5 Short Scary Stories!
Hearing or telling ghost stories, especially while sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows, creates a certain thrill. It’s a moment where nature and the feeling of fear blend together. Even though many may not have experienced this firsthand, sharing short ghost stories is an excellent way to pass the time—even if you’re not in the woods. Listening to such tales in the darkness of the night or in the company of friends stirs up a unique sense of excitement.
So, are you ready to read a ghost story?
1. The Cry of the Unfulfilled Soul
As usual, Kamrul Bhai from the village finished his morning work in the fields and went to the riverbank to play in the water. Suddenly, a loud scream echoed from there, followed by an unusual sound coming from the river. The villagers, who had just woken up, rushed toward the noise after hearing Kamrul Bhai’s cries.
Upon reaching the spot, they witnessed a horrific sight. A sack was stuck on the riverbank stairs, and the blood seeping from it had turned the riverbank bright red. The villagers were not at all prepared to see such a gruesome scene so early in the morning. A murmur spread—what could be inside the sack?
Some suggested it might be a dead animal from the dump. Others, especially the elders, speculated it could be a prank, with someone stuffing the sack with cotton and mixing it with red dye. Amidst the chaos, Asim Babu appeared—a well-known figure in the village, passionate about helping the poor.
Following Asim Babu’s suggestion, a few young men dragged the sack ashore. The police were informed. As soon as the sack was opened, a foul stench filled the entire area. Inside the sack was an even more horrifying sight—a human body, chopped into pieces, stuffed into the sack, and dumped into the river.
The gruesome scene caused some women at the site to faint immediately.
However, the problem didn’t end there. The question arose—whose body was it? Identification was nearly impossible since the face, the primary means of recognition, was missing. Yes, you read that right—a decapitated body. From the body structure, it was evident the corpse belonged to a woman.
News spread throughout the village, but no one reported anyone missing. The police didn’t want to delve deeper into the matter. They suggested the villagers handle the body in any way they deemed fit and left.
But even here, the villagers were divided. One group argued the body should be buried, while another suggested throwing it back into the river.
After a vote, Asim Babu decided the body should be buried, and so it was done.
But this was far from the end; in fact, it was just the beginning.
Fifteen days after the incident, rumors spread that some people had heard a girl crying on the riverbank at night. Strangely enough, the girl was headless.
Word spread that the girl had turned into a ghost. Not only at night, but even during the day, no one dared to go near the riverbank.
Asim Babu couldn’t shake off his unease. Where did a decapitated body come from in the first place? But no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find any answers.
The villagers’ accounts of the crying girl on the riverbank seemed like pure imagination to him. Determined to see it with his own eyes, Asim Babu took shelter in a house near the riverbank.
It was around 3 a.m.—the so-called “devil’s hour.” It is said that spirits and supernatural entities roam freely during this time.
Lost in these thoughts, Asim Babu suddenly heard the jingle of earrings. The sound felt oddly familiar. Within seconds, he heard someone crying on the riverbank. Peeking out the window cautiously, he felt a chill run down his spine.
The villagers were right. The decapitated corpse had risen from its grave and was now sitting on the riverbank, crying endlessly. How could a headless body cry?
The next morning brought more bad news. Nitai Matbar, a village elder, had been brutally murdered. Ever since the headless corpse was found, something terrible kept happening in the village.
Nitai Matbar’s body was even more horrifying. His stomach had been slit open, and his intestines spilled out. The courtyard was drenched in blood. The police failed to solve this mystery as well.
Before a week had passed, the same fate befell Bishtu Dealer—killed in an identical manner.
Asim Babu realized all these incidents might be linked to the headless corpse.
That night, around 2:30 a.m., he sat under the large neem tree near the riverbank. Time passed, but he wasn’t aware of how long he had been waiting…
Asim Babu was jolted awake by the sound of crying. Once again, the headless corpse was wailing nearby. This time, it was much closer. He could clearly see the grotesque severed neck, its horrifying sight causing him to faint and fall from the tree. Just before losing consciousness, he saw the headless corpse staggering toward him.
When he regained consciousness, he found the headless corpse sitting right next to him. For a moment, Asim Babu thought he might already be dead. But a quick check confirmed that his body was intact. As his eyes met the severed neck of the corpse, he felt faint again but steadied himself this time.
Just as he was about to speak, the headless corpse stood up, went to the riverbank, picked up its severed head, and returned to stand beside him. Despite being terrified, Asim Babu managed to control himself, realizing the ghost had not harmed him yet.
In a trembling voice, Asim asked, “W-who are you?”
The severed head in the corpse’s hand began to speak:
“Brother, I am Moni. You are a kind man, which is why I haven’t harmed you. Let me tell you my story. On the night of the last full moon, I had gone to Goalpara to perform a dance. On my way back, Nitai Matbar and Bishtu Dealer blocked my path.
