free short scary stories

There's also 'The Monkey's Paw'. This story is about a family who comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that grants wishes but with terrible consequences. You can find free versions of it on various e - book platforms. It's a really creepy story as it plays on the idea of unintended consequences of getting what you want. The tension builds up gradually as the family makes their wishes and the horror unfolds.

There is also 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a psychological horror story about a woman who is confined to a room with yellow wallpaper while she is suffering from postpartum depression. As she becomes more and more obsessed with the wallpaper, the story takes a very disturbing turn.

One popular one is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a classic that's both short and extremely creepy, with the narrator's descent into madness over an old man's 'vulture - like' eye.

Yes, many of them are quite good. Some are written by amateur writers who are really creative and can come up with unique and terrifying ideas. For example, on Creepypasta, there are stories that have given me goosebumps.

Perhaps a story of a man who bought an old antique mirror. Every time he looked into it, he saw a figure that wasn't his reflection. The figure seemed to be getting closer and closer each time. One day, he woke up to find the figure standing at the foot of his bed.

You can try websites like Reddit. There are many subreddits dedicated to sharing short scary stories for free. For example, r/shortscarystories often has a great collection.

Some public libraries offer e - book collections that include free scary short stories. You can check their online catalogs and borrow e - books for free. Also, Project Gutenberg has a wide range of classic literature, and you might find some old but great scary short stories there.

One popular one is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. Since it's in the public domain, it's copyright free. It's a terrifying tale of a man's descent into madness over an old man's 'vulture - like' eye. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw' which is also well - known. It tells a spooky story about a magical paw that grants wishes but with horrible consequences.

They are often concise. Since they are short stories, they usually get to the point quickly, introducing the horror element fast. For example, a story might start with a strange noise in an old house right at the beginning.

One characteristic is that they can cover a wide range of horror sub - genres in a concise way. It could be supernatural horror, like a ghost story, or psychological horror, where the fear comes from the character's mind. Also, royalty - free scary short stories usually have relatable characters at the start. This makes the reader more engaged before the horror elements kick in. They might be about an ordinary person in an extraordinary and terrifying situation. And the endings are often left open - ended or with a final shock to leave a lasting impression on the reader.