Goosebumps Scary

Everywhere suddenly became quiet, as if the music was fading. I forcefully broke free from the anonymous strong grip and turned to see who it was. Surprisingly, it was Jesse, and he had the same weird black eyes as the other guy. "Jesse?" I asked almost in a whisper, slowly moving backward. His eyes gradually returned to normal. "What the heck are you doing up here?" he asked, alarmed, peering through the walls to see if the scary guy had stepped out. Consumed with fear, I asked with a trembling voice, "What the fuck are you, and who was that?" "The guy you saw is Nemus," he replied. "He's a vampire." Stunned, I looked at him, unable to process what I had just heard. "A vam... pire?" updated daily.

Li Susu dies unfairly and wishes for a second chance, but fate still jokes on her. "Seriously?! Is this the second chance that I am asking for?!" She was born in a world where political struggle was the deadliest. Worst of all, she was born as the ruthless and tyrant Empress Wu Jinmai! She has no one in the world who is scary and full of political schemes. Will she be able to change her faith and live a long and happy life? What kind of sacrifices does she need to make to change her fate? "I hate you; I detest you. You're my greatest nightmare, and marrying you is like a poison that slowly kills me!" Shanguan Zu Jin suppressed his feelings for the people. He had longed for her. He wants to love and spoil her, but fate has changed her. Will his love be rekindled as the tyrant empress suddenly changes? Is there a second chance for his unrequited love, or…? Find out the answers as the story of the tyrant empress and her emperor consort begins. PS: This is purely a work of fiction. Organization, events, situations, and names are purely created by the author's imagination. Thank you.

(DON'T read it if you don't want to get depressed, lose some brain cells, be filled with rage and get satisfied.) I warned you. -- Rebecca finally broke off her loveless marriage of seven years with the wealthiest and most influential family in England, the Aldines.  Marrying Winston Aldine out of convenience and hope to one day love her is one of the regretful decisions she made when she was a naive young girl.  After three years of no contact with the Aldine family, she finally got the courage and power to take back her kids and pay back the Aldines for what they did to her for the past ten years, with the help of her past lover, Vanh Huxley. -- A story of a mother, daughter, and woman who ascended from the bottom to the summit of the pyramid.  --Excerpt-- "You're really cruel, aren't you?" She says in between her sobs. She then wipes her tears and takes a deep breath. "I have loved you enough, and..." she paused and intently looked him in the eyes. "I think I'm finally done this time. I'm done loving you, darling." He froze in his spot because he knows deep down that she's telling the truth; her eyes are always innocent and honest; that's why he chose her. (A/N: Want more? Read it now :) Don't forget to add it to your library, ok? xoxo)

Su Nanzhi was born with a heart condition and was once told she wouldn't live past 18. But she survived, and with her extraordinary eyes, her heart was trained to remain untroubled. The first time she saw Jiang Beiyu, she heard a song beating "thump thump" in her chest. He was so handsome. Su Nanzhi fit the image of a delicate beauty all too well, and she happened to have been nurtured in a rural village for over a decade. Her uncles, brothers, and sisters in the family looked at her as though she were a performing monkey. That is, until this performing monkey shed all her covert coats... Theater 1: Owing to Su Nanzhi's heart condition, her classmates were always afraid to say anything too stimulating, even speaking to her in soft, gentle tones. Later, at dawn, a few classmates who loved horror films bumped into Su Nanzhi at a midnight showing in a movie theater. Classmate: “…” Is the tolerance for heart disease this high now? Su Nanzhi: Will you listen to my explanation? You might not believe it, but the ghosts in the movies aren't as scary as the ones she saw when she first started out. Theater 2: The handsome and distinguished young man read Su Nanzhi's old journals and found out how she had drooled over her own face for more than just a day or two. He frowned as if he had encountered a problem trickier than Goldbach's Conjecture and finally couldn't help but ask her: “Are you sure you're just into my face?” “My body is pretty good too, do you want to check it out?”

