Have you ever stumbled upon a mysterious collection of short scary stories after dark that kept you up all night? These short scary stories to tell in the dark that will send shivers down your spine. Perfect for late-night reads and eerie moments.
These bite-sized doses of horror have a way of burrowing into your brain and revealing surprising plot twists just when you think it’s safe again. This compilation of strange and sinister short creepy stories is just frightening enough to satisfy your curiosity. Dive in to feel the fear!
My Faourite Short Scary Stories
1- The Babysitter’s Mistake
Ella was babysitting a five-year-old boy, Ben, when he ran down the hall giggling.
After chasing him for a while, she tucked him into bed.
“Good night, Ben,” she whispered, turning off the light.
A moment later, the phone rang.
It was Ben’s mother, sounding frantic. “Ella, we forgot to tell you—Ben has an imaginary twin.
If you see two of him tonight, don’t let the other one touch you.“
Ella turned slowly to the bed, her heart racing.
Ben—No, two Bens!!!
Grinned up at her from under the covers.
2- The Face in the Fog
During a late-night drive through heavy fog
Mia saw a pale face staring at her from outside the car window.
Startled, she swerved off the road—but there was no one there.
As the fog thickened, the face reappeared
This time inside the car, in the rear-view mirror.
It smiled slowly and whispered, “Keep driving. I’ll take the wheel soon.”
3- The Sound of Your Own Death
Ethan received a strange voicemail: his own voice, screaming.
The message had no time stamp, and his phone company couldn’t explain where it came from.
A few days later, Ethan found himself walking down a street that felt eerily familiar. Suddenly, a truck barreled toward him. He realized too late that the screams in the voicemail were his last moments.
As everything went dark, his phone buzzed again
the same voicemail, “playing one last time”.
4- The Hands That Pull You Under
While swimming at the lake, Sara felt something brush against her ankle. Dismissing it as a fish, she swam further, but the touch grew more insistent—cold, grasping fingers trailing her legs.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from the water and dragged her down. As she struggled, she saw them—pale, lifeless figures staring from the depths.
They whispered together: “One of us. You’ll swim with us forever.”
5- The Voice That Stole My Name
Late one night, Aaron got a phone call from someone who sounded exactly like him.
“Give it back,” the voice demanded. “That’s my name.”
Before Aaron could respond, he felt his voice slipping away.
His words turned into silence, his identity unraveling into nothingness.
The next morning, he saw a stranger in his clothes,
Living his life—and no one noticed.
The stranger smiled at him and mouthed, “It’s mine now.”
6- The Passenger in the Back Seat
Sam was driving home late when his phone’s GPS alerted him: “New passenger detected.”
Confused, he glanced in the rearview mirror—no one was there.
A chill ran down his spine as the GPS recalculated: “Passenger will exit in 2 miles.”
The back seat suddenly felt heavier. A cold breath grazed the back of his neck.
The GPS beeped again: “They’re behind you now.”
7- Voices from the Last Room
Emily checked into a remote motel for the night. As she passed the hallway’s last room, a whisper called her name from behind the door.
Later that night, loud banging echoed through the walls, and the voice screamed, “Help me, Emily!”
In the morning, the receptionist looked pale when she asked about the noise.
“There’s no last room on the left,” he whispered.
“It burned down years ago—along with everyone inside.”
8- The Reflection That Smiled
David yawned and stretched, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. But something was off. His reflection smiled a split second before he did.
Frozen in fear, he tried to back away. The reflection didn’t move.
Instead, it leaned closer, pressing against the glass.
“Your turn now,” it whispered. “I’ll be the real one today.”
9- The Puppet That Controlled Me
In an antique store, Anna found a wooden puppet that looked eerily familiar—it wore her clothes and even had her hairstyle. She bought it, thinking it was a coincidence.
That night, she woke up to find her body moving against her will.
With jerky, unnatural motions, she walked to the mirror.
The puppet, now sitting on her dresser, whispered: “When I move, so do you.”
Anna realized with horror—the puppet was pulling her strings.
10- The Bed That Eats Dreams
Jake bought a new mattress online, desperate to improve his sleep.
But every night, his dreams became darker—his worst memories and fears played on repeat.
One morning, Jake found a pair of unfamiliar hands sticking out from under the bed.
The next night, the mattress groaned, whispering,
“Your nightmares are delicious. But soon, I’ll eat you whole.”
