Can you recommend some from top ten scary short stories?

Sure. There's a story about a cemetery at night where the tombstones seem to glow. Another is a story of a werewolf - like creature that haunts a small village. And the story of a possessed book that makes people who read it go insane.

These top ten stories are terrifying for multiple reasons. They use elements such as the supernatural, as in 'Carmilla' with the vampire theme. The psychological aspect is also strong. In 'The Masque of the Red Death', the prince's attempt to escape death is a futile psychological battle. And the element of shock is present too. In 'The Lottery', the sudden revelation of the true nature of the lottery is a shock that leaves readers horrified. They also often have a sense of inevitability, like in many of Poe's works where the characters seem doomed from the start.

One of the top scary short stories is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a narrator who is driven mad by the old man's 'vulture - like' eye and ends up murdering him, then being haunted by the sound of the dead man's beating heart.

Well, from 'top 100 short scary stories', there are many great ones. For instance, there's a story about a girl who moves into a new apartment and starts seeing a shadowy figure that always stands in the corner of her bedroom at 3 am. It slowly creeps closer each night. Another story is about a small town where people keep disappearing near an old well. It turns out there's a malevolent spirit down there. Also, a story about a doll that seems to move on its own and has a really creepy face.

One characteristic is the element of surprise. Stories like 'The Open Window' rely on a sudden twist at the end to shock the reader. A lot of these stories have morally ambiguous characters. Take 'Lamb to the Slaughter' for instance, the wife who kills her husband is not a typical villain. And they usually create a strong atmosphere. In 'The Masque of the Red Death', the vivid descriptions of the different rooms and the presence of the Red Death itself create a very spooky mood.

Most of them have a sense of the unknown. For example, in 'The Monkey's Paw', the family doesn't know what exactly will happen when they make a wish, and that mystery creates fear. They also often have a build - up of suspense. Like in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's growing paranoia before he finally commits the act keeps the reader on edge. And many of them deal with the darker side of human nature, such as in 'Lamb to the Slaughter' where the wife's sudden act of violence shows how people can snap under pressure.

Sure. 'The Tell - Tale Heart' is a great one. It's about a narrator who is haunted by an old man's vulture - like eye and eventually kills him. Another is 'The Lottery' which has a shockingly cruel ending in a seemingly ordinary small town.