Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Show 20 Best Scary Short Stories to Tell in the DarkThe best part? You can read them all right now.
 Dina Belenko PhotographyGetty Images 'Tis the season for spooky tales told in the dark. While we never need an excuse to read, Halloween is the ideal time to dig into a ghastly ghost story or a chilling true crime book. So, to celebrate the season, we've gathered some of the best scary short stories available to read for free—featuring fixtures of Mexican folklore and feminist vampires. These horror stories are best enjoyed with a fall-themed cocktail in hand—to calm the nerves, of course. Much like OprahMag.com's own Sunday Shorts fiction collection, you can read these instantly. From Angela Carter to Stephen King, these spine-tingling scary short stories are guaranteed to frighten you as much as the best Halloween movies out there. Finally, if you've got kids or squeamish teens, we've also included some family-friendly bedtime options, too. 1 of 20 "Lacrimosa" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia La Llorona is a fixture of Mexican folklore. In this story, Silvia Moren0-Garcia—author of the horror novel Mexican Gothic—puts a modern twist on the age-old tale, by casting a homeless woman as the legendary La Llorona. Read Now 2 of 20 "The Left Right Game" Now a podcast, "The Left Right Game's" first incarnation was as a post on "No Sleep" subreddit, where users submit fictional stories often framed as urban legends. "The Left Right Game" quickly garnered a reputation as one of most elaborate, unexpected, and downright terrifying entries ever. It's about a supposedly harmless game, which can be played on any old suburban road. Read Now 3 of 20 "Selfies" by Lavie Tidhar If you're looking for a small story that packs a big scare, check out this imaginative riff of a fixture of the modern age: The cell phone. A girl buys a smartphone that happens to have pictures which foretell her own doom. Read Now 4 of 20 "Abraham's Boys" by Joe Hill Joe Hill comes from horror pedigree: His father is the Stephen King. With this short story (and all of his novels), Hill shows his own distinct, but equally chilling, style. "Abraham's Boys" is about the sons of the Dutch vampire hunter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing—the sons who have no idea who their father really was. Read Now 5 of 20 "All the Fabulous Beasts" by Priya Sharma "Snakes are easy. It’s people that I don’t know how to charm," the narrator of this sneaky and unexpected story says, at one point—before the plot gets extremely gnarly (trust us, it will). "All the Fabulous Beasts" uses tropes of horror and metamorphosis to discuss trauma rooted in reality. Read Now 6 of 20 "Haunted" by Harris Tobias Looking for a kid-friendly story to read around the campfire? We've got you covered with this charming short story about a house in Arkansas that's teeming with ghosts—but the friendly kind. Read Now 7 of 20 "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" by Joyce Carol Oates Dread. That's the word that best describes this early short story from the legendary Joyce Carol Oates. Connie is a teenage girl at odds with her family, so she turns to the world for companionship. What she finds may be even worse. Read Now 8 of 20 "A Perfectly Normal Interview with Carmen Maria Machado Where Everything Is Fine"
Carmilla is a vampire novel first published in 1872, predating Dracula by two decades. In 2019, the acclaimed author Carmen Maria Machado edited a new edition of Carmilla. While promoting the book, Machado had quite an...unexpected interview with Electric Literature. It's best not to give away any details from the interview. Just be sure to read until the end—because frankly, this deliciously creepy Q&A; is better than any vampire movie. Read Now 9 of 20 "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson 10 of 20 "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman If it's a Neil Gaiman story, you know you're in for an enchanting, magical, and yes—slightly creepy ride. This short story, in particular, begins with an extremely evocative opening; the kind that teases a story you'll read in one sitting. Follow along as our unnamed protagonist searches through dark caves to find what he's looking for, and encounter what he isn't. Read Now 11 of 20 "The Yellow Ranch" by Kali Fajardo-Anstine Published as part of OprahMag.com's Sunday Shorts fiction collection, Kali Fajardo-Anstine's short story follows a 20-something year old woman living in a remote desert house, with a mind of its own—literally. While there are horrors in this story, they're not supernatural, but an all-too-common kind. Read Now 12 of 20 "The Doll" by Daphne DuMaurier Rebecca
