Have you heard of creepypasta?

[LuciaPacifici]

I have heard of it and read some before, sometimes when I am bored. I have only encountered ones that are basically the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” variety, or slight variants, that give a slight frisson or spine-tingling or whatever. I actually can’t stand horror movies since they are either sick, occult, depressing or gory, but for some reason the stories don’t bother me. If it seems occult I quickly move away, though, as I take that stuff very seriously and don’t mess with it.

However–that said, what you said described does not sounds okay and I would take it as a huge red flag that she shouldn’t read. Anything that is dark, occult (very dangerous) or about these…topics that are the evil one’s area of interest…I would be very concerned about if it was my daughter.

The other thing is–I am a grown adult and can forget about the story when it’s done.

A twelve-year old girl, in my opinion, does not have the maturity to not be strongly influenced or affected by reading things this heavy.

I don’t want to be too gruesome, but remember there was a case not too long ago of two twelve-year-old girls coming to believe in the Slenderman and trying to kill their friend because of him.

As other posters mentioned, also would be good to look into other problems drawing her into this.

Yes, if it were me I would take it seriously and try to influence her away from it.

 

[Kamaduck]

I’ve read a few, and I have a friend who likes them. They’re not inherently any more concerning than an interest in horror fiction in general, and it’s not hard to see why someone might enjoy stories like that, especially at a young age where they’re trying to differentiate themselves and exploring different possibilities. I’d be more concerned with the behavioral problems, or if this crossed the line from reading creepypastas to “fangirling” about disturbing things that really happened. (I would guess that’s not the case, but if it is… eep.)

Trying to keep her from being exposed to creepypastas probably isn’t possible without monitoring her 24/7 or cutting her access to internet entirely. Maybe figure out what appeals to her and buy her some quality published books, either creepy-but-not-morally-concerning horror or mainstream SF & Fantasy with a creepy tone? She might like post-apocalyptic or dystopian stories if she hasn’t tried them yet, and I know a lot of those have large fandoms. I read 1984 and Lord of the Flies when I was in seventh grade, and honestly, most of the creepypastas I’ve read aren’t all that much more disturbing. (I mean, I’m sure more-disturbing stuff EXISTS, but there are plenty of creepypastas that aren’t.) If you know this girl, and you think giving her a gift of a few books wouldn’t be weird, that’s what I would try.

I have absolutely no idea what she likes beyond creepypastas, and I’m REALLY not an authority on horror, but if we’re talking creepy F&SF, I’ve got some stuff you could at least look into:

• Ender’s Game and the sequels, by Orson Scott Card. Disturbing, yes, but I read the first book when I was eleven and thought it was awesome. The first book is about super-intelligent children being trained to fight a war against aliens, but it’s mostly about the children’s interactions with each other and with the adults who train them. The sequel was also awesome, and contained a creepy central mystery where the human scientists kept getting killed by other aliens and arranged with their organs removed. I’m making this sound terrible, I know, but they’re good books with good writing and fascinating thematic elements. The last three have some really positive portrayals of Catholic characters (the author is Mormon), and I think they’ll appeal to a girl who’s looking for fiction off the beaten path. Some references to sex throughout the series, but nothing explicit IIRC.
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Yeah, OK, it’s a ridiculous book. But I read the whole thing, and it was awesome, and it actually contains a ton of historical facts about Lincoln’s life, and apart from the fact that it’s all about killing vampires, there’s really not much to be concerned about. It seems like the sort of thing the girl could be interested in, given the combination of historical facts and obviously made-up vampire element.
• Depending on her reading level and interest (or lack thereof) in older fiction, there are a ton of classic stories that she might find interesting. Frankenstein comes to mind. Short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. The aforementioned Lord of the Flies, though I wouldn’t give her 1984 unless she’s mature enough to deal with the sexual aspects of the book. Fahrenheit 451 might be a good introduction to dystopian fiction, though.
• If her reading level isn’t high enough for the other stuff on this list, the Animorphs series is cool. Not really horror by any stretch, but it’s about a group of children who gain the power to change into animals, and who need to use this power to defend the earth from hostile aliens (which slither into people’s brains, take them over, and then continue living their lives like nothing happened, all the while really in control). It actually covered a lot of interesting ethical issues over the course of its run, and gradually deconstructed the concept of the Kid Hero, examining the toll that their double lives and awful experiences placed on these kids. I read them when I was in 3rd/4th/5th grade, and really liked them. There’s violence, of course, but nothing sexual IIRC.
• If it’s the group/fandom/community aspect that appeals to her, Hunger Games and Harry Potter both have large active fandoms, and both at least contain elements of suspense or creepy stuff. She might think they’re too mainstream or be disinterested for other reasons, but they’re not bad books, all things considered.

Anyways, that’s my 2¢. I figure a slight change in direction would be easier to manage than getting the girl to abandon something she clearly enjoys. Even if it doesn’t take, there’s nothing wrong with encouraging her to expand the genres she reads.

 

[redbetta]

I spent the last few days reading some out of curiosity. And, I need to do research for a novel I’m incorporating elements of horror and the supernatural into; these stories are helpful since they are not time-consuming to read. I read only ones that are most popular/highly recommended to avoid having to wade through them all (ones like 1999 and The Rake). The ones that are considered the best don’t have a lot of blood and guts, but, don’t really need to to be scary. I’d be more concerned if the twelve year-old was on Deviantart. It’s another popular site with teens and tweens and, while it has some good art on it, it has drawings, cartoons, stories, etc. featuring every sexual fetish in existence including some disturbing kinds. I’d tell your friend to keep an eye out for that site as well.

I’d wish I’d have more to tell you, but, I didn’t discover Internet until I was 14. But, I agree that kids that have a hard time getting friends will explore some stuff bordering on the weird/extreme.

Also, Kamaduck recommended reading some classic horror stories. Don’t forget Bram Stoker’s Dracula.