Another great one is 'The Monkey's Paw'. In this story, a family comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that can grant wishes, but every wish comes with a terrible and unforeseen consequence, leading to a series of spine - chilling events.
One of the best scary short stories is '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 ultimately murders him, only to be haunted by the sound of the old man's still - beating heart.
There's 'The Monkey's Paw'. In this story, a family comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that can grant three wishes. However, each wish is granted in a twisted and horrible way. Their first wish for money results in their son's death at work, which is a really spooky take on how wishes can go wrong and the unexpected consequences that can follow.
There is a story about a guy who worked late at the office. As he was leaving, he heard footsteps following him in the empty corridor. He was so scared. But when he turned around, it was his clumsy co - worker who had lost his keys and was trying to find them while walking in the same direction. This short story has that sudden shift from scary to funny.
Sure. 'The Monstrumologist' by Rick Yancey is a great one. It has some really creepy short stories that revolve around a monstrumologist and his encounters with all kinds of grotesque monsters. The descriptions are vivid and will send shivers down your spine.
Well, from '50 best scary short stories', 'The Yellow Wallpaper' is quite disturbing. It shows a woman's psychological breakdown as she is confined to a room with hideous wallpaper. Also, 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson is a shocker. It starts off as a normal small - town event but turns out to be a brutal and superstitious ritual.
Well, there's a story in it about a cursed doll. The doll seems to move on its own and has this really eerie look in its eyes. People who come near it start having nightmares. It's quite a creepy one.
From '20 short scary stories', I like the story of the abandoned asylum. The dark corridors and the echoes of screams that seem to still linger there are really terrifying. It makes you wonder what really happened in that place. And the story of the cursed mirror, where people see things that aren't there in their reflection, is also a great one.
Sure. One of the scariest ones could be 'The Haunted House' in it. It's about a family who moves into an old, dilapidated house and starts experiencing strange noises and apparitions at night.
Sure. 'Dark Tales' by Shirley Jackson is a great choice. It has a collection of her finest short horror works. Another one is 'The Collected Ghost Stories of E. F. Benson'. Benson's stories are known for their elegance and their ability to send shivers down your spine. The stories often deal with the supernatural in a very sophisticated way.
Sure. One short scary story could be 'The Haunted Mirror'. A girl bought an old mirror at a flea market. Every time she looked into it, she saw a strange figure behind her that wasn't there in real life. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and smashed the mirror, only to find the figure was now standing right in front of her.
One scary short story could be 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who kills an old man because he can't stand the old man's 'evil eye'. After hiding the body under the floorboards, he starts to hear the old man's heart still beating, which drives him insane. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw'. A family gets a magical monkey paw that can grant wishes, but every wish comes with a horrible price. For example, they wish for money and their son dies at work so they get a compensation payment.