Well, how about this one: A man is driving alone on a dark road and suddenly sees a woman in a white dress standing in the middle of the road. When he stops, she disappears. Spooky, right?
In a small village, there was an old well. Legend had it that a young girl had drowned there long ago. One day, a curious child peered into the well. Suddenly, a pale face with long, wet hair looked back at him. The child screamed and tried to run. But he felt a cold, wet hand grab his ankle. He struggled and finally managed to break free. Ever since then, he never went near that well again.
There was a young girl who moved into an old house. One night, she heard strange scratching noises coming from the attic. When she went to investigate, she saw a faint white figure. She screamed and ran back to her room. But then, the door slowly creaked open, and a cold breeze swept through. She hid under the covers, but she could feel the presence getting closer and closer. Finally, she fainted. When she woke up in the morning, she was still alone in the house, but she could never forget that terrifying night.
For a short ghost story to be scary, it might have a spooky atmosphere, characters who are alone and vulnerable, and maybe some supernatural elements that can't be explained easily. Also, a sudden shock or jump scare can add to the scare factor.
I'm a fan of web novels and can provide all kinds of horror short stories. The following is a short ghost story:
One day, a young couple lived in an old apartment. In the evening, they heard a strange sound, like someone knocking on the door. They opened the door and found a box on a table beside the door. They opened the box and found a corpse inside. They were so scared that they immediately closed the door and called the police. But it was too late when the police arrived. They only saw the box and the body. It was said that this house was once a house where someone died, and this box might have been used to worship the deceased.
A young woman was walking alone on the road in the dark. Suddenly, she heard a deep voice calling her name. The woman turned around in horror and saw a ghost with a twisted face standing behind her. The woman screamed and ran, but the ghost followed her and threatened her life. In the end, the woman successfully escaped the pursuit of the ghost, but her heart was greatly traumatized.
Yes, they can be. Ghost stories often play on our fears of the unknown, and in this book, they might be especially spooky. The short format allows for quick jolts of fear.
One key element is the atmosphere. A dark and quiet place with a sense of isolation, like an abandoned asylum. This makes the reader or listener feel vulnerable. The element of surprise is also crucial. For instance, when a character thinks they are safe and then suddenly the ghost appears. And the backstory of the ghost, if it has a tragic or malevolent past, adds to the scariness.
I once heard about a family that moved into a new house. One night, the little boy woke up to see a shadowy figure by his bedside. It just stood there, watching him. He was too scared to move and when he finally blinked, it was gone.
Effective short scary ghost stories often have relatable characters. When the reader can put themselves in the character's shoes, it becomes scarier. Imagine a story about a person staying alone in a hotel room, which is a common experience for many. Then, if a ghost starts to haunt that room, the reader can better feel the fear. Additionally, using simple yet vivid language to describe the ghost, like 'a figure with a tattered white gown and hollow eyes' can quickly create a scary image in the reader's mind.