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There are many reasons why one might enjoy a good horror story. One, for example, is the adrenaline rush after being scared. The other is that some of us like to experience overwhelming, complex emotions. It also helps that the scary stories aren't happening to you, so you can still feel relatively safe while experiencing them. 

And bigger doesn't always mean better, especially when it comes to scary stuff. Sometimes, it’s the small things or short scary stories that are the most terrifying, like an unexpected spider in the bathtub, a creaking floorboard in the dead of night, or a lizard on the wall staring right at you! Those are the real-life short horror stories that give us an adrenaline rush. 

Two-Sentence Horror Stories: Reddit Collection

The classic of the horror genre is, of course, the two-sentence scary stories. So when a now-deleted Reddit user asked others, “What is the best short horror story you can come up with in two sentences?” the answers scared everyone to death. You might want to keep the lights on for this one! 

From short scary stories about being buried alive to working the night shift alone (or not...?), this compilation of creepy stories definitely has it all. And if you are a fan of two-sentence horror stories, we promise this post will leave you scared and mindless. Let’s dig in!

#1

Shortest Horror Story

Text on a black background: "There was a picture in my phone of me sleeping. I live alone." Horror story image.

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Hans
Community Member
9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Overly helpful neighbour closed the door after you walked in, left it open, and drunkely fell asleep on the floor?

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    #2

    Sibling Horror Dilemma

    Text from a horror story, "My sister says that mommy k****d her. Mommy says that I don't have a sister," on a black background.

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    #3

    Scary Story

    Horror story text with a chilling message that warns not to go downstairs due to a mysterious whisper.

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    António Lima
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Easy: he is son of a lesbian couple...thats not scary :p

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    #4

    Spooky Visitors

    Text displaying a chilling tale of horror involving a clock and terrifying presence.

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    #5

    Perks Of Cremation

    Text on a black background with white font sharing a chilling horror story about darkness and loneliness.

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    #6

    Creepy Story

    Text from a horror story with chilling twist about a baby monitor and a wife's presence.

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    Pi...
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or MAYBE, the person next to you wasn't your wife...

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    #7

    2 Sentence Horror Story

    Text on a dark background sharing a short horror story about a patient paralyzed during surgery.

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    #8

    Afterlife Horrors

    Text on image: "My daughter won't stop crying and screaming in the night. I visit her grave to ask her to stop, but it doesn't help."

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    Charles Laster
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder, if you have a condensed ghost story, if you spilled water on it, would it grow into a short story or novel.

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    #9

    Short Scary Story

    Text of a short horror story on a black background, evoking a chilling atmosphere.

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    Shannamrichardson
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Carolers waiting to sing, Mormons there for a service project, neighbors waiting to surprise you with a fresh coat of house paint?

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    #10

    A Touch From The Other Side

    Text of a chilling two-sentence horror story about an amputee and phantom limb sensations.

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    Pi...
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Whoa! This was totally a new take on the phantom limb aspect! Well done!

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    #11

    Pet Horror Story

    Text on black background reads a horror story about unsettling sounds of scratching.

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    Cristi
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always felt safe as a kid because I thought any strange noise in the middle of the night would be my cat.

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    #12

    Something About Night Shifts And Short Horror Stories

    Text reads: "Working night shift alone. A face in the cellar stares at the security camera."

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    #13

    Two Sentence Horror Story

    Image of a chilling horror story about hearing knocking from a mirror.

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I once heard some light knocking while I was drawing and listening to a CD. I looked around, saw nothing, didn't pay attention, dismissed it as some random sound. Then the album has finished and I wanted to change the CD... But atop the CD player there it was - a grasshopper as huge as a fist!

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    #14

    Creepiest Of The Short Creepy Stories

    Text reads a chilling two-sentence horror story about a dead girlfriend and child, with a break-in twist.

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    #15

    Spookiest Of The Short Horror Stories

    Text graphic of a two-sentence horror story to send shivers down your spine.

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    #16

    Most Scary Stories: Short And Terrifying

    Horror story text about a man who can't communicate his consciousness during cryogenic freezing.

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    #17

    Short Scary Stories For Sleepless Nights

    Text on a black background: "I can't sleep" she whispered. A chilling horror story about waking up clutching a burial dress.

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    #18

    The Full Body Twitch

    Text image featuring a two-sentence horror story about a sleep twitch captured on camera.

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    #19

    Heights And Scary Short Stories

    Text on a black background: "The grinning face stared from the darkness beyond my bedroom window. I live on the 14th floor."

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    Miklós Nagy
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know that feel. F#cking alpinist window cleaners.

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    #20

    Horror Short Stories: The Cabin In The Woods

    Horror story text about sleepless night in a cabin, focusing on eerie portraits and haunting change to windows.

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    #21

    Can Cats See Ghosts?

