6 Horror Stories that can Chill you in fewer than 30 Pages
Most people read books to relax or to get caught up in the dramas of others, so that they can escape from their own problems. However, books in the horror category are purposely written to unnerve the reader, make them feel uneasy and even outright scare them. Despite the abundance of horror movies, books in this genre still has the edge as nothing created with CGI or practical effects can match what your imagination can conjure up. Horror stories don’t have to be thousand page epics to get their scares across either. For example, here are just 6 horror stories that are less than 30 pages, which makes for thrilling bedtime reading if you are brave enough.
The Burial of the Rats
by Bram Stoker
Page Count: 27
Bram Stoker is best known for creating Dracula, but The Burial of the Rats shows that there was more to the author than just vampire stories. In this tale, 19th century Paris provides the backdrop for a tale about a young tourist who finds himself in the wrong neighborhood. What ensues is a deadly hunt as the tourist flees for his life from the inhabitants who take an interest in him.
The Cold Embrace
by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Page Count: 10
Mary Elizabeth Braddon knows how to tell a creepy story and she does just that with The Cold Embrace. At only ten pages, there isn’t much that can be said without spoiling the surprises. This tale of a German art student who falls in love and makes promises that he should have kept serves as a good example of good Braddon was at writing chilling tales.
The Damned Thing
by Ambrose Bierce
Page Count: 19
The Damned Thing by Ambrose Bierce is a classic tale of the hunter becoming the hunted. When a man named Hugh Morgan is killed under mysterious circumstances during a hunting and fishing, an inquest is held. Only one man, William Harker, witnessed the event, but will anyone believe his tale of the “damned thing” they encountered?
The Medici Boots
by Pearl Norton Swet
Page Count: 26
Who can resist the lure of trying on a pair of glamorous amethyst-covered boots that is nearly half a century old? That is the question in The Medici Boots by Pearl Norton Swet. When her husband and his brother inherit a huge bounty of artefact’s, including the beautiful boots, the heroine is determined to try them on, despite the supposed curse that they carry.
Tiger Cat
by David Henry Keller
Page Count: 27
Horror fans who enjoy pulp style fiction will enjoy Tiger Cat by David Henry Keller. It first appeared in Weird Tales magazine and describes what happens to a man who purchases an Italian villa only to find a locked door in the basement. Discovering that the key is still in the possession of the previous owner, he retrieves it, despite being implored not to do so.
The Voice in the Night
by William Hope Hodgson
Page Count: 14
The ocean is already creepy in the middle of the night, so a schooner is approached by a small rowboat
The Voice In The Night is a creepy tale of a schooner that is approached in the dead of the night by a small rowboat. The occupant of the rowboat refrains from getting too close to the schooner, but tells the crew a spine chilling tale of the fate that has befallen him and his fiancée.