good short spooky stories

One spooky short story 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. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw'. In this story, a family is granted three wishes by a mummified monkey's paw, but each wish comes with a horrible and unforeseen consequence. Then there's 'The Lottery' which has a very disturbing ending. It takes place in a small town where an annual lottery is held, but the winner of the lottery doesn't receive a pleasant prize at all.

You can find good short spooky stories in some classic horror anthologies. For example, 'The Twilight Zone' has a collection of really great short, spooky tales. There are also some websites dedicated to horror stories like Creepypasta, where users share their own spine - chilling short stories.

Once upon a time, in an old, creaky house, a girl heard strange tapping on her window every night. One night, she peeked through the curtain. A pale face with hollow eyes stared back at her. She screamed and never heard the tapping again. Maybe it got what it wanted - her fear.

Well, short spooky stories often have an element of the unknown. They might introduce a strange or unexplained phenomenon. For example, in 'The Monkey's Paw', the power of the paw to grant wishes in a twisted way is a mystery. They also usually create a sense of unease quickly. In just a few paragraphs, they can make the reader feel on edge. And they frequently use settings that are isolated or spooky, like the old house in 'The Fall of the House of Usher'.

Good character names for a spooky short story could be 'Nox'. It means night in Latin and the night is often a time when scary things happen. 'Lilith' is a name from Jewish mythology that is often associated with demons and the night. 'Thorn' can be a name that gives the impression of something prickly and dangerous, like a hidden threat in the story.

One spooky Halloween story is about a haunted house. There was an old, dilapidated mansion on the edge of town. Every Halloween night, strange noises could be heard from inside. A group of brave kids decided to enter one year. As they walked in, the doors slammed shut behind them. They saw shadowy figures moving in the dark. One of the kids felt a cold hand on their shoulder but when they turned around, there was nothing there. They ran out as fast as they could, and ever since, no one has dared to go near that house on Halloween.

Edgar Allan Poe is a very famous one. He wrote many spooky short stories like 'The Cask of Amontillado' where a man is walled up alive in a catacomb. Another is H.P. Lovecraft. His stories often involve cosmic horror, such as 'The Call of Cthulhu' which has a sense of the unknown and the terrifyingly large and ancient entities. Shirley Jackson is also well - known for her spooky tales, like 'The Haunting of Hill House' which has been made into a great TV show.

Well, there's 'Carmilla' which is a vampire story. It predates 'Dracula' and has a very eerie atmosphere. The relationship between the main character and Carmilla is both strange and spooky. Then there's 'The Black Cat' by Poe again. A man's alcoholism and his relationship with his pet cat take a very dark and spooky turn. Oh, and 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. It seems normal at first but then turns into a very disturbing and spooky tale about a small town's tradition.

They are concise. For example, 'The empty rocking chair moved on its own.' Just a short sentence can create a spooky atmosphere.

In the old attic, I found a doll. Its eyes seemed to follow me. When I blinked, it was closer. I ran out and never went back.