    Text box displaying a 2-sentence horror story about a cat's unsettling behavior.

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    #22

    A Baby’s Laughter

    Text reads a 2-sentence horror story about eerie baby laughter at 1 A.M. when home alone, evoking spine-chilling fear.

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    Pi...
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    *shudder* this is like Chucky from child's play.

    Carrigan Kerous
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    AM I THE ONLY PERSON WHO NEVER WATCHES ANY OF THESE SCARY MOVIES?! (Reply if your the same)

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    Leslie Madrid
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Happens in my house (built in 1820) often, but only when I'm in my closet--and my youngest is 6, lol. When we moved in, we found a weird old crib in my bedroom closet that I've always just felt uncomfortable about getting rid of. One day, when my son was four, he was lying on his bunk bed, staring at the ceiling quite intently. I thought he was just daydreaming, so I laid down next to him and said, "Whatcha looking at?" He said, "you don't see it?" I said, "What?" He replied, "The baby? Crawling on the ceiling?" I had no response for him--but then I asked him what else the baby was doing. He said, "just looking at me." It was a bit creepy--

    Hunter Bradley
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    when you realize a kid broke in right before Halloween for the good candy

    Ashley Lopez
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    anyone else looking behind their computer so see if nothings behind it??

    Robert Morson
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's still nothing like it. Just for a different reason.

    Rūta Bicusa
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ugh it's just Janice, the single mom next door, she just had another baby.

    Tiwaporn Green
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Someone put a baby in ur house because can’t sleep bc of it

    Alexis Warren
    Community Member
    6 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or you have a kid and normally the other partner takes care of them or your the sibling and don't know how

    Alif Zakaria
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There’s still nothing like it. In a different sense

    Pey
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If I heard that, I'd move out

    Anneliese Wallace
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    nah thats just the ghost of the house he just wanna set u on fire like all babies do. What u never had siblings

    Tori Mason
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i know what this feels like, back in the 1800's there was a mass-murder of children and their parents where my house now stands

    Nat Gif
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've heard a version of this except it goes, "There's nothing like baby's laughter unless it's 3am, you're home alone, and you don't have a baby..." Idk I just feel like this one hits harder than that one....

    Macy Toensing
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ngl I would get up, find the baby, and kick it out the window so I can go back to sleep

    Junior Chiu
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mom bring kids on vacation overseas. Calling dad at 1 AM.

    Kelly Neal
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If that happened to me in gone burning the house down oh heck no

    Carrigan Kerous
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    More true scary stories anyone? (From my past) so, I when I was like, 7 or something, I was truly TERRIFIED of the guest bedroom. It always seemed… eerie. I always raced past it, making sure I didn’t look in. But one day, I accidentally looked. And I saw a woman. Her legs were hanging off the edge of the bed, but she was sitting straight against the pillows… she was pale, and had a white hat, and a ragged white dress. Long black hair, too. Reply if you know anything about this! (I wanna know what that was!)

    Etima Ukpong
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    omg no but like was she really tall from your perspective cuz i read a horror story about this woman who is 8ft tall and kidnaps young kids i think she's a ghost and it is set in japan but still

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    Laci Fuller
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was the neighbors baby, did you forget your baby sitting?

    Angelina McDonald
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Its like every creepy doll movie Ive ever seen

    Madelyn Tedford
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i dont know ab u bu childrens laughter is eerie to me

    Lavery Easter
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Me: (hears this) Also me: He He I’m in danger

    Kalissa Johnson
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    *shivers* freaky! my sister used to laugh creepily and sing die die die die~ to the tune of falalalalalalalala (deck the halls) and she continued it until she was 4 and when she stopped doing it things went so wacky lamps falling lights flickering etc.

    Prescilla Sena
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thats a 3 sentence horror story q-q

    Sataru Games
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yo you got a demon baby after ya

    Adrozarn Mischievik
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No there's something like the laughter of a baby, the laughter of your stillborn child!

    誠 有里
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can relate to this except that I heard it when... we have no babies at home... and it's 3AM.

    prevent the toast
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    so whats like the laughter of a baby then?

    Oliver
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’d just get my neighbour to shut their noisy little basterd up...!!

    Oliver
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Get your neighbour to take care of their noisy little basterd then!

    Beth Hunter
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And then you need to get your a$$ out of there, fast

    Denise Acosta
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One night I though I heard my daughter crying. I knew she was at her dads house and I was terrified to see what it was. I'm assuming due to my bipolar meds, I was probably dreaming while I was awake.

    Francisco Gomes
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why is the laughter of a baby such a happy and awesome thing and in some circumstances just so unwelcome?

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    #23

    Who Opened The Door?

    Text reads: "After years living alone, I realized I'd closed more doors than opened." Eerie two-sentence horror story image.