She makes me feel hate, anger, desire, lust and something even more dangerous – love. ***** Amelia (Amy) Shawls, the legitimate and perfect princess of real estate mogul, and serving senator, Gregory Shawls, had it all –wealth, beauty, brain and a fiance who doted on her. But amidst her few admirers and plenty haters, were her vile stepmother and her envious stepsister, who sought to destroy her and take away her inheritance. Amelia's seemingly perfect life took a dark and scary turn on the eve before her celebrity marriage, when she gets a text message from her fiance, Jerry, asking her to meet him up at their favourite restaurant. On her way, Amelia is kidnapped and taken to an unknown location where she narrowly escapes her abductors only to end up crashing into a river. When Amelia finally regained consciousness a week later, she discovered that her life and everything she ever loved and worked for had been stolen from her by those who claimed to love her. Vengeful, she strikes a deal with the handsome but vicious devil, who rescued her from the jaws of death. ----- Meet Blaze Anderson, the charming but ruthless CEO of the Andex group. His heart is as cold as ice and his mere name caves terror in the heart of people. Blaze harboured a deep resentment against Amelia's entire family and would stop at nothing to see all of them, including Amelia destroyed. What would happen when the line between deep hatred and passion slowly thins out? Would Amelia ever consent to love after learning the bitter truth behind Blaze's assistance?

Plagued by the same dream every night Hazel refused to fall asleep but just like always her eyelids grew heavy and she succumbed to sleep. She somewhat found herself in the same dream again but this time around the interior of the room looked more lavished than her room. She held her breath when she heard footsteps but the sound faded right after door. She clenched her dress out of anxiousness as she awaited the man who has been visiting her in her dreams. A cold wind passed in the room as it snuffed out the only source of light and a shiver ran down her spine . She was determined to know who this man actually was and so held her ground even though she was scared . She felt a hand grab her waist and she tilted her head to look at his face . As if on cue lightning striked revealing an impeccably handsome face which she had never met before , what caught her eyes the most were his red eyes ' a vampire !' she thought frozen. Never had she ever imagined the person to be a vampire. She tried pulling herself out of his embrace but his grip prevented her . "You're mine" he whispered and she felt goosebumps on her skin before she could comprehend what was happening he dipped his head in her neck , marking her as his forever. Hazel was the youngest daughter of the renowned duke Donovan Wiltchiz, she was not only overshadowed by her elder sister but was barely noticeable in society because her parents would let her sister have all the attention. Due to this she recoiled into the shadows of her sister and fell in love with the gardener's son almost forgetting about the outside world until the night of hallow when the lord of the land , the lord of darkness Sylvester Reigns claims her as his when they haven't even met before

An unknown fog spreads all over the world. When the fog begins to appear scary monsters, unknown items, and chaotic songs, fear suddenly spreads to everyone like a virus. Now people realize...the world is divided by the fog...but At the same time, the fog can let you go to other worlds. Will you step into the fog to start your journey? I had no choice because the fog had already engulfed me. When I walked out of the fog, I found myself in a strange forest, full of bright flowers on the ground, many long black trees covering the rays of the sun, and ruins of a mythical white palace. This world has arcane elements, bizarre creatures, magical items, and even eldritch deities. I start my journey, maybe I can find the way back home, or live in this world.

I want to quit being a guardian knight because the love of the saint is too heavy.

WARNING! -DARK ROMANCE- A shifter will only have mate from their kind, but what happens if you are the last creature of your kind? Lycan. He is the last of his kind and is the most terrifying type of shifter. But, as scary as he was, he was alone. However, in order to survive, you don’t have to be the strongest, just deadliest. *** He looked at her like he had never seen anyone before. The sight of her calmed the rush in his ears, the beat of his heart and finally he was able to focus again… “She is no longer your responsibility. She is mine to deal with now,” the lycan said.

An unearthly beauty with black hair, snow-white skin, and bright red lips... Yue Ran has been told that she was born exceptionally beautiful for as long as she can remember. She meets all people's expectations for beauty, but she is a girl who loves no one but herself. Only such a person can be invincible in many small worlds. Ah, but there is one thing she lacks: free will. [World 1- White Rich Beauty (Completed)] Villain: "You saved my life, but I still treated you so badly… How about I promise you with my body?" Male protagonist: "Don’t be scared, Ran Ran. Don’t look if it’s scary." Male Supporting Character 1: "You look very beautiful today." Male Supporting Character 2: "Yue Ran, you are the one who provokes me first!" [World 2 - Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (Completed)] [World 3 - Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (Completed)] [World 4 - Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (Completed)] [World 5 - White Lotus Transfer Student (Completed)] [World 6 - The Gentle Psychiatrist (Completed)] [World 7 - Blackened Junior Sister (In Progress)] [World 8 - Substitute Bride of the Demon King ()] [World 9 - Young Lady With a Heart Disease ()] + - + - + - + - + - + Also known as: "I am a villain, and I act like a villain, but everyone loves me", "I feed on love". + - + - + - + - + - + [Current Update Schedule: 2 chapters/week] + - + - + - + - + - + Please help support me at: ko-fi.com/xanaclarke Every donation is greatly appreciated!

