top 10 most scary horror stories

One of the top scary horror stories could be 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who is driven mad by the old man's vulture - like eye and ends up killing him. Then he hears the heartbeat of the dead man, which could be his guilty conscience. Another is 'The Shining' where a family is trapped in an isolated hotel with malevolent spirits. And 'The Exorcist' is also very terrifying, with the possession of a young girl by a demon.

One of the top scary stories could be 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who is driven mad by the old man's 'evil eye' and ends up murdering him, then being haunted by the sound of the dead man's beating heart. Another might be 'The Monkey's Paw'. A family gets a cursed paw that grants wishes but with horrible consequences. And 'Dracula' is also very scary. It introduced the world to the iconic vampire, Count Dracula, who preys on the living.

I think 'The Exorcist' is one of the scariest. The idea of a child being possessed by a demon is truly terrifying. Also, 'The Conjuring' movies can be very scary as they deal with real - life hauntings.

The unknown is a big factor. In many of these top horror stories, like in 'The Shining', the characters are in an unfamiliar and isolated place. The hotel is full of secrets and strange noises. Another element is the loss of control. For example, in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', people can't control their dreams and are at the mercy of Freddy Krueger. And the idea of the supernatural, like demons in 'The Exorcist', which are forces that humans can't understand or easily defeat.

One of the scariest horror stories is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who kills an old man because of his 'evil eye' and then is haunted by the sound of the old man's still - beating heart under the floorboards. Another is 'The Shining' by Stephen King. The story of a family in an isolated hotel with supernatural forces driving the father insane is truly terrifying. And then there's 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. The idea of a vampire preying on the living and the dark, gothic atmosphere makes it a classic scary horror story.

The unknown. In these top 10 horror stories, a lot of the fear comes from not knowing what's going to happen next. For example, in a haunted house story, you don't know where the next strange noise will come from or what the unseen presence will do.

One of the most influential scary horror stories is 'Dracula'. It has influenced countless vampire stories and movies. Its portrayal of the vampire as a seductive yet deadly creature has become a staple in horror. Another is 'Frankenstein'. It explored themes of creation and the consequences of playing God, which have been revisited in many horror works.

Often, they involve the unknown. For example, in 'The Shining', the hotel has a lot of secrets that are gradually revealed, creating a sense of unease. They also have strong, often evil characters like Dracula. These characters have their own motives for causing harm or fear. Another characteristic is the use of atmosphere. In 'The Exorcist', the possessed girl's room has a very spooky atmosphere that adds to the horror.

One could be about a haunted house where during a sleepover, strange noises came from the attic and shadowy figures were seen on the walls. Another might be the story of a doll that seemed to move on its own during a sleepover. And there could be a story of a sleepover in the woods where a mysterious howling was heard all night long.

A really popular one is 'The Wendigo'. In Native American folklore, the Wendigo is a malevolent spirit that is often associated with the cold and starvation. It's said to have a heart of ice and will hunt down any humans it can find in the forest. The idea of this half - human, half - beast creature lurking in the woods makes it a great scary campfire story.