good short scary stories

There was a boy staying at an old, haunted inn. As he lay in bed, he heard a soft whispering. He couldn't make out the words, but it sounded menacing. He turned on the light, but it flickered and went out. He closed his eyes tight and kept repeating positive thoughts. Eventually, he fell asleep out of exhaustion. In the morning, he learned that the whispering was just the old pipes in the inn making noise.

Good scary short stories often have an element of the unknown. For example, in 'The Yellow Wallpaper', the woman is slowly driven mad by the mysterious patterns on the wallpaper. We don't really know what's behind it all, which creates a sense of unease.

In a small village, there was a well. Legend said that at midnight, a ghostly hand would reach out of it. One night, a curious child went near the well at night. He saw a shadowy shape but then realized it was just a branch swaying in the wind. The moral of the story is not to believe everything you hear.

Perhaps a story of a man who bought an old antique mirror. Every time he looked into it, he saw a figure that wasn't his reflection. The figure seemed to be getting closer and closer each time. One day, he woke up to find the figure standing at the foot of his bed.

There's also 'The Monkey's Paw'. This story is about a family who comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that grants wishes but with terrible consequences. You can find free versions of it on various e - book platforms. It's a really creepy story as it plays on the idea of unintended consequences of getting what you want. The tension builds up gradually as the family makes their wishes and the horror unfolds.

Good quick short scary stories usually create a sense of unease from the very beginning. They use details like a dark and lonely setting, like an abandoned house or a desolate forest at night. These settings immediately put the reader on edge. Also, they might introduce a strange or menacing character, perhaps with a description of their cold eyes or a creepy laugh, which adds to the scariness.

I would recommend 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' by Alvin Schwartz. It has a collection of short, hair - raising stories that are perfect for those who like a bit of a scare. There are stories about ghosts, monsters, and all sorts of creepy things.

There is also 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a psychological horror story about a woman who is confined to a room with yellow wallpaper while she is suffering from postpartum depression. As she becomes more and more obsessed with the wallpaper, the story takes a very disturbing turn.

Yes, many of them are quite good. Some are written by amateur writers who are really creative and can come up with unique and terrifying ideas. For example, on Creepypasta, there are stories that have given me goosebumps.

Good titles include 'Whispers in the Graveyard', 'The Sinister Shadow', 'Midnight's Terror'. 'Whispers in the Graveyard' gives the impression of something lurking among the tombstones, with voices that send shivers down your spine. 'The Sinister Shadow' makes you wonder what kind of menacing presence the shadow represents.