There's also 'The Monkey's Paw'. A family comes into possession of a cursed monkey's paw that grants wishes but with horrible consequences. Their first wish for money results in their son's death at work, which is a very dark and scary turn of events.
One example could be 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who kills an old man because he is disturbed by the old man's 'evil eye'. The narrator's descent into madness and his paranoia as he hears the heart still beating beneath the floorboards where he hid the body is truly terrifying.
One deep scary story could be about a haunted old house. A family moves in and starts to experience strange noises at night. Doors open and close on their own, and cold spots are felt throughout the house. They soon discover that a tragic murder happened there years ago and the spirit of the victim is still trapped.
One example is 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It shows the selfless love between a young couple. They are poor but each sacrifices their most precious possession to buy a gift for the other, which reveals that love is about giving and sacrifice.
One example could be 'The Grudge'. It tells the story of a vengeful spirit that haunts those who enter a certain house. The curse spreads and brings a lot of horror elements like the strange noises and the appearance of the spirit in unexpected places. Another is 'A Tale of Two Sisters' which has a complex family drama intertwined with spooky events. The sisters seem to be haunted by something from their past and the movie, based on a short story, has a very eerie atmosphere.
One good example is '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 eventually murders him. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw'. In this story, a family gets a magical paw that grants wishes but with terrifying consequences. And 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson is also very scary. It shows a small town's annual lottery which has a dark and cruel ending.
One of the best short scary stories is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who kills an old man because he's unnerved by the old man's 'vulture - like' eye. The murderer hides the body under the floorboards, but he starts to hear the old man's heart still beating, which drives him to confess. It's a classic that plays on guilt and paranoia.
One well - known scary Japanese short story is 'The Ring'. It's about a cursed videotape. When people watch it, they receive a phone call saying they will die in seven days. Another is 'Tomie'. Tomie is a beautiful but malevolent entity who has the ability to regenerate and drive those around her to madness and murder.
One example could be a story about a little star that feels lost in the vast sky. It then embarks on a journey to find its place, meeting different constellations along the way. This kind of story can make you think about self - discovery.
One could be 'The door creaked open. A shadowy figure with no face stared at me.'
One story could be about a haunted house. A family moves in and at night, they hear strange noises. Every door they open leads to a darker and colder room. Eventually, they see a shadowy figure that disappears when they approach. It's a classic but effective short scary story.
There are stories of divers who claim to have seen ghostly figures while exploring the deep ocean. These could be the spirits of sailors who perished at sea long ago. Some also tell of a strange, deep - sea glow that seems to move on its own, as if it's a living entity. It might be some kind of bioluminescent creature, but its unearthly appearance makes it very scary.