11- The Masked Party
Lily attended an exclusive masquerade ball where everyone’s identity remained hidden until midnight. She danced with a mysterious man, his mask elegant and haunting. They exchanged flirty words and promised to meet again after the unmasking.
At midnight, the host called for everyone to reveal themselves.
Lily removed her mask and scanned the room—but the man she danced with was nowhere to be seen.
Then she overheard a whisper: “He danced with her?”
Her blood ran cold as the guests murmured in confusion.
“That mask,” someone said nervously,
“Belongs to a man who died at last year’s ball”
12- The Thing in the Reflection
Jake’s bathroom mirror cracked slightly, creating a warped reflection of his face. That night, as he brushed his teeth, he noticed his reflection smiling when he wasn’t.
The next morning, Jake avoided the mirror altogether. But while he sat at breakfast, he saw something out of the corner of his eye—his reflection, standing inside the hallway mirror, peering out at him.
Before he could react, the reflection whispered: “I’m not the one trapped anymore.”
Jake looked down at his hands and screamed. The mirror version of himself was now free,
Sitting in his place—and Jake was on the other side of the glass.
13- The Door That Appeared Overnight
One morning, Mary noticed a door in her house she had never seen before. It wasn’t on any blueprint, and her husband swore it hadn’t been there the day before. Curiosity got the better of her, and she opened it.
Inside was a dark, endless staircase. As she peered down, she saw a shadow dart past at the bottom. Startled, she closed the door and locked it.
That night, she woke to the sound of creaking footsteps—coming up the stairs.
The next morning, she found muddy footprints on the floor and a handwritten note on her bed:
“Don’t lock the door next time. I’m almost home.”
14- The Doppelgänger in the Driveway
As Josh pulled into his driveway after a long day at work, he noticed something unsettling—his car was already parked there.
Confused, he stepped out and walked toward the house, but the front door opened before he could get to it. A man stepped outside—Josh’s exact double.
The doppelgänger smiled, eyes cold and empty. “I live here now,” it whispered, before slamming the door shut and locking Josh outside.
Josh pounded on the door in desperation. From inside, he heard his own voice laugh softly, saying to his wife, “Honey, who was that at the door?”
15- The Wrong Parent
Nine-year-old Leo woke up to the sound of footsteps outside his room. He felt relieved when his mother opened the door, smiling down at him. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you some water.”
They walked down the hallway together, her hand cool in his. When they reached the kitchen, Leo noticed something strange: his mother’s nightgown was inside out.
Then, behind him, he heard a voice call from upstairs:
“Leo? Why are you out of bed?”
He turned to look at the woman holding his hand, but her smile had stretched impossibly wide. “I got here first,” she whispered.
16- The Puppet Show
Anna loved taking her little brother, Danny, to the puppet show at the local theater. One night, after the final performance, the puppet master invited them backstage to see the puppets up close.
The marionettes hung limply, their strings tangled, their wooden faces grinning. Danny reached out to touch one, but Anna pulled him back—it felt too warm, almost like real skin.
The puppet master smiled. “They used to be kids just like you,” he whispered, “until I needed new performers.”
Anna turned to grab Danny’s hand—only to find his lifeless eyes staring back at her from the puppet’s wooden face.
The puppet master grinned. “Now it’s your turn.”
17- The Funeral Wake
Eric attended the wake of his childhood friend, Peter, who had died in a freak accident. As a final farewell, the guests were asked to write a note and leave it in the coffin. Eric jotted down a message: “Rest easy, Peter. We’ll meet again someday.”
That night, Eric heard knocking on his bedroom window. Outside, standing in the rain, was Peter—his pale face pressed to the glass, lips twisted into a grin.
Peter tapped the window, holding up Eric’s note, now smeared with dirt. Written beneath Eric’s words was a new message:
“How about tonight?”
18- The Out-of-Place Family Photo
Sarah moved into a new house and found a dusty photo album tucked into a cabinet. Inside were pictures of a family she didn’t recognize. But then, she froze—there was a photo of her, sitting at the dining table with that family, smiling.
She never took this photo, nor did she know these people. Confused, Sarah closed the album and tried to shake the eerie feeling.
Later that night, she opened her phone’s gallery to review some photos. The most recent picture wasn’t one she’d taken: it showed the family sitting in her living room. Behind them, Sarah was sleeping on the couch.
Then a voice whispered in the dark: “Join us.”