In a cruel world and with many difficulties, he was able to achieve his dream of entering Sanfort University. But who would have thought that fate would want something else for him and that's why his life path would undergo a big change. The path he had just started was destroyed by an unpredictable event. Unbeknownst to him, he was facing death, his body was being crushed under tremendous pressure, and blood was flowing from his emerald eyes, and that deadly energy broke all his bones and gave him a painful death, without being able to struggle for life. But his soul remained in this world due to anger and hatred. So he took a hard and scary way to find out the truth of his horrible death and find the killer and take revenge on him. Will it all end with finding the killer or are there more hidden things? He is accompanied by a creature called the Night King of the Dead to find the secrets of this world and sow the seeds of despair and misery in the hearts of his enemies. The cover is not mine. I took it from Pinterest.

He just became the newly-crowned movie emperor when he died a tragic (actually, very stupid) death. On his way to cross the NaiHe bridge, he managed to evade Meng Po and not drink her soup. Thus keeping the memories of the life that he just had. But he would never have imagined that he would be reincarnated hundreds of thousands of years later. In the Interstellar era! If it happened to other guys, they would definitely want to be a mecha warrior. Don't most men dream of that at least once in their life? But sadly, that's not for him. There's only one goal in his mind - to be the number one star in the Interstellar era. With the knowledge and skills he got from his past life, he would definitely achieve it. But who was this annoying person who kept on pestering him? A certain prince smiled in a scary and crazy way: Cook food for me or else die. = a few months later = A certain prince leaned over and moved his face closer: I don't need food, I could just eat you. A bad tempered yandere gong X a reincarnated movie emperor shou *NaiHe bridge - a bridge that souls crossed to enter reincarnation **Meng Po - the lady on the Naihe bridge who gives out soup that lets the souls forget their memories, thus entering the cycle of reincarnation in a clean slate. Twitter: @tyramisu_wn IG: @tyramisu_novels

When you have felt the warmth of a mothers protective embrace. Along with living in a safe haven carved by your father's blood, sweat, and tears. Having those safe feelings torn away from you can cause one's will to crumble. The world starts to look more cruel, people start appear more scary, and chasing the mindless flicker of light becomes impossible. Once a safe feeling is ripped away only darkness is left. What would you do if you were presented with the same love and care in a world ridden with war. Where life is but a mere string that could break at any moment; where danger lurks in the places you least expect it to. What would you do to keep your loved ones safe and happy? Would you lay low and keep yourself hidden from the world and count your limited days—even though people would call you a coward and selfish? Or would you confront the dangers and be their protective shield—even though doing so would endanger your own life—and people would call you reckless? To be honest, there is no definite answer to these questions. Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow and shut down your brain to listen to your heart. In this world where war is everywhere, and peace is nothing but a fleeting dream. ––– Let's build a world with our imagination where our dreams can be realised! Let's build a world where reality is fiction and fiction is reality! ––– I don't own the cover pic, if you do, feel free to tell me, I'll remove it immediately. ––– All editing credits: Me and My friend Fox

