One good free short horror story is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a psychological horror that delves into the mind of a woman slowly losing her sanity. Another is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe's masterful use of pacing and unreliable narration makes it a classic short horror story. And 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs is also great. It shows how a simple wish - granting object can bring about terrible consequences.
Edgar Allan Poe has some great horror short stories that are often available for free. 'The Tell - Tale Heart' is a classic. It's about a man who is haunted by the sound of his victim's heart after murdering him. The psychological horror in it is really intense.
A really good free short horror story is 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe. It creates a vivid and terrifying picture of a plague - ridden world and a prince's attempt to escape it. 'The Thing on the Doorstep' by H. P. Lovecraft is also excellent. Lovecraft is known for his cosmic horror, and this story is a great example, with its otherworldly and menacing elements. And 'The Birds' by Daphne du Maurier is a great choice too. It was the basis for the famous Hitchcock movie and has a sense of impending doom as the birds start to act strangely.
Some modern authors also offer free horror short stories. For example, some emerging horror writers post their works on platforms like Wattpad. You can search for horror short stories there, and if they are available for free and printable, you can get them. Additionally, there are anthologies of short horror stories by various authors that are sometimes offered for free on websites promoting new horror literature.
Good copyright - free short horror stories often have a strong sense of atmosphere. They quickly draw you into a spooky setting, like a haunted house or a desolate forest at night. For example, in many classic short horror stories, the description of the environment makes you feel as if you're right there in the middle of the horror.
For short horror stories, 'The Phantom's Touch' is a great title. It makes you think of an unseen, ghostly hand touching you. 'The Darkest Hour' implies that something truly terrifying happens during the darkest part of the night or a difficult time. 'The Hollow Eyes' is also quite effective as it makes you wonder what kind of creature has those hollow eyes.
A story about a house with a locked room that no one has opened for decades. The new owner of the house is curious and finally manages to break the lock. Inside, there's a single chair in the middle of the room. As soon as they step in, the door slams shut behind them. They feel a cold presence. Then, they start to see apparitions of people who seem to be trapped in the room, reaching out to them with desperate looks, as if they want to transfer their own trapped state to the new owner.
Horror short stories can be sourced from various places. Libraries are a treasure trove. You can find collections by renowned horror authors like Stephen King. His short story collections are filled with hair - raising tales. Additionally, some e - book platforms have a wide selection of horror short stories, both free and paid. And don't forget podcasts; some horror podcasts not only tell horror stories but also recommend great sources for more horror reading.
Some interesting apocalyptic horror short stories are 'The Veldt' by Ray Bradbury. It's about a family living in a high - tech house where the children's virtual reality nursery takes a dark and dangerous turn, hinting at a world out of control. 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson also has elements of apocalyptic horror. It starts as a seemingly normal small - town lottery but ends in a shocking and brutal way that makes you question society's dark underbelly. 'A Sound of Thunder' by Ray Bradbury is another. It shows how small changes in the past can lead to a terrifying and apocalyptic future through time - travel gone wrong.
There are several horror publications for short stories. 'The Dark Magazine' is a great choice. It publishes high - quality horror short stories that often deal with psychological horror elements. 'Shock Totem' is another publication that has a great collection of horror short stories. They cover a wide range of horror sub - genres, from supernatural horror to more realistic and gritty horror. And don't forget about 'Cemetery Dance', which also features some excellent horror short stories among other horror - related content.
There's 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl. In this story, a woman kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb when he tells her he's leaving her. Then she calmly serves the lamb to the police officers who come to investigate. It's a story full of dark humor and horror. Another short horror story is 'The Most Dangerous Game' where a man is hunted like an animal on an island by a deranged hunter. It shows the horror of being the prey and the lengths a person will go to survive.