“My troupe had already left without me. Sensing their ill intentions, I warned them, pleading, ‘Please, don’t try to harm me. I beg you.’ I even got down on my knees, begging for mercy. But the two demons didn’t listen.
“They dragged me under the bridge and did what they wanted. When they were done, I was left utterly helpless, unable to even sit up. But the monsters didn’t stop there. Fearing that I might expose them, they dismembered my body, stuffed it into a sack, and threw it into this river.
“I have avenged myself by killing those two demons. Now, my soul can rest in peace. You are a good man, and that’s why I’ve shared my story with you. It brings some solace to my burning heart.”
Asim listened to Moni’s chilling account, filled with fear and uncertainty. By now, the night was almost over.
Moni was a young woman, orphaned at an early age. She was a performer with a traveling theater group.
But the mystery remained—how did the headless corpse emerge from its deep grave? And when the body was first found floating by the river, it had already begun to decay. Yet, it seemed remarkably intact until her vengeance was fulfilled.
The next day, Asim Babu arranged for a proper ritual to bring peace to Moni’s soul. After that, the headless corpse was never seen in the village again.
Asim Babu never shared Moni’s horrific story with anyone in the village.
Currently, he is away in the city for some work. In his room, he has documented this entire incident in a diary. And it is from that diary that I’ve narrated this tale to you.
Your story is engaging and well-written! I’ve made a few minor grammar adjustments for clarity and flow. Here’s the revised version:
2. The Journey of Courage
This is an incident that happened to a relative of mine. I’m writing it just as he described it.
The year was 2005, and Mizanur Rahman had recently gotten married. His home was in the Paris Thana, and his in-laws lived in the Lyon Thana. His wife had been at her father’s house for quite some time. One day, after finishing all his work, he decided to go to his father-in-law’s house to bring her back.
Mizanur used to fish in the river, but that day he decided not to fish. Instead, he was determined to go to his in-laws’ house. However, for those who fish, there’s a certain addiction to it.
By the time he finished fishing, it was already quite late. Despite the late hour, he decided he would go and bring his wife back. He finished his fishing and set out for his in-laws’ house. Since it was so late, there were no cars on the road, so he had to walk.
As he walked, he noticed someone behind him. He had a strange feeling that someone was following him. His intuition was never wrong.
Mizanur was a very brave man, and it was this courage that saved him that night.
He thought to himself, *I won’t look back. No matter what, I can’t look back.*
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was behind him, so he called out loudly, “Who’s walking behind me? If you have courage, come to the front! Walk with me if you can!”
There was no response from behind, but Mizanur knew someone was there. As he continued walking, he reached a riverbank. There was a small river in front of him, and it could only be crossed by boat.
He saw a boat at the shore, but there was no boatman. He got into the boat and, still addressing the unseen presence behind him, he said, “Are you coming with me across the river, or will you stay here? If you want to cross, get in the boat and sit down.”
Once again, there was no response. But as he rowed the boat, he felt it grow heavier. The boat trembled slightly, and he realized that the presence had climbed into the boat with him.
He continued rowing, singing a traditional song, trying to keep his nerves steady.
After a while, he felt someone’s breath on the back of his neck, a hot gust of air. But still, he didn’t let fear take hold of him. He remained brave and kept going.
“Hey, what are you doing on my neck? There’s so much space in the boat! Why don’t you go sit elsewhere?”
A little while later, I stopped feeling the hot breath on my neck. I looked up and saw someone walking across the water, covered in white cloth. It was as if he were walking across the river. I understood he was trying to scare me.
I pretended not to notice, kept singing my song, and continued rowing.
Suddenly, I noticed something flying in the sky. It wasn’t floating—it was flying. It looked like a bird, but with wings much larger than any bird I had seen. It was flying above my head, making some kind of sound. I quickly looked away and spoke to the figure behind me.
“Hey, you were sitting in the boat just now. How did you get up there?”
“You shouldn’t be casting a shadow over me. Get down and sit!”
Again, there was no response.
After a while, I reached the shore. I got out of the boat and began walking again.
Even then, I could tell the figure was still following me. But what was it trying to do? If it wanted to harm me, it would have done so by now.
As I walked, I kept thinking to myself…
I was getting closer to my in-laws’ house when suddenly, a huge shadow appeared in front of me. A giant figure stood blocking my path. I stopped in my tracks, trying to gather my courage. If I let fear take over, I knew it would be the end of me.
“Why are you standing in front of me? Don’t you want to let me go?”
I tried to keep calm. “Look, why don’t you come with me? My in-laws’ place is close, and there will be good food and drink there. Come on, let’s go together.”
No response. I tried to sidestep, but it blocked me again, standing right in front of me. I tried again to go around it, but no matter which way I went, it wouldn’t let me pass.
