What are some good free short horror stories?

Edgar Allan Poe has some great horror short stories that are often available for free. 'The Tell - Tale Heart' is a classic. It's about a man who is haunted by the sound of his victim's heart after murdering him. The psychological horror in it is really intense.

A really good free short horror story is 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe. It creates a vivid and terrifying picture of a plague - ridden world and a prince's attempt to escape it. 'The Thing on the Doorstep' by H. P. Lovecraft is also excellent. Lovecraft is known for his cosmic horror, and this story is a great example, with its otherworldly and menacing elements. And 'The Birds' by Daphne du Maurier is a great choice too. It was the basis for the famous Hitchcock movie and has a sense of impending doom as the birds start to act strangely.

Some modern authors also offer free horror short stories. For example, some emerging horror writers post their works on platforms like Wattpad. You can search for horror short stories there, and if they are available for free and printable, you can get them. Additionally, there are anthologies of short horror stories by various authors that are sometimes offered for free on websites promoting new horror literature.

Good copyright - free short horror stories often have a strong sense of atmosphere. They quickly draw you into a spooky setting, like a haunted house or a desolate forest at night. For example, in many classic short horror stories, the description of the environment makes you feel as if you're right there in the middle of the horror.

One popular one is 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs. This story is also copyright free as it's been in the public domain for a long time. It has a very eerie and suspenseful plot about a magical monkey's paw that grants wishes with unforeseen and often terrifying consequences.

They often have a strong sense of atmosphere. The setting is described in a way that makes you feel like you're right there in the spooky place. For example, a haunted house story might vividly describe the creaking floors and cold drafts.

Often, they can be quite diverse in terms of themes. Some might focus on psychological horror, like exploring the dark corners of the human mind. Others could be more about supernatural elements such as ghosts or demons.

One of the well - known copyright - free horror stories is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a short but extremely creepy story about a man's descent into madness over an old man's 'vulture - like' eye. Another is 'The Cask of Amontillado', also by Poe, which involves a dark and vengeful plot of one man trapping another in a catacomb.

For short horror stories, 'The Phantom's Touch' is a great title. It makes you think of an unseen, ghostly hand touching you. 'The Darkest Hour' implies that something truly terrifying happens during the darkest part of the night or a difficult time. 'The Hollow Eyes' is also quite effective as it makes you wonder what kind of creature has those hollow eyes.

Horror evil free short stories often use the power of suggestion. They don't need to show something blatantly evil to create horror. For example, just a strange noise in an empty house can make the reader's imagination run wild. The setting can also play a crucial role. A desolate landscape or a small, claustrophobic room can add to the sense of horror. Moreover, the characters' reactions to the situations are important. Their fear and confusion can be contagious to the reader, making the story feel more horrifying.