One great option is 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' by Alvin Schwartz. It contains a collection of really spooky short stories that have been popular for years. The tales are often accompanied by creepy illustrations which add to the overall horror atmosphere.
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.
You can check your local library. Libraries usually have a good selection of horror books, including those with short stories. Just ask the librarian for help if you can't find it right away.
In my opinion, 'The Call of Cthulhu' is one of the most terrifying. It involves an ancient, otherworldly being that drives people mad just by the knowledge of its existence. It's a Lovecraftian horror that plays on the fear of the unknown and the cosmos.
One more interesting short horror story is 'Carmilla' by Sheridan Le Fanu. It's an early vampire story that predates Dracula. It tells the story of a young woman who is visited by a mysterious female figure named Carmilla, and strange and terrifying events unfold as a result. These stories are all great examples from the list of short horror stories.
Sure. 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe is a great one. It's about a narrator who is driven mad by the old man's 'vulture - like' eye and ends up killing him.
A lot of these stories play with psychological horror. Take 'The Black Cat' by Edgar Allan Poe. The narrator's own guilty conscience and his deteriorating mental state are the main sources of horror. It shows how a person's inner demons can be as terrifying as any external monster.
Well, 'A Descent into the Maelstrom' is one. It tells of a man caught in a gigantic whirlpool, with Poe using scientific descriptions of the maelstrom's power along with the horror of the situation to grip the reader.