The shortest scary story could be 'The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.' It's short but very effective in creating a sense of fear. Just think about it, if you were the last person, who or what could be knocking?
Well, there's also 'She opened her eyes. Darkness everywhere. Then she realized she was already dead.' This short story plays on the shock factor. The moment of realization that you're dead when you thought you were alive is a truly terrifying concept.
One possible shortest scary story is 'I woke up. No reflection in the mirror.' It quickly gives a feeling of unease. Mirrors are often associated with our self - image and seeing no reflection can be extremely creepy, as if you're not really there or something has taken away your essence.
The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.
It might be something like 'The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.' This is super scary because if he is the last man, who could be knocking?
Once, they met and loved deeply. But fate sent him to war. She waited, and one day, got a letter. He was gone. Her love remained, but her heart broke.
A little girl found a star that had fallen. She took it home, cared for it, and when it healed, it flew back to the sky, twinkling at her every night.
I think 'Looked in the mirror. Saw someone else.' qualifies as one of the shortest. It gives that sudden shock in a brief sentence.
Regarding 'She opened her eyes. Darkness everywhere. Then she realized she was already dead.', it's the sudden realization of a terrible truth. The contrast between thinking you're alive and then finding out you're dead is a huge shock. It plays on our fear of the afterlife, of the unknown state of being dead, and the fact that we may not even be aware of our own death.
The shortest Stephen King story could vary depending on how one measures. However, his short stories often pack a punch. They might have a simple premise like a character encountering something strange in an ordinary setting. For example, a man walking down a street at night and seeing a mysterious figure that disappears when he blinks. These short stories show King's ability to create unease in just a few words.
Once a little rabbit lost its way in the forest. It was scared. But then it saw a friendly deer. The deer led the rabbit back home. Simple as that.
Once upon a time, there was a little bird. It flew far away from home. It got lost but then saw a friendly sparrow who led it back. End.
Well, the 'knock shortest horror story' typically involves an element of surprise. Maybe it goes like this: 'Knock, knock. I called out 'who's there?' Silence. I went back to sleep. Then I woke up with a start as I realized the knocking was coming from inside my closet.' It gives that sudden jolt of horror by presenting a creepy situation in just a few words.