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This doesn't need to be horror. It can be about some richman or a rich woman, closing him/herself up to the public, to close friends and relatives, to themselves... A celebrity with a troubled personality perhaps.

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    #24

    Shhh, Someone Is Watching!

    Text on a black background describing a horror story, highlighting a mysterious presence.

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    #25

    What The Ghosts Want

    Text on a black background reads a chilling two-sentence horror story about mirrors and watching.

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    Clever Fool
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I talk to my mirrors, saying funny things for the people watching me. The head doctor calls it "Truman delusion", but I know the truth.

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    #26

    A Creepy Short Story On The Rails

    Two-sentence horror story about being tied to abandoned train tracks, with a chilling revelation.

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    Jeanne Deaux
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is way more terrible than the thought of someone, or even a train coming...

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    #27

    Wrapped In Horror

    Text image of a two-sentence horror story about mannequins causing popping sounds.

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The mannequins must be so heavy...

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    #28

    An Unsuccessful Operation

    Text image with a spine-chilling 2-sentence horror story about heat signatures and a room temperature friend.

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    #30

    When You Live Alone

    Text from a horror story on a black background.

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    #31

    Turn On The Lights!

    Text of a horror story about reaching for a light switch, only to find another hand.

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    #32

    Look For The Monsters

    Text from a horror story about monsters hidden around you, warning not to look up.

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    Łukasz Wydra
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ok, I wasn't planning to sleep today, anyway...

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    #33

    I Never Go To Sleep

    Black background with eerie text: "I never go to sleep. But I keep waking up."

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It happens to me sometimes during my REM phase.

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    #34

    The Grammatically Accurate Ghost

    Horror story text on a black background with playful capitalization, creating a spooky effect.

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    #36

    Just A Dream

    Text on image: A 2-sentence horror story with a chilling twist about a dream.

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This feels kinda like a sci-fi story about engineering artificial memories and experiences.

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    #37

    You’ve Been Noticed!

    Image featuring a chilling two-sentence horror story about being alone and noticed.

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    #38

    Pretty Skin

    Text image with a two-sentence horror story about skin, evoking spine-chilling feelings.

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    Pi...
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Enter the guy from silence of the lambs...

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    #39

    Night At The Swimming Pool

    Text graphic with a 2-sentence horror story about a nighttime swimming encounter.

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Night swimmiiiiiing deseeeeeeeerves a quiet niiiiiight. ♬♪ ♥

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    #40

    Wish I Could Remember

    Text reading "I wish I could remember whose these people are. They tell me I have Alzheimer's," featuring horror stories.

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    #41

    Game Of Shadows?

    Text on a black background: "She wondered why she was casting two shadows. After all, there was only a single lightbulb."

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    #42

    Last Man On Earth

    Text on a black background reads a spine-chilling two-sentence horror story about the last man on Earth hearing a knock.

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    #43

    Spooky Headphones

    Text-based image featuring a 2-sentence horror story about unplugged headphones whispering.

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    #44

    Horror On The Dining Table

    Horror story text about mysterious items on a dining table: a knife, rag, and recording camera.

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    #45

    Good News

    Text on a black background reads: "The dead are watching us now. That's the good news." This horror story sends shivers.

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    MD
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That sounds like the start of a dark doctor who episode...

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    #46

    Short Horror Story In The Doorless Room

    Text of a chilling two-sentence horror story about a man in a doorless room facing a grim reality with a gun.

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    #47

    A Deathly Heart Attack

    Text image of a horror story about a man experiencing a graveside service while unable to move.

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    Grey Sage
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Male version of Snow White ant the 7 dwarves?

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    #48

    Creepy Coffin Tales

    Text on a black background shares a chilling two-sentence horror story about a nightmare turning into a terrifying reality.

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    Brendan Eaves
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    this is the most horrifying experience ever also f**k off

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    #49

    A Spooky Funeral Story

    Text from a two-sentence horror story in white on a black background with a subtle border.

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    Maria Corns
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did the person attending the funeral bury someone alive?

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    #50

    Wake Up!

    Text on a black background: "You wake up. She doesn't." A chilling 2-sentence horror story.

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You go to the bathroom first, when you hear some knocking. It was her, telling you to hurry up 'cause it's urgent.

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    #51

    A Haunted Crypt

    Text on a black background reads a short horror story about funeral attendees trapped in catacombs.

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    Lily Mae Kitty
    Community Member
    9 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    if it as locked from the inside, they could unlock it and leave.

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    #52

    The Prettiest Pink Doll Dress

    Text of a horror story displayed on a black background with white font.

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    Short and Spooky!

    This is what we were talking about. The classic horror of the shortest stories! And we bet there were quite a few that made you check twice if you are really alone in the room! Isn’t this the perfect collection to scare your friends? Share it with them, and let us know in the comments if these short and spooky tales managed to creep them out, too!