best short ghost stories

They often have a strong sense of atmosphere. For example, in many of Poe's works, the setting is dark and gloomy, like old, decaying mansions. This helps to set the mood for the ghostly events. They also usually have a simple yet effective plot. A single, spooky incident or entity can be enough to create a great short ghost story.

One of the well - known collections is 'Ghost Stories of an Antiquary' by M. R. James. It's full of classic and chilling short ghost stories. Another great one is 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson, which contains some truly terrifying short - form tales within it.

One of the best is 'The Monkey's Paw' by W.W. Jacobs. It's about a family who comes into possession of a mummified monkey's paw that has the power to grant three wishes, but with terrifying and unforeseen consequences. Another great one is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. The narrator's descent into madness as he tries to convince the reader of his sanity while he has just murdered an old man because of his 'evil eye' is both chilling and thought - provoking.

One common element is the sense of the unknown. Ghosts are often mysterious, and their presence is not fully understood.

One of the best short ghost stories is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. In this story, the narrator is haunted by the vulture - like eye of an old man. His obsession drives him to commit a heinous crime, and then he is consumed by the sound of the old man's still - beating heart, which he imagines he can hear even after the man is dead. It's a chilling exploration of guilt and madness.

A ghost floated into a bar. The bartender looked at it and said, 'Sorry, we don't serve spirits here.' The ghost was so confused and left. Another one is that a ghost was trying to make a spooky face at a dog. But the dog just licked the ghost's face and the ghost ran away screaming in a funny way.

Well, 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' is among the best ghost short stories. It features the headless horseman who haunts the town of Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod Crane's encounter with this spectral figure is both spooky and memorable. Another one is 'The Turn of the Screw' which is a very ambiguous ghost story. Is the governess really seeing ghosts or is she going mad? It keeps the readers guessing. 'Casting the Runes' is also great, with its tale of a cursed runic inscription that brings misfortune and a ghostly presence.

One great short ghost story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who kills an old man because of his 'vulture - like' eye. The narrator then starts to hear the dead man's heart beating beneath the floorboards, which drives him to madness. It's a classic that really builds up the horror through the narrator's own guilt - ridden mind.

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.