They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but in the case of these photos, it’s more like 1,000 screams. These disturbing photos will creep you out and have you double-checking all your doors are locked before bed. Taken throughout the years, these photos capture moments and places that will send shivers down your spine. 

Some of these photos are eerie, while others have a more sinister backstory that will keep you up late at night. What they all have in common is how disturbing they are. Be warned; while all of these images are horrifying in one way or the other, it’s often the tales behind the photos that will shock you. So prepare yourself to be scared silly by some of the creepiest images you will ever see as you read about the tales behind these 15 disturbing photos.

15 Disturbing Photos That Will Scare You Silly

1. The Amityville Horror

@mSophiaLoren/Reddit

The Amityville horror is more associated with the horror film series these days, but it has a much darker past in real life. In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in a house in Amityville in the United States. The house was left abandoned for almost a year before the Lutz family moved in. They lasted 28 days before fleeing, claiming the house was possessed. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were brought in to investigate the haunting and captured the photo above.

An infrared camera was set up during the night and took the picture of what appeared to be a demon child peering out of a bedroom. Many believed the young child in the creepy photo was John Defeo, one of the murdered kids. Skeptics claimed it was actually Paul Bartz, another investigator who happened to poke his head out at the right time. Neither theory has ever been proven. Either way, this ghostly figure is one of the most disturbing images on this list.