good ideas for a short horror story

One idea could be a person moving into a new house. Every night, they hear strange scratching noises coming from inside the walls. As they investigate, they find old, faded photos of a family that looks just like them but with sinister expressions. The scratches start to form words like 'leave' on the walls.

Imagine a forest that is known to be cursed. People who enter it often get lost, even those who are experienced hikers. The protagonist is a journalist who wants to investigate the mystery of the forest. Once inside, he discovers that the trees seem to move and form mazes. He also hears voices that seem to be leading him deeper into the forest. As he tries to find his way out, he realizes that there are strange creatures watching him from the shadows.

One idea could be a haunted mirror. A young woman buys an antique mirror at a flea market. Every time she looks into it, she sees a figure in the background that gets closer each time. At first, she thinks it's just her imagination, but then strange things start to happen around her. Objects move on their own, and she hears whispers coming from the mirror.

One idea could be a person who moves into a new house and every night hears strange scratching noises from the attic. When they finally go up to investigate, they find a diary that details the previous owner's descent into madness and how they were haunted by an entity that lived in the walls. As soon as they start reading, the scratching gets louder and the room grows colder.

A haunted doll would be a great idea. The doll could be found in an attic by a child. At first, it seems like a normal doll, but then it starts to move around at night. It might leave little footprints in the dust or be found in different places in the house each morning. The child begins to have nightmares of the doll coming to life and trying to harm them.

One idea could be a story about an old, abandoned house. A young couple decides to explore it. As they enter, the doors slam shut behind them. Strange noises start coming from the attic, like something is dragging heavy chains. They try to find a way out but every door they open leads to a darker and scarier room filled with cobwebs and the feeling of being watched.

A doll that comes to life at night. It has a creepy smile and moves around the house, leaving little footprints. It seems to be watching the people in the house all the time and can predict their every move, always staying one step ahead of them, creating a sense of constant dread.

A story about a cursed mirror. Anyone who looks into it sees their worst fears come to life behind them. The reflection slowly changes, showing a distorted and terrifying version of reality. The person is then haunted by the images they saw, and they start to lose their sanity as the mirror seems to have a hold on them.

A story about a house with a locked room that no one has opened for decades. The new owner of the house is curious and finally manages to break the lock. Inside, there's a single chair in the middle of the room. As soon as they step in, the door slams shut behind them. They feel a cold presence. Then, they start to see apparitions of people who seem to be trapped in the room, reaching out to them with desperate looks, as if they want to transfer their own trapped state to the new owner.

Imagine a camping trip. A group of friends set up their tents in a seemingly peaceful forest. But at night, they hear strange howls. One by one, they start to see glowing eyes in the darkness. When they try to leave, they find that they are going in circles, as if the forest itself is trapping them. Eventually, they realize that they are being hunted by a pack of werewolves.