{"id":707,"date":"2015-02-19T13:29:33","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T07:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abhinav.spsdarj.org\/?p=707"},"modified":"2015-03-28T22:48:24","modified_gmt":"2015-03-28T17:18:24","slug":"what-are-the-best-short-scary-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2015\/02\/what-are-the-best-short-scary-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the best short scary stories?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Answer by Deepak Mehta:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are some of the best ones (link in the story title):<\/p>\n

1. Jeff Went Left<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this note, I\u2019m sorry. I assume you\u2019re in the same situation as me\u2014that smug bastard drugged you and dumped you in these catacombs, with only a candle to find your way out.<\/i>
\nI don\u2019t know how many people he\u2019s done this to, but there have probably been a lot. He wouldn\u2019t spend so much time on it otherwise, would he? He told me the catacombs are a maze, and he\u2019s set traps and deadfalls at every turn. But he promised there\u2019s one safe way out, if I\u2019m lucky enough to guess the correct path.<\/i>
\nI\u2019m not lucky. I\u2019m just an art student, here on holiday. There\u2019s no way I\u2019m getting out alive. But I want someone to. I want revenge.<\/i>
\nI\u2019m sure you do, too, so let\u2019s help each other. I still have my sketchbook and pencils. Before each turn, I\u2019m going to leave them behind for the next person, writing down which way I went. If I survive to another passageway, I\u2019ll come back and leave a page like this one. If I don\u2019t, then it\u2019s up to the next person to carry on and go the opposite direction.<\/i>
\nEventually, if we keep leaving breadcrumbs, one of us will escape. Get to the police and find that bastard. Do it for those who didn\u2019t make it.<\/i>
\nMy name is Jeff. I went left here.<\/i>
\nReading the note by candlelight you feel a glimmer of hope, until you realize you\u2019re reading from the sketchbook itself. Jeff never returned to tear out the page, and you\u2019re the first person here since him.
\nYou look to your right, where the dark maze awaits.<\/p>\n

2. <\/b>Schizophrenia with Severe Violent Tendencies<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“Mr Johnston, it says here that you have schizophrenia with severe violent tendencies,” the psychiatrist murmured checking his notes, his reading glasses resting on his nose.
\n“Sharing with me won’t reduce your prison sentence,” he continued, “But it may go someway to clear your conscience, you understand?”
\nI nodded.
\n“So, where would you like to start?”
\n“The voices,” I said, staring at the artexed ceiling.
\n“Voices, hmmm; are they threatening?”
\n“Sometimes.”
\n“Do they make you angry?”
\n“You could say that.”
\n“Do you hear them now?”
\n“No.”
\nThe psychiatrist sighed, I winced at the cracking of his wicker chair as he sunk into it.
\nHow much longer do I have with this criminal piece of shit?<\/i>
\n“Around thirty-five minutes doc,” I responded gritting my teeth.
\nStartled, he replied, “I’m sorry?”
\n“You have to talk to this criminal piece of shit<\/i> for thirty-five, hang on, thirty-four more minutes.”
\n“I… I… don’t understand?”
\nCan he hear my thoughts?<\/i>
\n“Yes I can.”
\n“Oh, uh, how unique. Can you hear everything I am thinking about, son?”
\n“Pretty much.”
\n“Oh my God,” he said panicking, “I… I… think you should leave!”
\n“But what about my conscience?” I said in a sarcastic tone.
\nHe scrambled to his feet and ran to the door; he opened it and closed his eyes tight, pointing the way to my exit, “Please leave!”
\nI pushed myself off the couch and made my way to the door.
\nDon’t think about your daughter, don’t think about what you do to her.<\/i>
\nI stopped and turned, “I’m sorry? What do you do to your daughter?”
\nI grimaced, and put my hands around his neck, “You sick fuck!”<\/p>\n

