Can you recommend some short real horror stories?

A hiker got lost in the woods. As night fell, he found an old, abandoned cabin. Inside, there was a single candle burning on a table. He sat down to rest, but then he heard a low growl outside. Looking out the window, he saw a pair of red eyes in the darkness. The growling grew louder, and he knew something was coming for him.

Sure. One might be 'The Haunting of Blackwood Manor' which was quite popular in 2018 horror short stories. It had a really creepy atmosphere with a haunted house setting and strange noises in the night.

One short horror story could be 'The Bus Stop'. A woman waits at a lonely bus stop late at night. Every time a bus comes, the driver just shakes his head and drives on. Finally, an old bus arrives and the door opens. Inside, she sees all the passengers are pale and motionless, and as she steps in, the bus drives into the darkness.

Once, I was home alone at night. I heard strange scratching noises from the attic. Every time I tried to listen closely, it stopped. But as soon as I relaxed, it started again. I was too scared to go and check.

Maybe there's a story of a cursed object. A young girl finds an old locket in an antique store. Once she puts it on, she starts having vivid nightmares of a terrifying figure. The nightmares become more and more real, and she realizes that the locket has a connection to a long - forgotten evil that is now targeting her.

One more interesting short horror story is 'Carmilla' by Sheridan Le Fanu. It's an early vampire story that predates Dracula. It tells the story of a young woman who is visited by a mysterious female figure named Carmilla, and strange and terrifying events unfold as a result. These stories are all great examples from the list of short horror stories.

Sure. One of the scariest could be the story about the haunted house where every night strange noises and apparitions appear. It builds a great sense of dread with its detailed descriptions of the creaking floors and cold spots. Another good one might be the tale of the cursed object. When people touch it, they start to have nightmares and then things from their nightmares start to invade their real lives. And there's also the story of the lost souls in the forest. People who enter the forest get lost and are haunted by the wailing voices of the souls that never found their way out.

Sure. 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe is a great one. It's about a narrator who is driven mad by the old man's 'vulture - like' eye and ends up killing him.

Well, there could be a story in there about a cursed object. Maybe a doll that seems to move on its own and brings misfortune to those around it. The suspense in these stories is what makes them so engaging.

Another great one could be about a cursed object. In horror short stories, cursed objects often bring misfortune to those who possess them. The story might follow the journey of a person who finds this object and the series of terrifying events that unfold as a result.