One great psychological horror short story is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It tells the story of a woman's descent into madness while being confined to a room with yellow wallpaper. Another is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. The narrator's obsession and guilt over killing an old man is deeply disturbing. And 'The Monkey's Paw' by W.W. Jacobs, where a family makes wishes on a cursed paw with terrifying consequences.
The uncertainty. In psychological horror short stories, it's often not about the big, obvious monsters. It's the things you can't quite put your finger on. For example, in 'The Yellow Wallpaper', the slow breakdown of the protagonist's mind is terrifying because you don't know exactly how far she'll go. The mind is a powerful and unpredictable place, and these stories play on that.
It's the mind games. Psychological horror stories mess with your head. They often make you question your own perception of reality. For example, in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's unreliable account makes you wonder what's really going on.
A great psychological horror story is 'Rosemary's Baby' by Ira Levin. The way Rosemary is manipulated and her growing paranoia about her pregnancy and the people around her is a classic example. 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson is another. The house seems to have a psychological hold on the characters, preying on their fears and insecurities. And then there's 'Don't Look Now' by Daphne du Maurier. The grief and guilt that the main characters experience are twisted into a psychological horror as they encounter strange events in Venice.
Typically, they are likely to have elements of the unknown. The fear of the unknown is a common characteristic in horror. For example, an unexplained sound or a shadow that moves on its own.
Often, they create a sense of unease and fear quickly. For example, they might start with a strange or disturbing setting like a haunted house or a desolate graveyard.
Here are some recommended short horror novels: The Haunted House, The Secret of House Number 417, The Six-fingered Bride, Five Steps to the Road of the Wronged Ghost, The Book of the Seven Spirits, and the 7Truth series. These stories all had exciting plots and a terrifying atmosphere, suitable for readers who liked horror stories.
There was a young man named John who liked to read alone in his room at night. One day, when he was reading a horror novel, he suddenly heard a voice. He looked up in surprise to find a dark figure standing in his room. He tried to scream, but his voice became weaker and weaker. He felt a force slowly approaching him, making it impossible for him to escape.
John became more and more afraid. He began to search every corner of the room in an attempt to find the source of the shadow. However, he could not find any clues. Finally, he felt his body grow weaker and weaker. He felt that he might have died.
When he woke up again, he found himself lying on the floor and surrounded by darkness. He tried to stand up but found that he had lost consciousness. He searched the room again in an attempt to find the source of the shadow. This time, he found something strange. It seemed to be a hand locked in the wall. He tried to open it but found it stuck.
John was getting more and more afraid. He began to imagine what would happen if the black shadow appeared in front of him. He tried to scream, but his voice was already hoarse. Finally, he felt his body grow weaker and weaker. He felt that he might have died.
When he woke up again, he found himself lying in bed and surrounded by darkness. He tried to stand up but found that he had lost consciousness. He searched the room again in an attempt to find the source of the shadow. This time, he found an ancient diary with some strange names written on it. He tried to open it but found it stuck.
John was getting more and more afraid. He began to imagine what would happen if the black shadow appeared in front of him. He tried to scream, but his voice was already hoarse. Finally, he felt his body grow weaker and weaker. He felt that he might have died.
When he woke up again, he found himself lying on the floor and surrounded by darkness. He tried to stand up but found that he had lost consciousness.
Here are some recommended short horror novels: The Haunted House, The Secret of House Number 417, The Six-fingered Bride, Five Steps to the Road of the Wronged Ghost, The Book of the Seven Spirits, and the 7Truth series. These stories all had exciting plots and a terrifying atmosphere, suitable for readers who liked horror stories. I hope you like these recommendations!