I was getting frustrated. “What do you want from me?”
“Let me go! Move out of the way or come with me!”
After about an hour of this, the figure suddenly moved out of the way and walked off. The call for Fajr prayer had just begun.
I quickly made my way to my in-laws’ house, and everyone was astonished to see me arrive so late. I told them everything that had happened that night.
Everyone said one thing after hearing the story: “If you had been scared, it would have killed you.”
But I truly wasn’t afraid.
With courage, no form or spirit can harm you.
3. The Cursed Face
The woman looks very terrifying; children wouldn’t even dare to go out at night without a reason because of her. The woman’s body structure is very strange, and anyone who sees her would shudder. Her face was also terribly disfigured. What could have been the mystery behind her death?
The woman’s name was Techisaka. In the 1970s, while Japan was progressing in many areas, people were living in fear due to the ghost of a woman named Techisaka. It was said that at night, when someone was traveling alone, they would see a girl wearing a mask. The girl would approach them and ask if she was beautiful. If the answer was “no,” she would kill that person. However, if the answer was “yes,” she would remove her mask, revealing that her lips had been cut in such a way that it seemed someone had sliced them with a knife. Then, she would ask again if she was beautiful. If the person said “no,” she would kill them, but if they said “yes,” she would slice their lips just like hers, leading to their likely death.
At this point, you may wonder what to do in such a situation. Nonetheless, this is why, in the 1970s, people in Japan were living in constant fear. This phenomenon was named Techisaka, and many in Japan claimed that this story was true. In 1979, the fear increased even more, as she began targeting small children. The fear grew so much that parents didn’t even let their children go to school or leave the house. Due to the heightened fear, police surveillance was increased in Japan. During this time, a report emerged that a police car had run over a girl who was chasing a child. When the police examined the girl’s body, they discovered that her face had the same kind of cuts as Techisaka’s. The girl’s identity was never known, and it was unclear where she came from or whether she was connected to Techisaka. But now, we may wonder why Techisaka did such things. To understand this, we need to go back to the year 1200.
The incident occurred 800 to 1200 years ago in a small village in Japan. There was a very beautiful girl who was extremely proud of her beauty. She lived with her husband, who was a Samurai. During a war, her husband had to fight in the battle. When he returned home after the war, he found his wife in a compromising position with another man. Seeing this, the Samurai became furious and, unable to tolerate it, used his sword to split her face in two. He then said, “Now let’s see who will call you beautiful.” After that, he left forever, and the wound on her face from the sword remained. When she looked at her face in the mirror, she realized that the beauty she was so proud of had now become terrifying. Unable to bear the pain, she committed suicide using scissors from her house. Many believe that the incident ended there. But no, 800 years later, she returned as a terrifying, unsatisfied spirit, known as Techisaka. Some say that she is seen wandering in the alleys at night, but eventually, her existence fades.
This is the story of Techisaka.
4. The Terrifying Graveyard
This incident happened about five years ago. I heard the news of my aunt’s passing and came to the village home. When I arrived, I found that she had left us all and had been taken to the graveyard.
After the news of her death was announced on the loudspeaker, some people got busy digging the grave. The bamboo for the grave was arranged from our bamboo garden. Our relative uncle took responsibility for the bamboo work, including the fence and other necessary arrangements. After cutting the bamboo, he noticed that half of one piece was useless. So, he used that half to build a high bamboo seating platform.
Now, let’s come to the main story. The body was bathed, wrapped in a shroud, and prayers were said. After the funeral prayers, the body was brought on a stretcher to the grave. Once the grave was filled with earth, a prayer was offered, and then the elders of the house entrusted us four brothers with the responsibility of taking the stretcher back to the house and cleaning it with water.
As instructed, we four brothers carried the stretcher on our shoulders. While walking, I felt as if someone was pressing heavily on the stretcher. I was walking behind, so I thought the two brothers in front were probably joking. I didn’t say anything and continued to go home. After arriving at the house, I told them, “Why did you fool around like this? My shoulders are hurting now because you put all the weight on our side while holding the stretcher.” My older brother got angry and replied, “You’re the one who pressed down in the front, and now you’re blaming us!” Hearing this, all four of us were left stunned.
However, the story didn’t end there. After this incident, new events began to unfold. My uncle and my younger cousin went by motorcycle to invite people for the death ceremony and to offer meals to the beggars and poor people. As evening approached, something strange happened at home…
One day, while we were at home, my uncles had an accident and fell into the pond in front of our house. Everyone rushed to the scene, but when we got there, we found nothing. Everyone was shocked. We asked the one who had given the news, our elder aunt, and she said, “I just saw it, how could it be a mistake?” This left everyone confused.
