great scary stories

You could start with 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a classic that builds up a great sense of paranoia.

One great title could be 'The Haunting of Blackwood Manor'. It gives a sense of a spooky place being haunted. Another could be 'The Shadow in the Alley', which makes you think of something lurking in the darkness. And 'The Cursed Doll' is also a good one as cursed objects are often very scary in horror stories.

Words like 'gloom', 'eerie', and 'haunting' are great for scary stories. 'Gloom' can set a dark and depressing atmosphere. 'Eerie' gives that feeling of something strange and unsettling. 'Haunting' implies that there is something that lingers in a spooky way, like a haunting memory or a ghost that won't go away.

The story of the lake monster is also quite spooky. In a deep, cold lake, there is said to be a huge, scaly creature. Fishermen have reported seeing something large and dark moving under their boats. One time, a small boat was capsized, and the only survivor claimed that a long, tentacle - like thing wrapped around the boat and dragged it under. Ever since then, people are afraid to go too close to the center of the lake at night.

The 'Magnus Archives' is a top pick. It has a really unique concept where each episode is like a different file in an archive of horror. The stories range from the mundane turned terrifying to full - on supernatural horror. 'Welcome to Night Vale' is also well - known for its spooky and surreal storylines. It has a very distinct style that makes it stand out among other horror podcasts. It's not just about scaring you but also making you think about the strange world it presents.

One great scary story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a narrator who is haunted by an old man's vulture - like eye and his descent into madness as he plots to kill the old man.

There's a story of a forest that is rumored to be cursed. Hikers who enter often get lost, no matter how well - equipped they are. They report seeing a figure in white that disappears when they get closer. It's as if the forest doesn't want people to discover its secrets, and the white figure might be a lost soul from some long - forgotten time.

One scary story could be about a haunted house. A family moved into an old, large mansion. At night, they would hear strange creaking sounds from the attic. The children often saw a shadowy figure moving in the hallway. One day, the youngest child went missing. They searched everywhere but only found his teddy bear at the top of the attic stairs. It was as if the house had swallowed him up.

One scary story is about a surfer who was suddenly attacked by a great white shark while waiting for a wave. The shark bit his board first, then came back for him. He managed to punch the shark in the nose which made it swim away, but he was severely injured.

The movie 'Jaws' was based on some real - life great white shark stories. There were a series of shark attacks in New Jersey in 1916 that inspired the story. These attacks were very brutal and created a sense of fear among the local people. The movie then spread the idea of the great white shark as a terrifying predator all over the world.