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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of horror short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

6450+ 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.

Horror Short Stories – Page 4 of 431

Hand-Me-Downs

Submitted to Contest #296

Doorbells and knocks—easily the worst noises on this space rock, especially when you're elbows-deep in a blood-soaked carpet and there's a pile of limbs in your tub.I froze, the whimsical bell chime I bought online a few months back mocking me with its funny tune. The box cutter in my hand turned to concrete, every muscle in my body warming under the panic.I waited, hoped they would go away. The ticking of my grandmother’s grandfather clock filled the space as I held my breath.The moment stretched long enough for me to finally let my lungs o...

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Come Outside

Submitted to Contest #296

In the space where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, Herman Bandey's afternoon routine is but a veil, soon to be lifted by the uninvited. Here, in this humble house at the edge of the woods, the threads of philosophy intertwine with the supernatural, edifying the idea that the truths we seek may lead us down a path where shadows dance and reason fades.Herman’s key rattled in the lock, a familiar sound that usually brought a sigh of contentment. It felt strangely hollow this late afternoon, as if the house itself was holding its breath. H...

15 likes 2 comments 2
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Fatestitcher

Submitted to Contest #296

Content Warning Please note that this short story contains references to:Implied off page sexual violence/rape, gore, blood, murder, mental health conditions, physical violence, abuse, fantasy theology, and religious trauma. Fatestitcher “You must kill her.” It crumbled before him, as if it were an intricate play orchestrated by the universe to remind him how small he was again. He was suddenly sent back to a memory—a memory of being small and obsolete, where men wished to see him break.After all, why would they wish to see him thrive, for h...

8 likes 0 comments 0
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Three Wishes, Minus One

Submitted to Contest #296

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions; Lena’s was paved with three wishes, the last one granted on a rainy night when she thought she could save humanity.The rain fell in sheets across the windshield, each drop illuminated momentarily by the passing streetlights before being swept away. Lena’s eyes burned from twelve hours behind the wheel, her third consecutive day pulling a double shift. The Uber app chimed—another pickup.“Five more rides,” she whispered, massaging her temples where a headache bloomed like ink in water. “...

36 likes 17 comments 17
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Necessary Evil

Submitted to Contest #296

When Aria arrived in the president's office, it was dark and empty. The moonlight cast long shadows, giving the place a slightly eerie feel. Bookshelves filled with files and clutter lined the walls, making the urge to snoop almost overwhelming, but Aria forced herself to resist. She had enough leverage for now. She could always come back later.As Aria had known she would, the President herself arrived just ten minutes later, followed by a rather frenzied-looking assistant who could barely see over the stack of folders and files in her arms....

6 likes 1 comment 1
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Inception Syndrome

Submitted to Contest #295

I open my eyes to the blank screen of my computer. Shit! Did I doze off? My small apartment is filled with the golden, reassuring light of my bedside lamp, which I never turn off. The microwave's display tells me it's three in the morning, but it always lies. My alarm clock agrees, but it also lies. My small loft has two entry points: on my right, the entrance door, locked, chained up, obstructed by a chest. On my left, the window, covered with thick, black curtains that even the midday sun cannot penetrate. Who knows what I would see if I p...

18 likes 4 comments 4
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The Guardians

Submitted to Contest #295

No one visits the cemetery anymore. Rotting flowers sparsely dot the landscape, melancholy remnants of forgotten grief. Branches of cracks snake through the once pristine stone road. The plant life also runs wild—ivies sticking their tendrils in decaying headstones, weeds and grass climbing knee-high, and worms nibbling away at corpses and coffins, unseen. Two stone guardian angels stand at the gate of the cemetery. Their bodies stand frozen in a mournful stance: their two clashing swords are raised high, but their faces hang low, as if repe...

