One common element is the setting. Often it's a spooky place like an old house, a dark forest, or an abandoned building. These places create an immediate sense of unease. Another element is the presence of a menacing figure, such as a monster, a ghost, or a deranged human. For example, in many stories, there's a killer who stalks the main characters. Also, there's usually a sense of isolation. The characters are cut off from help, which makes their situation more terrifying.
One gory scary short story is about a haunted old mansion. A young couple moved in, ignoring the rumors. At night, they heard strange scratching sounds. One night, the wife woke up to find her husband missing. She followed a trail of blood to the basement, where she saw a shadowy figure devouring her husband. She tried to run but was caught by the creature. It was a demon that had been trapped in the house for centuries, and now it had new victims.
It depends on your tolerance for gore. For some, it's moderately gory with elements that could shock. But for others who are used to horror, it might not seem overly so.
The story of the old mansion on the hill is quite gory and scary. It was once owned by a wealthy family. But one day, the entire family was brutally murdered. No one knew who did it. Ever since then, those who visited the mansion reported seeing the family's mutilated bodies walking around, with blood dripping from their wounds. It's a place that sends shivers down your spine just thinking about it.
The story of 'Saw' can be considered in this category. A deranged killer traps his victims in elaborate and deadly traps. There are scenes of extreme gore as the victims struggle to escape and often end up mutilating themselves in the process. It's a modern horror story that has terrified many with its graphic and disturbing content.
They appeal because they allow us to explore our fears in a safe way. We can experience the horror through the story without actually being in danger. Also, the gore can sometimes be a way to heighten the sense of danger and make the story more immersive. For example, a story about a vampire attack is scarier when it includes details of blood and torn flesh. It makes the threat seem more real.
Isolation is a theme that can lead to gory situations in short stories. When a character is isolated, whether in a remote location or in a psychological sense, it can drive them to madness and violence. This can be seen in stories where a lone individual in a desolate place starts to act in a deranged and gory manner. The lack of social constraints and the pressure of being alone can cause a breakdown that results in extreme and gory behavior.
One gory short story is 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allan Poe. It involves a man being walled up alive in a catacomb, which is quite a gory and disturbing situation. Another is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' also by Poe, where the narrator's obsession leads to a brutal murder and his subsequent descent into madness with the sound of the victim's heartbeat haunting him.
The mystery aspect in these stories is also appealing. In many scary gory stories, there are puzzles to solve, like who the killer is or what the origin of the horror is. It engages the mind while also scaring. For example, in slasher movies where there's a serial killer on the loose, viewers are constantly trying to figure out the pattern or the identity of the killer. And the gore adds to the shock value that makes it more memorable.
The story of the Rape of Nanking in World War II is a very gory one. The Japanese Imperial Army carried out massacres, rapes, and looting on a huge scale. Innocent civilians were brutally killed, with women and children being the most vulnerable. Streets were filled with blood, and the horror that the people of Nanking endured is almost unimaginable.