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- The Puppy in the Basement. This short ghost story, found on Reddit, is super creepy: “Mommy told me never to go in the basement, but I wanted to see what was making that noise.
- Nun Chucks. Michelle Froelick Young had a strange experience with her two year old daughter, submitted to Movie Pilot: “When my daughter was 2, I found her twirling paper towel tubes, tied with twine, in the air.
- There's Someone Under the Bed. Sometimes the very short ghost stories are the best, and this tale, from Reddit via Buzzfeed, tells the story of a father putting his young son to bed
- The Chair. This short tale starts benignly enough, with a friendly-seeming ghost playing with children, but when you learn the origins of the ghost – and just why the ghost is moving the object around the room, it quickly gets a lot creepier.
- The soul ripper. Used to live in a landed property, and one time I heard my dad let out the most drawn-out, bloodcurdling scream I’ve ever heard in my life – like, full-on horror movie type of scream at around 2AM-3AM.
- The unexpected goodbye. There’s this belief that when someone in the family passes, their soul will linger on earth for 7 days before they move on. My grandma passed before Chinese New Year back in 2009, so my relatives and I were waiting for her to “appear”, especially my dad being the youngest and closest to her.
- Lack of personal space. This happened when I was in the army during BMT and it was my first supernatural experience ever. It was during field camp on the first night.
- The sleep demon. I was studying for my O-Levels so I had really irregular sleeping hours. One night, at about 4AM, I woke up suddenly. I could feel my skin touching the blanket, but I couldn’t move anything, not even my eyes.
Find online horror stories of various themes and styles, from hauntings and murderers to terrifying creatures from the deep. Read the winning and recommended stories submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts, a weekly writing contest.
- Ray Bradbury, “The Veldt” (Saturday Evening Post, 1950) “George, I wish you’d look at the nursery.” “What’s wrong with it?” “I don’t know.” “Well, then.” “I just want you to look at it, is all, or call a psychologist in to look at it.”
- Tananarive Due, “The Wishing Pool” (Uncanny Magazine, 2021) Joy nearly got lost on the root-knotted red dirt path off of Highway 99, losing sight of the gaps between the live oaks and Spanish moss that fanned across her hood and windows like fingertips.
- Samanta Schweblin, tr. Megan McDowell, “Headlights” (2019) When she reaches the road, Felicity understands her fate. He has not waited for her, and, as if the past were a tangible thing, she thinks she can still see the weak reddish glow of the car’s taillights fading on the horizon.
- Joyce Carol Oates, “Zombie,” (The New Yorker, 1994) My name is Q.P., and I am twenty-nine years old, three months. I see my probation officer, Mr. T., Thursdays, 10 a.m., and my therapist, Dr. E., Mondays and Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.;
- “The Mezzotint” by M. R. James (published 1904) A Cambridge University man who collects art on behalf of the museum receives a mezzotint engraving of an English country house.
- “Squire Toby’s Will” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1868) In a mouldering estate in the north of England, an old squire dies and leaves a divisive will for his two sons to feud over.
- “The Open Window” by Saki (1911) An Englishman goes to a restful country spot to cure his nerves, but while meeting the neighbours he hears a ghostly story that may set him back considerably.
- “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce (1890) Set in Alabama during the Civil War, this is a haunting story of a Southern civilian who attempts to sabotage a Union-held bridge.
Apr 4, 2024 · From stories that will chill your blood to atmospheric and mysterious tales, these are some of the best short ghost stories to read by the fireside.
Oct 14, 2021 · If you love horror stories and need a good scare, check out these 20 chilling tales by acclaimed authors. From ghosts and witches to doppelgängers and bog girls, these stories will haunt your dreams.
