6090+ Horror Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From hauntings and murderers to terrifying creatures from the deep, our collection of horror stories will have you breaking out in cold sweats. Take a look… if you dare.

🏆 Winning stories

“Sweetbread: An Epilogue” by M. Darrow

🏆 Winner of Contest #274

My sister has always had a soft heart. Soft as sweetbread.She cried after the old woman, despite everything. Maybe because of everything. I remember holding her as she wept, both of us covered in soot, her fingers scalded from holding shut the oven door. After the tears, she was quiet. She trailed me through the awful house with its sweetbread walls and sugared windows. I found the clothes we’d arrived in, offered up her kirtle, and she donned it without a word. She showed no whisper of response when we found the treasure in the attic, ...

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“Venus Buried” by Asia W

🏆 Winner of Contest #273

The girl in the graveyard is your best friend, so you take her home. The night is a bruise between you, a blotch of rogue in the passenger window; the colour of fruit left out to fester. The body pries at her seatbelt, a finger, then two. The radio echoes static, the body shuffles in her seat. You study the face; the similar slice of jaw, the nose humped from where a baseball had hit her at twelve, just slightly off centre. The skin like a rain-licked plastic bag. The stink of musk and sulphur. You want to look away but you cannot. She's so ...

135 likes 81 comments 81

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“Drone” by Mortimer Ridgewood

🏆 Winner of Contest #272

She first heard it while she was making coffee.The morning was already off to a rough start. Rachel had woken up, lazy and languid in the wake of her twice-snoozed alarm, and reached for her husband’s side of the bed. Much to her disgruntlement, the spot where he should have been was empty and cold. She glared at the empty space for a moment, then promptly snoozed her alarm again out of spite. One of the downsides of working from home was she missed out on good morning kisses as Mark got ready for his morning commute. The upside, however, wa...

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⭐️ Recommended stories

“Santa’s Right-Hand Guy” by Ej Vizzard

Submitted to Contest #281

Ah, Christmas in Bavaria. For most folks here, it’s a time to lounge by the fire and watch snow gather on the mountains. For Santa and me, it’s the busiest day of the year. We tramp from house to house with our sacks, knocking on doors. He pulls gifts from his bag for the good kids; I stuff the naughty ones into mine. Their eyes widen the second they see my gnarled horns. By the time I bare my fangs, they’re usually bawling so hard I don’t need to show them my snakelike tongue—but I do anyway because it’s a howl. Then I jam them, beggin...

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“COFFIN SHIP” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #281

Captain’s Log. Captain Charles Anson, HMS Partition. November 12th 1732 Thank God! I breathe a great sigh of relief that, thus far, we are incident free. Our first port of call in charge of mine own ship, HMS Partition, as we sink anchor in Madeira. We shall take on provisions and fresh water here and I anticipate a delay of only two days before we depart for the Americas; two days when I can relax from the stresses of captaincy that have weighed heavily upon my shoulders.  I have treated myself to several casks...

7 likes 1 comment 1

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“Beneath the White” by Susan Zalick

Submitted to Contest #281

The snow fell in thick, swirling curtains, blanketing the narrow mountain road as Sophia gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands. Her breath clouded the inside of her windshield as the wind howled through the pines, blurring the world in a swirling gray and white haze. Her car's heater was fighting a losing battle against the bitter cold; she had been driving for hours, eager to make it home for the holidays. Just as she was about to turn onto the main road, the car sputtered loudly—once, twice—and then fell silent. "No, no, n...

4 likes 1 comment 1

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✍️ All stories

“Box” by Karen Gregory

Submitted to Contest #281

It arrived amongst the junk mail and bank statements. It arrived unmarked and unassuming four days before Christmas. It’s been sitting on my kitchen table for three days. I haven’t opened it. There’s no postage on the brown packaging. It doesn’t even bear my name. I’m still not sure its meant for me. The package was surprisingly heavy, and when I picked it up off my front step, it felt as if it was unwilling to be suspended. As if gravity refused to let this particular item go airborne without a fight. I heaved it onto the table and put my ...