When my uncles returned home that night, we asked them about the incident, and they said, “We just got home. You must be imagining things.” At that moment, my younger aunt started screaming. When everyone rushed to her, she said in fear, “I was standing on the veranda when I heard something crunching on the bathroom roof, and then a tin roof fell into the bathroom with a loud noise. When I went to check, everything was in place and nothing had happened.”
After this, everyone went to bed. The next morning, loud voices woke us up. After getting fresh, I went to find out what had happened. What I heard sent shivers down my spine. I found out that the uncle who had built the bamboo platform for the grave was unable to sleep due to fear. At night, when he was trying to sleep, his wife was lying beside him. In the middle of the night, she suddenly screamed. The uncle asked, “What happened?” She said, “Someone grabbed my hand. I don’t want to stay outside anymore; let’s go inside.” He agreed, and they went inside the house. When he opened the door, he saw his son’s rickshaw moving back and forth between the trees, even though there was no driver. The rickshaw was locked, and the trees were all disordered. The strange thing was that the rickshaw was moving through the gaps in the trees. When the door was opened, everything was back to its original place.
A few days later, on the night before the final prayer, one uncle had given some money for the prayer and was returning home when his motorcycle suddenly turned toward the jungle where my aunt had been buried. Our family graveyard is behind our house, and then there’s a road, followed by another graveyard. My aunt had been buried in the second graveyard. The motorcycle was heading toward her grave, and despite his attempts, he couldn’t control it. Out of fear, he abandoned the bike and ran back into the house, panting and telling everyone what had happened. Everyone grabbed sticks and went to the graveyard, where they were shocked to see the motorcycle standing upright with its double stand facing the grave, the lights on, and the engine running. The uncle was so terrified that he said, “I had dropped the motorcycle on the ground, and the engine had turned off,” before collapsing unconscious onto the ground.
The next morning, a respected religious leader was called to perform the prayer, and after that, everything became calm.
Your translation is clear and effectively captures the essence of the original story. I’ve made some small adjustments for smoother flow and grammar. Here is the corrected version:
5. The Whispers of Rovina
Rovina, a land of strange beauty, is surrounded by mountains and dense forests, with a small village at its heart. This land is famous for its mysterious beauty, but most renowned for its ominous tales that spread throughout the village. Among them is a haunting story called “The Whispers of Shadow,” which has instilled deep fear in the hearts of the villagers.
The village was named Marthesia. Life there was peaceful and quiet, with people living simple lives through farming. However, there was one thing everyone was wary of—the forest that bordered the village. No one dared to step into it after evening.
It was said that if someone ventured into the forest alone at night, they would hear strange sounds—first a whisper, which would slowly grow louder, as if coming from an invisible person. Many believed these sounds were the voices of old spirits who once lived in that forest. But the one thing everyone knew for sure was that anyone who followed the whispers never returned.
In the village of Marthesia lived a young woman named Isla. She was different from the others—lively, brave, and always curious about the truth. Her father, an old wise man of the village, often warned her about the forest, telling stories of those who had gone missing there. But Isla was stubborn, and her attraction to mystery was unshakable.
One cold autumn night, Isla stood at the edge of the forest. The air carried an odd scent, and the ground was damp. Suddenly, she heard the whispers, as if someone was calling her. At first, she didn’t pay much attention, but soon she realized—the sound seemed to be beckoning her.
Though hesitant, her curiosity pushed her deeper into the forest. She walked on, the dry leaves crunching under her feet with every step. The whispers grew louder, as if thousands of voices were merging in the air around her.
Suddenly, she stopped. Ahead, she saw a dark figure—a human shape with no features on its face. The sight seemed to freeze her. Before she could say anything, the dark figure moved toward her with silent footsteps.
“Who are you?” Isla asked, terrified.
The figure didn’t respond. But suddenly, the whispers grew even louder, saying, “Don’t stay here… leave… it’s not safe for you…”
Isla, frightened, tried to back away, but in that moment, the darkness surrounded her. She could no longer move, as if the forest had trapped her. Then, a terrifying vision appeared—she realized that the spirits hiding in the darkness were rushing toward her.
The figure asked her, “Do you think you’re beautiful?” If she answered no, it would kill her. But if she said yes, the dark figure would tear her apart, just as ancient warriors did to their enemies.
Isla gathered her courage and said, “No, I am not beautiful.” As soon as she spoke, the dark figure didn’t attack her, but she understood that the nightmare she had fallen into wouldn’t end easily.
The next day, the villagers went searching for her, but all they found were traces of her footsteps. There was no sign of her, no evidence left behind. The story was proven once again—whoever listened to the whispers met only death.
From then on, the villagers became more cautious, knowing that no one should follow the whispers into the dark of night. And the village of Marthesia remained shrouded in an invisible shadow of fear, even to this day.