19- The Midnight Train
John boarded the last train home, relieved to find an empty carriage. As the train sped along, he noticed something odd—the view outside the windows was completely black. No lights. No landscape. Just darkness.
A little girl suddenly appeared a few seats away, whispering, “You’re not supposed to be here.”
Before John could ask what she meant, the train stopped abruptly. The doors opened to reveal a vast, black void. From the shadows, dozens of pale hands began reaching in. The girl smiled sadly.
“If they grab you, you can never leave.”
John turned to run, but the train doors slammed shut, and the hands were already inside.
20- The Forgotten Bedroom
While exploring her grandmother’s old house, Emma stumbled upon a door she’d never noticed before. Behind it was a small, dusty bedroom, complete with a bed, toys, and an old rocking chair.
On the wall was a framed picture of Emma as a little girl, smiling with her grandmother. But she didn’t remember ever taking that photo. Beneath it was a nameplate: Emma—Our Sweet Girl.
When she told her grandmother about the room, the old woman went pale and whispered, “Emma… I don’t have a granddaughter.”
As Emma turned to leave, the toys on the bed shifted, and the rocking chair creaked back and forth. From behind her, a voice whispered:
“Stay with us. You belong here.”
21- Backward Ticking Clock
Adam inherited an old grandfather clock from his uncle. Every night, the clock would chime twelve times at midnight, but instead of counting forward, the hands would spin backward.
Curious, Adam stayed awake to see what would happen. As the clock reversed its final chime, he noticed a shadow standing behind him in the mirror. It looked just like him—but its eyes were empty, and it was grinning.
The shadow raised a finger to its lips and whispered, “Shhh. Your turn’s over.”
Adam blinked, and suddenly, he was on the other side of the mirror, banging against the glass. His reflection—now alive—smiled from the other side and whispered, “I’ll take it from here.”
22- Floors Skipping Elevator
Maya was on her way to the 14th floor when the elevator stopped abruptly at the 7th. The doors slid open, revealing a dimly lit, deserted hallway. She pressed the “Close Door” button repeatedly, but the elevator wouldn’t move.
Then, a distant voice called from down the hall: “Help me… please.”
Against her better judgment, Maya stepped out. As soon as her foot left the elevator, the doors slammed shut and the elevator shot upward, leaving her behind.
Just then, her phone buzzed—a message from her roommate:
“Where are you? They’ve locked down the building. Someone went missing on the 7th floor years ago… and whoever steps out there never returns.”
Maya turned back to the hallway and saw a shadowed figure grinning at her from the end. It looked just like her.
23- The Uninvited Birthday Guest
At Ben’s 30th birthday party, his friends insisted on a group photo. As the camera timer ticked down, Ben noticed a woman standing at the edge of the frame—a stranger, dressed in black. No one remembered seeing her arrive, and she wasn’t on the guest list.
After the party, Ben reviewed the photos, but the woman wasn’t in any of them. Yet every time he looked away, the pictures seemed to change. First, she appeared in the background. Then, standing closer. And finally, right next to Ben, her hand on his shoulder.
The last photo showed only her—a close-up of her eerie smile, along with a message scrawled beneath it:
“You forgot to blow out your candle. I made a wish for you.”
24- The Room with No Light
While cleaning his basement, Daniel found an old, rusted key hidden inside the wall. Curious, he searched the house until he found a locked door he’d never noticed before. With a twist, the key fit perfectly, and the door creaked open.
Inside was complete darkness—no furniture, no windows, just a cold, empty space. He fumbled for a light switch but couldn’t find one. As he backed out, the door slammed shut behind him, locking from the inside.
Daniel’s phone buzzed with a message from his wife upstairs:
“Where are you? We just found something weird. There’s a room down here—and it has a photo of you… standing inside.”
The message ended with one final sentence:
“Daniel, the door is wide open, but you’re not here.”
25- The Whispering Wallpaper
Sophie moved into an old Victorian house and noticed a strange, floral-patterned wallpaper in the bedroom. At night, she began hearing faint whispers coming from the walls, as though people were having conversations just beyond them.
One night, the whispers grew louder—as if they were coming from behind the wallpaper itself. Curious, Sophie began peeling a corner. As she ripped the paper away, she uncovered rows of faces—pressed flat against the wall, eyes wide open, mouths slightly agape.
She gasped, but before she could react, one of the faces slowly turned its eyes toward her and whispered:
“There’s room for one more.”
The wallpaper twitched as the faces grinned in unison.