0 likes 0 comments 0

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“Embers of Discontent ” by Kaitlyn Stadler

Submitted to Contest #281

Joshua was a contradiction; his ailment being the constant failure to unconditionally love his wife during her recovery from pregnancy. The 32 weeks leading up to the preterm birth of his surprisingly healthy baby, Ethan, were a long, faithless journey. Although it had been difficult to watch his wife convert into a stranger, he still hoped that this newfound uneasiness would settle like the wind lost in a valley and that the life of a loving family would truly begin.Bethany, his wife, sat in the passenger seat of the 2002 rusted Jeep Libert...

10 likes 7 comments 7

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“I AM A WEREWOLF BUT I’M DIFFERENT” by Chuck Suave

Submitted to Contest #281

I am a werewolf, but I’m different.I am trapped between two worlds. A beast in the flesh and a man in memories. My very existence is a defiance of nature's order. An anomaly created by moonlight and torment. I vividly recall my transformation into the man-beast I have become.Beneath the light of a full moon, the change began. I had been camping and fishing at the lake. Doubling over in pain I thought I’d just got a tummy bug. The pain intensified and my veins were bulging under my skin. I could feel my muscles twisting and rippling in my bod...

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“The Shadow of the Yule Beast” by Makayla Bunchek

Submitted to Contest #281

CW: Graphic descriptions In the shadows of the night, there isn’t a single eye open, a single person wandering, or a single peep within each home. The only sound is the soft snoring of the families in bed, yet, deep within the shadows of the home is the one thing children fear.“He knows when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake”, a song we always associate with Kris Kringle. Yet, there is another that hides in the shadows. Deep in the night, when all are whisked...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“White Elephant” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #281

white elephant/,(h)wīd ‘elaf(ə)nt/ nounA possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of. They both stared down at the box, the snow scrolling uncannily to the ground as if in a vacuum, falling on the shallow drifts that glowed iridescently under a cloudless sky and full moon beyond the rails of the porch.  The box, a nearly perfect cube about the size of a big basketball, was neatly wrapped in red and gold and white paper, an ornate Damascus pattern. The lid independen...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“A Few Quiet Moments” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #281

Since I have been alive, it has snowed twice in Los Angeles. The first time, I was fifteen years old, taking the bus to school and the white flakes began to fall. I remember how the world stood still for a few quiet moments. Everyone stopped. People got out of their cars. We couldn’t believe it. Snow in LA? Impossible. Yet there it was. It was so incredibly magical.The second time it snowed, I was thirty. I remember the flakes grazing the top of my head, falling onto my nose like soft kisses. I remember looking up and being dazzled by all th...

7 likes 6 comments 6

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“Happy Horror Days” by Jerry Thomas

Submitted to Contest #281

It only took Brian a short while to jump over the fence—or, in more adequate terms, to slide over it. The snow had fallen for three straight weeks, a little here, a little there, but the cold temperatures—the coldest of the year so far—did not allow any of the white stuff to melt, and the accumulation was now over thirteen inches. to this date, nearly eight of the twenty-one days broke a low-temperature record. This unusual cold for the early part of December kept many inside their dwellings with the thermostat on high, a few logs in th...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Christmas Murders : A Story Through A Cats Eyes” by Emily Housman

Submitted to Contest #281

Part One "It was a dark, snowy night, Christmas Eve they called it ...a night I'll never be able to forget." The street lights were dimly lit as I wandered around the sidewalks. I was beginning to lose hope. I'd be out in the wind and snow for days with nothing to eat. Belly growling, I took one last look up and down the sidewalk, my feet slightly sticking to the frozen concrete, nose red and sore from the wind, when she scooped me up. "Look Honey, I found this little guy outside on the sidewalk." she said as she carried me th...