3. <\/b>Hell<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

There was no pearly gate.
\nThe only reason I knew I was in a cave was because I had just passed the entrance. The rock wall rose behind me with no ceiling in sight.
\nI knew this was it, this was what religion talked about, what man feared .. I had just entered the gate to hell.
\nI felt the presence of the cave as if it was a living, breathing creature. The stench of rotten flesh overwhelmed me.
\nThen there was the voice, it came from inside and all around.
\n“Welcome”
\n“Who are you?”, I asked, trying to keep my composure.
\n“You know”, the thing answered.
\nI did know.
\n“You are the devil”, I stuttered, quickly losing my composure. “Why me? I’ve lived as good as I could”.
\nThe silence took over the space as my words died out. It seemed like an hour went by before the response came.
\n“What did you expect?”
\nThe voice was penetrating but patient.
\n“I don’t know .. I never believed any of this”, I uttered “Is that why I am here?”
\nSilence.
\nI continued: “They say the greatest trick you ever pulled was convincing the world you don’t exist”
\n“No, the greatest trick I ever pulled was convincing the world that there is an alternative”
\n“There is no God?” I shivered.
\nThe cave trembled with the words: “I am God”<\/p>\n

4. <\/b>Next Time You’ll Know Better<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever walked into a room and found a vampire?
\nNo, not the sexy kind, but a foul creature with bony limbs and ashen skin? The kind that snarls as you enter, like a beast about to pounce? The kind that roots you to the spot with its sunken, hypnotic eyes, rendering you unable to flee as you watch the hideous thing uncoil from the shadows? Has your heart started racing though your legs refuse to? Have you felt time slow as the creature crosses the room in the darkness of a blink?
\nHave you shuddered with fear when it places one clawed hand atop your head and another under your chin so it can tilt you, exposing your neck? Have you squirmed as its rough, dry tongue slides down your cheek, over your jaw, to your throat, in a slithering search that’s seeking your artery? Have you felt its hot breath release in a hiss against your skin when it probes your pulse\u2014the flow that leads to your brain? Has its tongue rested there, throbbing slightly as if savoring the moment? Have you then experienced a sinking, sucking blackness as you discover that not all vampires feed on blood\u2014some feed on memories?
\nWell, have you?
\nMaybe not. But let me rephrase the question:
\nHave you ever walked into a room and suddenly forgotten why you came in?<\/p>\n

5. <\/b>Warrior of God <\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“If God exists, why is there so much evil in the world?” It’s a common question, but it is misplaced.
\nAll things must have balance. Light and dark. Good and evil. Sound and silence. Without one, the other cannot exist.
\n“So if that’s true, then God does NOTHING to fight evil?” That might be your follow up question.
\nOf course he fights evil. Relentlessly. I am Dartalian, one of His most Holy and Righteous angels.
\nI roam the Earth, disposing of evil wherever I find it. I kill the monsters you don’t ever want to know about. I crush them completely so you can sleep at night. You humans have no idea how many of you live because of the work I do.
\n“But what about Stalin? Hitler? Ted Bundy? Jack the Ripper? ”
\nWell, those are the minor ones I had to let live. For balance. The ones I destroy are ….too horrible and vile to survive.
\nWhat’s funny, is while I would wager you never have heard the name Dartalian in any relegious texts, I bet you have heard of me.
\nAmericans, for example, have their own name for me.
\nSudden Infant Death Syndrome<\/p>\n

6. <\/b>A Message from your Personal Demons<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Hello, my dear. You do not know who I am, but I know you. I am one of the three demons that were assigned to you at birth. You see, some people in this world are destined for greatness, destined to live happy, fulfilling lives. You, I am afraid, are not one of those people, and it is our job to make sure of that.
\nWho are we? Oh yes, of course, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce us:
\nShame<\/i> is my younger brother, the demon on your left shoulder. Shame tells you that you\u2019re a freak; that those thought you have are not normal; that you will never fit in. Shame whispered into your ear when your mother found you playing with yourself as a child. Shame is the one who makes you hate yourself.
\nFear<\/i> sits on your right shoulder. He is my older brother, as old as life itself. Fear fills every dark corner with monsters, turns every stranger on a dark street into a murderer. Fear stops you from telling your crush how you feel. He tells you it is better not to try than let people see you fail. Fear makes you build your own prison.
\nWho am I, then? I am the worst of your demons, but you see me as a friend. You turn to me when you have nothing else, because I live in your heart. I am the one who forces you to endure. The one who prolongs your torment.
\nSincerely,
\nHope.<\/i><\/p>\n