26- The Clock That Stops at 3:00 AM
Nick’s new antique wall clock was beautiful—until he realized it stopped every night at exactly 3:00 AM. Each morning, it would reset on its own and start ticking normally.
One night, he decided to stay awake and watch the clock. At 2:59 AM, the clock began to slow, and a strange chill crept into the room. When the second hand stopped at 3:00, Nick heard faint footsteps from his living room.
Terrified, he stayed hidden in his room. The next morning, his security camera had a new video: at exactly 3:00 AM, the front door opened—and someone who looked exactly like Nick walked inside.
As Nick stared in horror, the video ended with the sound of his own voice, whispering:
“I made it back. Your turn to leave.”
27- The Stranger in the Photo
Emily loved old photography and was thrilled to find a vintage Polaroid camera at a flea market. She snapped photos around her house, eager to see the results.
When the first photo developed, her heart skipped a beat—it showed a man standing behind her in the living room. Terrified, she locked the doors and grabbed a knife, but every time she took another photo, the man was closer.
Finally, she took one last picture, her hands trembling. As the image appeared, she saw herself holding the knife—but smiling. Behind her, the man whispered into her ear:
“We were waiting for you to remember.”
28- The Message from Yourself
Lisa’s phone buzzed at midnight—a message from an unknown number. It read: “Whatever you do, don’t open the closet.”
Confused and a little spooked, Lisa texted back, but there was no reply. She stared at the message for a while, then gave in to curiosity. Slowly, she opened the closet door.
Inside was a woman huddled in the corner, her back turned. When she shifted slightly, Lisa’s blood turned to ice—it was her, dressed in the same clothes she wore now.
The figure turned its head halfway and whispered: “Now you’ve let it out.”
From behind Lisa, something breathed.
29- The Voice Behind the Door
Tom came home late one evening to find his wife in the kitchen, preparing dinner. “I’ll be right back,” she said, her voice soft and familiar, as she stepped into the pantry.
He waited, but minutes passed with no sign of her. Worried, Tom knocked on the pantry door. “Are you okay in there?”
A muffled voice answered, “I’m stuck! Please get me out!”
Tom grabbed the handle, but just as he was about to open the door, he heard his wife’s voice—coming from the living room. “Who are you talking to?”
Tom froze, his hand still on the pantry door. From inside, the voice whispered:
“Don’t listen to her. I’m the real one.”
30- The Doll That Blinks
Sophia found an antique doll at a garage sale—pale porcelain skin, lifelike glass eyes, and golden curls. Its head tilted slightly, as if watching her. She placed it on a shelf in her room, thinking it was just a harmless decoration.
That night, she swore she saw its eyes blink. But when she checked, the doll remained motionless. Unnerved, she tossed it into the closet and locked the door.
The next morning, Sophia found the doll back on the shelf—this time, smiling. On the wall beside it, scratched in tiny, jagged letters, were the words:
“I like being outside better.”
Suddenly, the closet door behind her creaked open. *There were more dolls inside—*and they were all smiling.
31- The Person in the Backseat
Driving home late at night, Jason noticed his fuel gauge dangerously low. He pulled into a gas station, exhausted, and saw a man with a hood standing by the pump, watching him. Jason filled the tank quickly, avoiding eye contact.
As he drove away, his heart began to settle—until he glanced into his rearview mirror.
There, in the backseat, was the hooded man—grinning.
Jason slammed on the brakes and spun around, but the backseat was empty. Trembling, he pulled out his phone to call someone, but a message was already on the screen:
“Thanks for the ride. See you soon.”
32- Don’t Pick Up the Call
Lily’s phone rang at 3:00 AM, displaying her own name. Confused, she answered.
On the other end, her voice whispered:
“If you hang up, you’ll die. If you keep talking, I’ll take your place.”
Terrified, Lily tried to hang up, but her body froze.
She heard footsteps behind her—her own footsteps.
33- A Message in the Dark
The phone went silent. Someone else was breathing in her place.
Ellie lived alone in a small studio apartment.
One night, she woke up to a notification on her phone:
“New Bluetooth device connected: Unknown.”
Confused, she opened the Bluetooth settings but found no devices nearby.
Then, a new message appeared: “Can you hear me now?”
Her heart pounded as she typed back: “Who is this?”
The reply came instantly: “I’m in the walls. Don’t move.”
A shadow slid across the room.
Ellie held her breath… and felt cold fingers wrap around her ankle