Desperate times they say, call for desperate measures. Fiona Lopez, after her mother gets diagnosed with cancer turns to a hire a girlfriend agency in order to foot her mother's medical bills. Having successfully paid for the medical bills, Fiona decides to find a decent job before her mother is discharged but gets caught up in a web when she goes for her job interview only to find out that her supposed boss is none other than the man she had played a fake girlfriend for on her last job. Desperate for a job, and not wanting to return to her former job, she is forced into working closely with him even though she doesn't want to. While working closely with him, she soon realizes that love bridges all gaps when she finds herself falling helplessly in love with Liam. Liam Parker is a dashingly handsome, aloof, and indifferent young CEO of the PK Enterprise. After his last relationship where he caught his girlfriend getting engaged to a business partner, Liam decided that he wasn't cut out for love. But when he turns to hiring a girlfriend in an attempt to evade marriage, everything changes for Liam when he meets and falls for his hired girlfriend at first sight. Not only does he fight to get Fiona's love, but he fights to gain approval from his mother too. *****Excerpt**** "I'm sorry Mr. Parker but you have it all wrong. We don't have sex with our clients. It's against protocols," she explained and Liam nodded. "No one would know we did it, right? I won't tell and surely you won't," he said and Fiona looked at him incredulously. "I guess you're drunk," she said flatly and he nodded and stood up. He walked closer to her and whispered to her ears, causing goosebumps to sprout all over her body. "Yes, I'm drunk and you're the only one that can sober me up right now. So, how much?" he asked and Fiona gave him a confused look. What was he asking? How much what? Did she tell him she was selling anything to him? She mused as her brows drew together. "How much? How much for what?" she asked and he ran his finger down her cheek, making it hard for her to concentrate. "How much would it cost me to have my cock buried inside you....." before he could finish, a hot-sounding slap landed on his face, causing him to turn to the side.

(Mature content) “I don't share, plain and simple” His voice resonated. He was relaxed, in a sort of scary-calm way which was beginning to seem worse than shouting. The military uniform he was wearing still had drops of blood, it made looking at him a little bit painful…The Alpha Commander shouldn't have sunk those awful wolves on him. But Hardy never complains. And he never loses too. He was a predator, everyone else is prey. “I will give you a choice, Kitty…go and suffer with your deadbeat ex-boyfriend or stick with me and I will make him worship at your feet" *** Warning: Male lead dotes on FL. ML is Dangerous, FL is Adorable ** Cover is not mine. Credit goes to the owner

The Apocalypse descended as the world turned into a game. And while everyone panicked, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something wrong with my eyes. [Logging into the Game Master’s Account!] And my ‘oh-so-average’ destiny, changed into ‘is this a cheat life?’ Kind of destiny. [Would you like to Create a Skill? GM Points will be consumed!] While others struggled to kill a single goblin, I was searching for stronger monsters. While they were happy with getting even a random weak skill, I was customizing what kind of skills I needed. Even my Talents and Gifts can be customised. The only limit was my imagination. Heck, even the hidden quests that people would trigger randomly were present in front of me even before the scenario began.  It wasn’t fair by any means. But isn’t that how life is already? [Would you like to make changes to the quests in the next scenario? GM Points will be consumed!] Is this how an apocalypse is supposed to be? I don’t know. I just tried following the script in front of everyone while trying out my cheat in hindsight. Don't get me wrong with the ‘pig eating tiger’ kind of thing. I just don’t like attention. I would rather stay with two trusted friends than with 10 fake ones. [Would you like to Initiate a Custom quest for the Players? GM Points will be consumed!] And for the players who were bullying the ‘weak’ me. One may even wonder how they ended up losing half of their stats and skills in a randomly triggered impossible type of quest.  Fate can be truly scary, you know?  One must always be careful of it.

There was a popular comic that captured the hearts of readers not because of its plot, but rather the bromance between the two protagonists, a crown prince and a duke. Their friendship & mutual trust led fans to ship them endlessly, with countless fanfiction stories ranging from dating to marriage or even incorporating omegaverse settings. One particular m-preg fanfic novel became extremely popular among fans, where the previously cold duke becomes pregnant. But the popularity of both the original comic and this novel caused everything to become unbalanced, until something strange happened - these works of fiction turn into real worlds that collided, creating an error that connected them together. In the world of the comic: Carlton from the fanfic world gazed up at his husband with longing eyes. "Husband..." He pouted, "Why don't you kiss me today?" Alaric from the comic world recoiled slightly and goosebumps broke out over his skin as he moved away. "Please don't come close to me..." He said tersely. Meanwhile, in another world: Alaric from the fanfic world, pulled his beloved Carlton into a warm embrace and peppered kisses on his cheeks. "Darling, are you mad at me?" Alaric asked affectionately. "It's okay, you're still cute." He leaned down to whisper into his ear before continuing. "But don't forget to comfort all our children, they think you're mad at them." Suddenly, seven children barged into the room and called out to their fathers. "Father, Daddy!" they exclaimed. Carlton's frozen expression spoke volumes about his state of mind as he tried to process what was happening. His murderous gaze fixed on Alaric as he muttered through gritted teeth. "Whose children do you say they are....?"