7. <\/b>Crying isn’t going to help<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I pointed the gun at the sick bastard who killed my wife. He sobbed as he feared for what was to come. I pulled the trigger.
\nIf only he spoke and tried to reason with me then maybe he could’ve lived. But that was obviously not going to happen. After all, he was born just a few minutes ago.<\/p>\n

What are the best short scary stories?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Answer by Deepak Mehta: Here are some of the best ones (link in the story title): 1. Jeff Went Left If you\u2019re reading this note, I\u2019m sorry. I assume you\u2019re in the same situation as me\u2014that smug bastard drugged you and dumped you in these catacombs, with only a candle to find your way out….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[199],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reads"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/hazerot_angel2.jpg?fit=1375%2C1072&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4KGvB-bp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":962,"url":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2016\/07\/the-egg-andy-weir\/","url_meta":{"origin":707,"position":0},"title":"The Egg – Andy Weir","author":"Abhinav","date":"July 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"You were on your way home when you died. It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reads"","block_context":{"text":"Reads","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/category\/reads\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21,"url":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2011\/12\/why-busted\/","url_meta":{"origin":707,"position":1},"title":"Why- Busted","author":"Abhinav","date":"December 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I Like this song.. It\u2019s by a band named\u00a0Busted. Here are its Lyrics and a\u00a0Download Link\u00a0for the Song Look at me up in the sky Watch the world just pass me by And all my feelings give me away It\u2019s happening more everyday Loving you could be so easy Loving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Song"","block_context":{"text":"Song","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/category\/song\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":947,"url":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2016\/05\/from-a-therapists-office-wall\/","url_meta":{"origin":707,"position":2},"title":"From a therapist\u2019s office wall","author":"Abhinav","date":"May 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I don\u2019t like the phrase \u201cA cry for help.\u201d I just don\u2019t like how it sounds. When somebody says to me, \u201cI\u2019m thinking about suicide, I have a plan; I just need a reason not to do it,\u201d the last thing I see is helplessness. I think: Your depression has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life stuff"","block_context":{"text":"Life stuff","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/category\/life-stuff\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1230,"url":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2016\/12\/did-your-child-ever-hear-you-say-a-word-that-they-now-repeat\/","url_meta":{"origin":707,"position":3},"title":"Did your child ever hear you say a word that they now repeat?","author":"Abhinav","date":"December 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Answer by Justin Franco: Poodle. My wife and I use the word poodle as a sort of safe word when we're discussing issues that might force one of us to lie just to make the other happy (we stole it from a Chuck Palahniuk novel). It's a standalone question, \u201cPoodle?\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quora Post"","block_context":{"text":"Quora Post","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/category\/quora-post\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":813,"url":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2015\/04\/what-are-the-most-difficult-and-useful-things-people-have-to-learn-in-their-20s-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":707,"position":4},"title":"What are the most difficult and useful things people have to learn in their 20s?","author":"Abhinav","date":"April 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Answer by Elarie Mashi:Roman's 65 Rules for Success - The Daily DaterRoman\u2019s Rules for Success, Happiness, and an Awesome LifeNever get more than 9 hours of sleep, or less than 3. I believe in adequate rest, but too much sleep wasting time that could be spent on anything from self-edification\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life stuff"","block_context":{"text":"Life stuff","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/category\/life-stuff\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":726,"url":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/2015\/03\/what-can-i-learnknow-right-now-in-10-minutes-that-will-be-useful-for-the-rest-of-my-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":707,"position":5},"title":"What can I learn\/know right now in 10 minutes that will be useful for the rest of my life?","author":"Abhinav","date":"March 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Answer by James Altucher: I'm not going to give you the usual lifehack stuff. Sure, using Evernote, sleeping a lot, learning to listen, being grateful, all works for many people. I don't like the word \"lifehack\". It takes a lot of work to be really good at something in life.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quora Post"","block_context":{"text":"Quora Post","link":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/category\/quora-post\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=707"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":769,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707\/revisions\/769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abhinavkr.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}