8 likes 1 comment 1
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Honest Advertisement

Submitted to Contest #295

Having a job where you must watch someone else’s kid is one of the most emotionally tiring jobs one can have, especially if you like the kids, let alone the parents. My job gives me the feelings and joy of motherhood, but I also have to experience the heartbreak of stepping to the side when their mom is around. I don’t get to raise these kids my way, instead I am forced to follow the rules set forth by the parents who are too pre-occupied to oversee parenting themselves. The rewards are great though. You get to create amazing memories that ...

5 likes 1 comment 1
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Carry On

Submitted to Contest #295

My star is rising; I can feel it. There was a buzz in the air when I entered the lobby of Pinnacle Agency’s offices this morning. Something big is coming and I’m going to make sure that I’m the one that receives it.It’s been six months since I landed a role here—the top marketing agency in the city—and I am thriving. My razor-sharp focus, relentless drive, and unyielding confidence love organizing the chaos, juggling a dozen campaigns at once with ruthless efficiency.Almost as if cued, my boss arrives at my office door just as I drop my lapt...

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The Girl of his Dreams

Submitted to Contest #295

  I saw her again. I don't know if I was awake or still dreaming, but I definitely saw her. I thought all of this had ended after the funeral but now I don't know. Is this a haunting? Is it just stress from what happened with Dave? Jimmy said that maybe if I write down everything that's occurred, I can get it out of my head and I can finally sleep again. Even though it feels wrong after what I found. But here goes. Poker Night   It started a few weeks ago, right before Halloween. It was a regular poker night at Frank's, but Dave wa...

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Handed Down

Submitted to Contest #295

*Depiction of blood/injury.* “Sorry for your loss, Randall.” Mark said gently. “I have known your father since high school, he was a good man. I’ll give you a minute, let me know when you are ready.”“Thank you, I’m ready.”“Alright,” Mark said, handing him a document. “Here’s a copy of his will. Read it over and let me know if you have any questions.”Randall had known this day was approaching. His father’s health had been declining over the past few months. He had stopped drinking fluids and had required hospital visits for IV treatments. ...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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Tam's Grab and Go

Submitted to Contest #295

Denny checked her watch again. It was five o'five. The cafe door jingled as someone walked it. Denny leaned out passed the tables blocking her view. A man leaned out across from her, and continued to block her view. He seemed to be looking right through her.Denny turned around and then back at the man. There was nothing behind her. She furrowed her brow as she leaned out more from her seat to get a look at the new customer. She caught a glimpse of a yellow purse. Nash would have something like that. But she couldn't see the person, her view ...

6 likes 0 comments 0
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The Alley

Submitted to Contest #295

Name’s John. I just left my company mandated AA meeting I have to visit each week after being awol or drunk at work for almost a month. You are probably wondering why I wasn’t just fired, it’s because they know and understand.About two months ago, my family and I were on a trip to visit my parents and were on our way back. It was a long trip, and I was getting tired, the rain was falling in a soothing rhythm, to a point I drifted off for a second… that second was all that was needed, as I swerved into incoming traffic. I managed to pull a si...

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Veil of Madness

Submitted to Contest #295

Clara didn’t know what she was looking at exactly. The scene that played out before her made her skin crawl, and she wanted to run, but fear locked her in place. Out of the fear responses that she could have, of course it had to be freeze. All she could do was pray to the gods that whoever, or whatever she was staring at wouldn’t notice her lurking in the background. There were three figures that emerged from a disheveled metal conex box hidden deep within the woods. Only one of them appeared to be human, but using the word human seemed wron...

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The Doom from the Empire's Hand

Submitted to Contest #296

Morphan, the eldest of the Chemibrion Oligarchs, was the most devastated among them about the loss of Explosmuto during this wretched war the Holometa Hive had caused. It wasn't enough the hive-minded fools used their Lepturoban assassins to take Gastrictus from them when he was sent to oversee the progress of the Pleurodan Research and Development facility on the island of Heraclon. They had to take their other brother during the war. Further adding insult to injury was the fact that Lepturobans dealt the final blow to Explosmuto within the...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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