When it comes to late-night chills and flashlight-lit storytelling, nothing beats the timeless terror of scary stories to tell in the dark Alvin Schwartz style.
These tales are perfect for sleepovers, campfires, or nights when the wind howls just right.
Below, you’ll find ten spine-tingling tales written in the spirit of Schwartz’s legendary collections—short, sinister, and impossible to forget.
1. The Crooked Man
They say he walks when the moon is gone—when even the stars hide behind clouds.
The Crooked Man is tall and thin, but twisted—his limbs bent the wrong way, his neck hanging sideways like a broken branch.
He drags one leg behind him, slow and steady, thump… scrape… thump… scrape…
He stops at a door and knocks.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
If no one answers, he moves on.
But if you open the door, he smiles—crooked, of course.
Then he grabs your arm and twists it just like his…
And now you walk crooked too.
2. The Red Spot
Emily had a red bump on her cheek.
Just a small pimple, she thought.
But it itched. It pulsed. It felt like it was moving.
At night, it got worse.
She felt it throbbing, like something was alive beneath her skin.
Her mother said, “Stop scratching it, or it’ll get infected.”
That night, Emily woke up screaming.
The bump had grown as big as a coin.
And then… it burst.
Hundreds of tiny black spiders spilled out of her cheek and across her pillow.
She screamed again—
but the spiders had already vanished under her skin.
3. Cold Feet
Jacob was the only person at Mr. Morton’s funeral.
The man had no family left, no friends, no one but Jacob.
He looked in the casket and saw Mr. Morton’s shoes were missing.
“Strange,” Jacob thought. “He always wore those old black boots.”
That night, it rained hard. The wind howled.
As Jacob was drifting to sleep, he heard footsteps downstairs.
Squish. Thump. Squish. Thump.
Wet, heavy, slow.
They stopped at his door.
And then came a whisper:
“Give… me… back… my shoes.”
He didn’t own any black boots.
Not until now.
4. Room 313
Marla checked into the old hotel on the edge of town.
The clerk gave her a room key and said, “Don’t open your door if you hear knocking. Especially if it’s three short knocks.”
She laughed. “Why?”
He only said, “Some rooms don’t like being disturbed.”
That night, at exactly 3:13 AM, she heard three knocks.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
She peeked through the peephole—no one was there.
When she opened the door, a girl in a white nightgown stood at the end of the hall.
Her face was pale. Her eyes were empty.
She pointed to Marla’s door and whispered:
“Room 313 is never empty.”
And then… she vanished.
5. The Black Dog
Thomas found it near the graveyard—
a black dog with glowing yellow eyes.
It followed him home, though he never saw it move.
It just… appeared.
On the porch.
Then in the hallway.
Then at the foot of his bed.
It never barked. It never blinked.
One night, he woke up and it was standing on his chest.
Its breath was cold. Its eyes were wide.
Thomas screamed.
No one ever saw him again.
But sometimes, that same black dog is seen at other doorsteps…
waiting for its next home.
6. The Whisper Game
Four friends sat in a circle, candles flickering low.
They played a game—each whispering a secret into the next person’s ear.
It was harmless… until Ashley’s turn.
She leaned in close.
But instead of her friend’s voice, she heard something else.
A dry, hollow whisper:
“You’re already dead. You just forgot.”
The candle blew out.
When the lights came on, Ashley was gone.
The others said she just walked away.
But the next day, her reflection showed up in mirrors, still whispering that awful secret.
7. Hand Under the Bed
Lena liked to sleep with one arm hanging over the edge.
She always said the monster under the bed was just a story.
But one night, something grabbed her hand.
It was cold, slimy, and strong.
She tried to pull away, but it wouldn’t let go.
She screamed. Her parents ran in—
but they only saw her arm.
No Lena.
Just her hand reaching out from under the bed…
still twitching.
8. The Painting
Mason bought a strange old painting at a flea market.
It showed a faceless man standing in a foggy field.
At first, he thought it was just abstract.
But each night, the figure looked a little more real.
A little more detailed.
Until one night, it had a face—his face.
But the eyes were bleeding.
And the next morning, Mason woke up to find the painting was empty.
No man. No face.
Just fog.
He hasn’t been seen since.
9. The Backward Girl
They called her that at school—the Backward Girl.
She always walked backward. Never turned around.
Some kids tried to trip her, but she always knew when they were coming.
One brave boy ran up and said, “What’s wrong with you?”
She stopped.
Turned slowly.
And her face… was on the back of her head too.
It smiled and said,
“I see everything.”
No one messed with her after that.
10. The Voice in the Mirror
Eli loved staring at himself in the mirror.
One night, he noticed his reflection moving slower than him.
Then faster.
Then… not at all.
When he waved, the reflection stared back, still.
Then it blinked.
And whispered:
“You’re not real anymore.”
And it walked away.
Now when people look in the mirror in that bathroom, sometimes they don’t see themselves.
They see Eli.
Still waiting.
Also read: Spooky Stories to Tell in the Dark
Mark Richards is the creative mind behind Classica FM, a podcast platform that brings stories, knowledge, and inspiration to listeners of all ages. With a passion for storytelling and a love for diverse topics, he curates engaging content—from kids’ tales to thought-provoking discussions for young adults.
