One common theme is revenge. Ghosts often return to seek revenge on those who wronged them in life. For example, in many stories, a murdered person may come back as a ghost to punish the murderer.
Henry James' 'The Turn of the Screw' is also an old ghost short story worth mentioning. It tells the story of a young governess who is in charge of two children in a large, isolated estate. She becomes convinced that the place is haunted by the ghosts of former servants, and the story is filled with ambiguity and psychological horror.
You can find old short ghost stories in many classic literature anthologies. Libraries usually have a good collection of books that include such stories. For example, books on gothic literature or horror anthologies are likely to have them.
Well, there's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman in a small, spooky town. Then there is 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' by M. R. James. It features a rather eerie apparition that is summoned by whistling an old tune.
It really depends on the specific ghost stories. Some can be centuries old, passed down through generations. Others might be relatively new, created in recent times.
They often rely on simple yet effective elements. Like the use of a single, unexplained sound in the middle of the night to create fear. And they usually have a small cast of characters which makes it easier to focus on the horror. For instance, a lone traveler in a haunted place. The stories in 'short story short ghost stories' also tend to have a twist at the end that leaves the reader with a sense of unease.
The one where a little girl's ghost haunts her old bedroom. She died of an illness and now her presence can be felt when the room is cold. It's really spooky.
Yes, they can be. Ghost stories often play on our fears of the unknown, and in this book, they might be especially spooky. The short format allows for quick jolts of fear.
I can answer short ghost stories like:
Somewhere, there was an old house that was said to be inhabited by a mysterious ghost. One day, a young girl walked into the house and found that the room was cold, damp, and full of shadows. After walking around the house, the girl heard a deep voice. She approached the source of the voice and found that it was an ancient mirror. The girl didn't know what to do, but she felt the ghost in the mirror watching her. In the end, the girl's courage and wisdom allowed her to successfully defeat the ghost and walk out of the house.
The following is a short collection of ghost stories:
There was a young woman who often heard strange sounds at night. She tried various ways to solve these problems, but the sounds seemed to be more and more real. Finally, she found that the sounds came from her closet.
A couple went to a mysterious restaurant for dinner at night, but they found that there were many strange symbols and marks in the restaurant. Finally, they found that their names and addresses were written on the napkins on the dining table.
An old lady often heard her grandson's voice at night. She tried all kinds of ways to solve this problem. Finally, she found that her grandson's soul was possessed by a teddy bear.
A man often heard a woman's voice. He tried all kinds of ways to solve this problem. Finally, he found out that this woman was the reincarnation of his deceased wife.
A couple went to a mysterious hotel at night. After checking in, they found an ancient map in their room. There were many strange places marked on the map. Finally, they found that these places were the places they had been to together.
An old man often heard his daughter's voice. He tried all kinds of ways to solve this problem. Finally, he found that his daughter's soul was possessed by a bird.
There was a boy who often heard his mother's nagging. He tried all kinds of ways to solve the problem and finally found out that his mother was actually a ghost.
A programmer often heard the sound of the computer at night. He tried various ways to solve this problem, and finally he found a malicious software hidden in the computer.
The above is a short collection of ghost stories. I hope you like it!