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“The Woman in White” by Dawn Bliss

Submitted to Contest #281

You learn a lot when you pick up waiter gigs during the holiday party season. People are so busy being merry and bright they tend to overlook you as you dart about with trays of tasty treats and sparkling spirits. This means you hear lots of juicy snippets shared between celebrants. Now, it’s a given there will be snarky gossip and cutting judgements, but you really don’t expect to witness a vicious manifestation of regret and shame.  It began when a woman dressed in white arrived fashionably late. A soft hush fell over the handful of p...

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“The small impression that we leave” by Penelope Stansfield

Submitted to Contest #281

Another knock at the door and Susan hastened down the hallway to welcome her friends.  “Come in, Alice, Bobby, oh, I love that dress, wine, oh thank you!” “How are you Susan?  It’s been ages since we’ve seen you.” “Oh, you know, here, give me your coats, Darren, Darren?!  Can you get a drink for Alice and Bobby please?” “Hello you two, good to see you!  What will it be Bob?  Beer, whisky?  G and T Alice?” Darren led Alice and Bobby to the modest, mid-century living room where the other friends and neighbours wer...

8 likes 2 comments 2

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“Blind Date” by Júlio Miranda

Submitted to Contest #281

The taxi driver, who had been driving for two and a half blocks at very low speed, turning and craning his head and neck, paying attention to the house numbers, finally signaled to the right and parked next to the curb, in front of a mansion worthy of a Hollywood movie, in the most upscale neighborhood in the city. He disengaged the car and pulled the handbrake. “We’re here?” he turned and asked. “I sure hope so…” the passenger muttered, dumbfounded, his mouth already open before the words had even begun to come out. He didn’t look at the dr...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Jester” by Daryl Barber

Submitted to Contest #281

The Jesterby: Daryl Barber Last Christmas I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away…crooned the voice from the loudspeaker, as Lacy and John swiveled their hips in time to the music. “How about some drinks to cool us off?”, asked John, straining to raise his voice over the sound of the song. “Sounds great!”, said Lacy, giving a thumbs up sign. She continued to dance, while John made his way over to the refreshment table. It was a very festive scene. Red and green lights swirled from the ceiling, making colored dots on the d...

5 likes 0 comments 0

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“Santa’s Right-Hand Guy” by Ej Vizzard

Submitted to Contest #281

Ah, Christmas in Bavaria. For most folks here, it’s a time to lounge by the fire and watch snow gather on the mountains. For Santa and me, it’s the busiest day of the year. We tramp from house to house with our sacks, knocking on doors. He pulls gifts from his bag for the good kids; I stuff the naughty ones into mine. Their eyes widen the second they see my gnarled horns. By the time I bare my fangs, they’re usually bawling so hard I don’t need to show them my snakelike tongue—but I do anyway because it’s a howl. Then I jam them, beggin...

1 like 0 comments 0

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“COFFIN SHIP” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #281

Captain’s Log. Captain Charles Anson, HMS Partition. November 12th 1732 Thank God! I breathe a great sigh of relief that, thus far, we are incident free. Our first port of call in charge of mine own ship, HMS Partition, as we sink anchor in Madeira. We shall take on provisions and fresh water here and I anticipate a delay of only two days before we depart for the Americas; two days when I can relax from the stresses of captaincy that have weighed heavily upon my shoulders.  I have treated myself to several casks...

7 likes 1 comment 1

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“Impulse Control” by Jessica Stradinger

Submitted to Contest #281

Disclaimer: Mild language and sexual nuance.“Where the hell is it?”Nancy was fussing about the kitchen, looking for the wine opener. She crashed through drawers, slamming them shut after nearly taking them off their runners jerking them open. She could feel Thomas was watching from the doorway.“Having fun?” She quipped sarcastically. “Nope, just hoping it'll make you aware there are other people around.”Nancy sighed. She hated when she got like this. It was always over stupid, pointless things, but her whole body would shake with violen...

6 likes 4 comments 4

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