!

[@shakeem457]

Anytime Jesse storiee and narrations on here are the best!

[@michaeldao1]

Great narrating

[@bahatisadiki9540]

I love this story

[@axer3515]

I often find the "best" of a topic as the best. Probably because someone has improved on the former.

[@phantumgrey]

This was creative writing

[@gamingpride1332]

Great job loved it

[@jessecornett2597]

Thank you, Pride in Gaming... Please continue to listen and bring all your friends along to take part in the Chilling!

[@kashiark]

This isn't a creepy pasta; it's a short story. I truly enjoyed it, and it's possibly one of the best short stories I've ever heard, but it's a narrative not a creepy pasta and certainly not a "classic horror story."

[@punkgrl325]

It’s a psychological horror story, one of the earlier ones. The horror aspect comes from the short time that you were able to bond with Peyton and the love he had for his family and the grim conclusion of it all.

[@Heyamoto]

I remember seeing a short film about this story back in English class years ago

[@spnchick4438]

I have no idea why, but the character's name, Farquhar, and the narrator's southern voice acting, kept reminding me of the giant rooster, Foghorn Leghorn from Looney Tunes. "I say! I say! They hung that there boy, Farquhar !" XD

[@ThePowerOfDimples]

I read this in school :)

[@deeci6003]

Anyone else here for school?

[@BrickInTheWall82]

Narrated...by George W. Bush. XD

[@ScaryFright]

BrickInTheWall82 lmao 😀😆

[@yungdevito4093]

*Reads this is on national mourn George H. W. Bush day*

[@karaanikashkul5194]

Interesting story.

[@wolffromehell5682]

I listened to this compared to reading as it has the feel of realism the drums the muskets the cannon makes it seems like you're there

[@samcats123]

This is the funniest thing I’ve listened to, and that opening is the cherry on top

[@jaredzornes8280]

Nice.

[@titustheun]

Bravo

[@scarlettswolfpax2988]

Wow!

[@scumemg8021]

That’s tuff!

[@eddieboggs8306]

Ever see the Twilight Zone episode by same name?

[@forexed8948]

it goes well with Red Badge Of Courage

[@werewally3156]

This is classic American literature.

[@alanadaniels2005]

i learned this in school 😌😌😌

[@QWK2026]

Cool story, but the visuals are making me feel like I have epilepsy XD