Have you ever wondered how a person who was supposed to be dead was walking in front of you? or why you are trapped in a mysterious paranormal game and the rules that are set in place to protect you are falling apart, Or Maybe you just want a short spine chilling tale to end the day? Have you ever just thought about Paranormal things? Most people will tell you they are Nonsense but here, we will learn about all the Paranormal with you.

The book of Chaos has been handed down throughout generations of the Windsom family. Gerald Windsom, a 75 year old man and grandfather to a girl in her teens( Anna Windsom) is the current guardian to the book of chaos. The book contains all the evils of the world ruled by the ruler of chaos himself "Death". All the creatures of chaos were sealed over thousands of years ago and peace had been maintained since then. Gerald warns Anna to never open the book no matter what happens which she did promise. Will Anna listen to her grandfather and prevent the end of the world or will she decide to open the Book of Chaos?

5 years ago in the southwest wood there something happened that had given goosebumps to all the country. After that incident whenever someone cross the woods at midnight they gone missing. And after 2 days their dead bodies was hanging in the trees. There is someone who knows everything but she was in coma for 5 year .........................so join me in this mysterious adventure to find the truth .

Theodor had turned 18, happy birthday! Oh, he got drunk, Truck-kun happened, and he woke up in the cultivation world in the body of a baby thrown near the market. On his first day in this new world, Theo was adopted by Veronica, a kind woman seeking to start a female-only sect on the outskirts of the continent. At first she says he has no talent for cultivation, which was quite scary, but then a calming ding resounded in his mind during his first meal. *Ding!* [Achievement: Sucker!] [You have been breastfed for the first time, you get ten years of cultivation.] Luckily, he got a system! *No NTR *No Yuri *No incest *Yes a variety of kinks (With some of the harem members)

Yo, what's up?! So, imagine this—one day I’m just chillin', living my best life, and then BAM! I wake up in this crazy Isekai world with this weird energy zapping through me. I'm like, "What in the world is going on?!" It's hype, it’s scary, it’s like nothing I've ever seen. And let me tell you, this place? It's got secrets everywhere, and my story is more twisted than a pretzel factory. Like, seriously, this world’s got more surprises than your wildest dreams. Stay tuned, because it's about to get wild up in here!

Adrian has always been a skeptic, a lone figure drifting through life with only his cat, Vermi which he picked up recently, to keep him company in a desolate city. But his world is shattered one snowy night when a ghostly figure cloaked in darkness appears, leading him to an ancient mystery and marking him with a strange vine tattoo. As he unravels the truth behind his haunting encounters, he discovers that this isn’t just about survival—it’s a journey to lose his sanity, piece by piece, while battling forces beyond comprehension. In a world where reality and the supernatural blur, Where his modern life in Japan is coming to an end. Adrian isn't any hero however, he's rather selfish. ____________________________________ (No romance.) There may be some gory or more like scary stuff in here so please, the ones with weak hearts (just like mine) please take precaution before reading this. I won't really add in much flash warning stuff now but in the very very near soon future I will so please, prep your hearts (I'll prep my heart and brain). The Art work isn't mine, it's from a artist/Illustrator from Twitter/X. I'll put their username so the credits shall naturally go to them. Artwork creator- Omuoic

Life is given for free but happiness comes with a cost that many can't afford to pay. *********** Even with the dark grey clouds that hovered over the vast sky and the dim light provided by the fire torch that was on the verge of being blown off by the wind, he could still see the glimmer in her eyes. The very same glimmer that appeared in those brown eyes everytime she was happy and for some reason, tonight he was unable to resist hir urges to steal a part of her. She was still standing by the door waiting for him to leave but he had not taken more than three steps before he halted and turned. His features were darker in contrast to the white shirt that he wore and the look on his face was a predatory one. Instead of getting scared, she watched him take the three stairs that led to her room's door and he was a few inches away from her, he finally spoke up. "If there is one thing that I hate, it's having regrets and I know that I will regret if I do not do this." A part of her was confused by his words and another part felt like she knew what he meant by those words. Before she even had a chance to contemplate on what he had just said, he leaned closer, curled his index finger on her pointed chin and tilted her in an angle such that she could feel his cold breath on her face that caused a shiver to run down her spine. Like she had been hypnotized, all she could do was to stare in those obsidian eyes that had held her captive. "This is a mistake that I want to commit again and again." His breath fanned on her face and goosebumps formed on her skin. Not because of the wind, but because of the effect he had on her. If it was some time before, she would have probably pushed him away or maybe escaped but as time had passed by, her feelings towards him had changed...

