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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.

6520+ 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 417 of 435

Night of Terror

Submitted to Contest #65

Screams of terror carried by the breeze that causes goosebumps, horrified faces that plaster every figure out in the dark night and do not forget the jack o'lanterns that light up the creaky porches. This is what one would call the night of October 31st. This is the night that the devil comes out to play and that little angel on your shoulder  just happens to disappear.  I brush past children dressed as vampires and princesses, their innocence radiating off them as they walk through the streets without a care in the world, and t...

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The Other Side

Submitted to Contest #64

They say the scariest things happen at night - the darkness gives cover to hide all the evil. But for me and my family, that could not be further from the truth. To us, night is a blessed respite from the evil that haunts our days. We have no name for it, for we do not even know and cannot even begin to comprehend what is happening in our house. All we know is that it keeps to the daylight hours, and that we can never escape. We have lived in this house for longer than any of us can remember. So long that none of us can even recall how or ...

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The Ravages of Time

Submitted to Contest #64

The wind brought sheets of rain cascading across the earth, drenching everything which had been left exposed. The few unlucky people who had been caught outside on this cold late-fall Vermont night ran for cover, shielding themselves as best they could from the sudden onslaught of water from above. Windows were slammed shut, curtains drawn, and people sequestered themselves away for the long, stormy night. Amidst the rush to stay dry, one small, squat house on a secluded and lonely drive sat entirely still. The light shining through the cu...

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We Don't Allow Their Kind in Our Neighborhood

Submitted to Contest #65

The community meeting at Christine and Tom’s house was on the very of getting out of hand since the realtor informed Mrs. Tomlin that a pair of gentlemen had bought the old Kroger place at the corner of Wikkup and Strafford.  Looking at the prospective neighbors, neither of the gentleman seemed particularly threatening, but past history had proved that their kind had proved problematic, but city ordinances did not allow discrimination of any kind. Tom Gehring stated it quite clearly, “We don’t allow their kind in our neighborhood.” Wh...

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Pine Hills Graveyard

Submitted to Contest #65

"This has got to be the most boring stake-out that I have been on." Constable Peter Davies of the Odyssey police force, sighed. He took a sip of his coffee. "I realize that, Peter..." Constable Michael Donnelly nodded in agreement and had a sip of his own coffee. He added: " But there has been a report..."He paused in his thoughts: "Actually several reports of graveyard thefts. Someone has been digging up graves and stealing precious artifacts." "Someone?" Peter wondered, "or something?" "Good question." Michael nodded. Constable Michael D...

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A Spirit's Wrath

Submitted to Contest #64

My name is Pytor Alexandr Ivano. I am deceased. For how long, I cannot say. I have never known the time since my arrival. Time hardly means anything anymore. Years start morphing together till you can’t tell when one ends, and the other begins. Whether there's a Heaven or Hell, I do not know. Any place would be better than this castle, which I am confined to wander. I am not the only one here. I’ve seen others. I’ve watched many appear and fade out of existence. I do not know where they go, but I know that I will be joining them soon. I...

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Seal Rock School

Submitted to Contest #64

I stood on the dock sending last-minute texts to my friends and trying to ignore the three adults. My parents’ lawyer, Mr. Black, lifted an umbrella to shield the woman who had introduced herself as Maren Canfield, Dean of Students at Seal Rock School. She finished signing the custody papers and returned the clipboard to Mr. Black. She appeared a no-nonsense woman, with a buzz cut, no jewelry or makeup, and a rain jacket bearing the logo of my new home: an elaborate S.R.S. Her voice was incongruously high and simpering as she called, “I...

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The Last Maid

Submitted to Contest #64

I parked my car in the employee section in the back of the hotel. Once the car stopped, I pulled a picture of my son Jack out from underneath the visor. I gave it a kiss and got out of the car. I walked away from it and locked the doors with my remote. I liked to look back and make sure the lights flash. That’s when I noticed that my car sat there all by itself. There wasn’t a single car in the entire employee section before mine. “Maybe it’s their offseason?” I said to myself. I didn’t care how bad the job was. I needed the money despe...

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The Henderson Manor

Submitted to Contest #64

It was a raw, cold afternoon and the wind was squally and unpredictable. The moors and woodland surrounding us were revealing autumn's swift approach. I watched through my carriage window as leaves of every shade of crimson swirled up and around the tall trees around us, casting invisible spirals stretching far up into the sky before retreating slowly to the ground, as if taking their final breath. We were moving fast. I cannot remember how long we'd been travelling, a number of days certainly, but the journey was so long and arduous ...

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Walter and the Dinner Party

Submitted to Contest #64

“They’re going to be here in ten minutes.”            “What do we do?”            “There’s not enough time to deal with it.”            “Should we tell them the dinner is cancelled?”            “We can’t rescind the invitation now.”            “Th...

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The Manor of Highland Moors

Submitted to Contest #64

It seemed as though they had been driving for days, but it had only been five hours. The twisting, narrow roads through the Transylvanian mountains prolonged the trip. Theresa could feel the knots in her stomach, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the long drive or the fact she just married a perfect stranger. Perhaps it was both. Nevertheless, the ride in the car could not possibly have made time seem to move any slower. The car traveled through a long tunnel through a widely set mountain. Before entering the tunnel, the sky was blue with n...

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Brown Jade

Submitted to Contest #64

An instant after Dennis Wing uttered the words zōng yù to the check-in clerk at Heathrow Airport, a hush like a tidal wave of silence washed over the whole of the departure lounge, reducing the bustling character of the international terminal to the stillness of a crypt. A few more moments passed before Dennis registered that everything around him had slowed to a snail’s pace. He looked around warily to see strangers averting their gazes from his direction. Hands shielding children’s eyes as parents guided them away. Dennis returned his atte...

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Pockets Filled With Pebbles

Submitted to Contest #64

“Come in!” came a distant shout.  “The door’s open.” It was a sunny day with singing birds and sailing clouds.  Gia turned the rusted handle and shuffled inside with her trunk, suppressing her surprise that people anywhere would leave the door open.  This was the rumored safety of the countryside.  Everyone knows everyone, they said.  Her eyes struggled to adjust to the dimness inside. Only a narrow hallway with a set of French doors at the end awaited her behind the door.  The light that came in seemed to lea...

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Harmony

Submitted to Contest #64

“Harmony told me her mom and dad don’t make her eat green beans,” he said at dinner.It wasn’t unusual for Marcella to hear her son Jaime, in the weeks leading up to his first day of Kindergarten, talk about his friend Harmony. In fact, he’d been bringing her up frequently - over dinner, during play time, even while watching their tiny, old television.Sometimes she wanted him to draw a picture for her. Other times, she asked to play Police Pups with Jaime - Harmony wasn’t familiar with the show, so she relished the opportunity to see Jaime ac...

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Floating Pumpkins

Submitted to Contest #64

It was the only structure for miles on the otherwise undisturbed country green. The dirt road leading to it curved widely in front of the manor then lead back to the main road. The dirt had well-worn ruts from horse-drawn carriages, along with sparse evidence of auto tires, most likely from whomever took care of the old place. As the group of four couples drew closer, they could discern discolorations in the brick façade, the partially rusted downspouts, and several boarded windows. The two end partitions of the house sat further out than th...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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