The suspense. In dark short stories, there's often a sense of impending doom. For example, in 'The Monkey's Paw', we keep waiting to see what the next wish will bring and how the family will be further punished. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
One really dark short story is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. It's set in a small town where an annual lottery is held. However, the 'winner' of this lottery is stoned to death by the townspeople. It shows how blindly following traditions can lead to horrible outcomes.
A short story of friendship could be: 'A woman dropped her books. Another helped. They started chatting and became friends. It shows how a small act can start a friendship.
Maybe there was a 4chan story where a person was so scared of the dark that they made a 'protective circle' around their bed with toys before going to sleep, believing it would keep the 'dark entities' away. But in the middle of the night, they rolled out of the circle and panicked until they realized it was all in their head. It's quite a funny take on the fear of the dark.
It depends on your tolerance for horror. Some find it very scary with its intense moments and disturbing imagery, while others might not be as affected.
For many people, it is. The combination of creepy tales and the way they're presented creates a sense of fear. But it depends on your tolerance for horror.
Most of them are highly impactful. They often leave a strong impression on the reader. Like, they might have a twist at the end that completely changes your perception of the whole story, making you think about it long after you've finished reading.
Cathedral was a collection of Raymond Carver's short stories and was considered one of his classic masterpieces. This work used a minimalist approach to describe the real predicament of the bottom class in the United States. Carver used rich images in Cathedral, showing the loneliness and silence of the little people, as well as their courage to face life. This collection of short stories was considered one of Carver's masterpieces and was the last collection of short stories he published before his death. Cathedral was recommended by famous authors such as Haruki Murakami and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Therefore, if you're interested in the Dark Church genre, I strongly recommend you read Raymond Carver's Cathedral.