author Daphne DuMaurier wrote "The Doll" when she was 20 years old. Then, it was lost for approximately 70 years, only resurfacing in 2010. The legend around "The Doll" is but an appetizer for the delightfully creepy story itself, which foreshadows DuMaurier's career as an author of unforgettable gothic fiction. Read Now 13 of 20 "The Lady of the House of Love" by Angela Carter If you are looking for a great gothic story about vampirism, look no further than "The Lady of the House of Love." This short from renowned author Angela Carter follows a female vampire queen on her quest to find her next victim. Read Now 14 of 20 "Patient Zero" by Tananarive Due In "Patient Zero" we meet Jay, a little boy who has been in the hospital for a long, long time. In fact, Jay is not allowed to leave. But why are the doctors and nurses going to such lengths to keep Jay locked away and who really is the danger? Tananarive Due asks these questions and more in this short, thrilling tale. Read Now 15 of 20 "Hello, Moto" by Nnedi Okorafor "Hello, Moto" is a short story about three best friends, each in possession of a magical wig. While the wearers planned to use their powers for good, the tone of the story takes a sudden and abrupt shift when the wigs possess them. Read Now 16 of 20 "The Landlady" by Roald Dahl "Hello, Moto" is a short story about three best friends, each in possession of a magical wig. While the wearers planned to use their powers for good, the tone of the story takes a sudden and abrupt shift when the wigs possess them. Read Now 17 of 20 "His Face All Red" by Emily Carroll Emily Carroll is known for her creepy, horror comics and "His Face All Red" is one of her most popular pieces. The pacing is solid, atmosphere is chilling, and tale is top notch. Read Now 18 of 20 “Please Momma” by Chesya Burke From the very beginning of this haunting short story, one thing is clear: Momma is sick and her kids are suffering. But what is the cause of Momma's illness? The truth is terrifying. Read Now 19 of 20 "How to Get Back to the Forest" by Sofia Samatar Summer camps are the perfect horror setting. After all, kids reside in these facilities alone, with no parents and little-to-no supervision. However, the camp in "How to Get Back to the Forest" is unlike any other, and we quickly learn, these children are never going home. Read Now 20 of 20 "A Collapse of Horses" by Brian Everson Brian Everson's "A Collapse of Horses"—for which an entire collection of stories was later named—isn't about gore or jump scares; instead, it follows an unreliable narrator through a confusing, post-traumatic time. A solid psychological thriller. Read Now Elena Nicolaou Elena Nicolaou is the former culture editor at Oprah Daily. What is the shortest scary story ever?The world's shortest horror story was originally published in 1948; it was written by Frederic Brown, and consists of two sentences. It reads: "The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door ..."
What are good Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?For your frightening pleasure, here's 10 of the scariest stories from Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark series.. The Dream. Some people think dreams mean something: They can tell the future, you're seeing a past life, etc. ... . “What Do You Come For?” ... . Oh, Susannah. ... . Harold. ... . The Wendigo. ... . Maybe You Will Remember. ... . The Thing. ... . The Drum.. What is the scariest horror story ever written?8 of the Scariest Horror Books Ever Written. The Shining by Stephen King. ... . Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. ... . Dracula by Bram Stoker. ... . Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. ... . The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. ... . Carrie by Stephen King. ... . The Omen by David Seltzer. ... . Pet Sematary by Stephen King.. Is stories to Tell in the Dark Scary?Parents need to know that Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a horror movie based on a popular series of books by Alvin Schwartz from the early 1980s. It's well made and fun for horror fans, but it's too scary and edgy for younger viewers. Expect moments of terror, a little blood, jump scares, and creepy monsters.
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Short scary stories to tell in the dark for adults
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