He grabbed her hand and turned her to him. She tried struggling but his hold was firm, " you are mine Audrey, whether you like it or not, you are mine" He groaned the words to her. " no I'm not" That only made him chuckle and then carried her to his desk. Acting like a caveman possessed, he moved all things on his desk to the floor violently. " You shall serve your husband as you should, right on this desk" He said and smirked before pecking her on the cheek. Audrey had goosebumps from his touch but she could not summit so willingly like she craved him. " Aiden, stop" her words came out like a whisper but he heard her. " No man on earth can stop me from having you little Audrey " With that, he started ravishing her right on his desk.

"Hello there, as you heard from whatever those strange words are, I’m basically a mushroom, but in reverse, instead of leeching energy off dying things, I give energy to… the dying? To those that ask for it? No no, that’s not it… hmmm… oh that’s right! To those that need it! Well, that’s how it was supposed to go, but something unexpected came up, I would say they are going completely overboard as they tried to off me. All I know is that I helped someone in dire need of it and now, I’m being chased by these scary people, I can hide pretty good, but they are looking for me thoroughly, and they are somehow tracking me, all I can do is keep running, or would that be jumping? Oh, it doesn’t matter!” "I heard something over there!" ‽ ‽ ‽ "Oh shoot they heard me moving, I have to get going now, bye whoever you are, I wish you a good life!" Follow a unique little mushroom in a fantasy world where both nature and civilization are at the top, neither dominating nor succumbing to the other. Nature, monsters, animals, as strong as ever, and the humans, orcs, elves, demons, you name it, are just as proficient, each in their own way. Monsters hunting, killing, dominating the others... the sentient races gathering and growing for survival and betterment in their lives, and in the middle of all that, is our small, uncanny, mushroom friend… well, lets see what happens, shall we? (Art: “Shroom home” by Know-Kname on DeviantArt)

This is about a forbidden love into the anime verse so read and find out

What happens when Stacey convinces Leo to join her, and her friends as they explore an abandoned mental asylum? As they delve deeper into the long dark hallways, they learn they aren't alone. What else is in there with them? When Leo and Stacey don't return home the next morning people grow worried. Are they dead? Or worse, trapped? Book two of The Lost series. Trigger warning: SCARY!!! Mentions of abuse, suicide, self harm, drug and alcohol abuse, and murder.

A secret mission was all it took for Elise to gain the infamous twins, Azael and Reuel's attention and from then on, there was no stopping them. While the twins want her, Elise wants nothing to do with them. Amidst the growing infatuation and feelings, Elise has even to protect herself from the danger she has unknowingly put herself into. ---------------------------------------------------------------- “You were ours the day you stepped inside our club,” Azael said as he strode towards her and Elise took a step back instantly. “I belong to no one.” She declared as she maintained her gaze on him. But her wavering voice gave her away and Azael arched his lips, taking it as a challenge. “Are you sure, darling? Why does your heartbeat say otherwise?” Reuel approached her from behind and Elise was now trapped between the twins. “I…” Elise licked her lips as she maintained her gaze on the man before her while her mind was focused on Reuel’s wandering hands that were inching towards her waist. “You what, gorgeous?” Azael probed as he smirked at her evilly and Elise was lost in his mysterious depths instantly. “Tell us you want us, Elise.” Reuel urged from behind. “Tell us, baby. Tell us you want us as much as we want you.” Azael ran a finger along her arm and goosebumps peppered on her skin instantly. “Tell us, Elise.” And that was all it took for Elise to surrender. “I want you.” ---------------------------------------------------------------- This book contains mature content including violence and sexual themes. It is also a reverse harem romance and explores many different aspects of BDSM. Read at your own discretion. This book will be posted on RoyalRoad