Can you recommend some scary short stories from '50 scary short stories'?

Perhaps a story of a man who bought an old antique mirror. Every time he looked into it, he saw a figure that wasn't his reflection. The figure seemed to be getting closer and closer each time. One day, he woke up to find the figure standing at the foot of his bed.

Sure. One short scary story could be about a haunted house. A family moves in, and every night they hear strange noises coming from the attic. When they finally go to check, they find a cold, dark presence that terrifies them. Another could be a story of a cursed object. A girl finds an old doll in an antique store. Once she takes it home, she starts having nightmares and seeing a strange figure in her room at night. And there's also a story where a hiker gets lost in the woods and comes across a strange cabin with a sinister feeling. Inside, he discovers things that make him realize he's in a place he should never have been.

The element of the unknown. For example, in many of the stories, there are unexplained noises or figures. We don't know what they are or what they want, and that scares us.

Sure. There's a story about a cemetery at night where the tombstones seem to glow. Another is a story of a werewolf - like creature that haunts a small village. And the story of a possessed book that makes people who read it go insane.

One that stands out is the story of the haunted doll. It was a beautiful porcelain doll that a woman found in an antique store. She brought it home and strange things started to happen. The doll would move on its own at night and make creepy giggling sounds. It really sent shivers down my spine.

In my opinion, the story about the mirror is quite interesting. A woman buys an old mirror at a flea market. When she looks into it, she sometimes sees a different reflection, a face that's not her own and it seems to be in a lot of pain. Another interesting one is about a phone call. A man keeps getting calls from an unknown number. When he answers, all he hears is heavy breathing and a strange whispering that sends chills down his spine. And the story about the abandoned asylum is also great. People who enter it report seeing shadowy figures and hearing screams that seem to come from the walls.

Well, if short stories are scary, they can give you a quick thrill and leave a lasting impression. The intensity is concentrated in a short space.

One idea could be a story about a haunted mirror. A young girl moves into an old house and discovers a large, ornate mirror in the attic. Every time she looks into it, she sees a figure that gets closer and closer each day. Eventually, the figure steps out of the mirror.

A story about a cursed doll. A little girl finds an old, tattered doll in a thrift store. She takes it home, and strange things start to happen. Her toys start to move on their own, and she hears whispers at night. It's revealed that the doll was once owned by a witch, and now it's bringing bad luck to the girl's family.

Well, they usually have a strong element of mystery. The reader is left with questions that are often more terrifying than answers. In 'The Lottery', the reason behind the lottery is not fully explained and the whole ritual is so mysterious and cruel. They also use simple yet effective settings. A dark road in 'The Hitchhiker' or a creepy old house can set the mood very quickly without a lot of description. And they can have a sudden and shocking ending, like the unexpected death in 'The Monkey's Paw'.