« I also know of something strange, so strange that it has haunted me all my life. It is now fifty-six years since the incident occurred, and yet not a month passes that I do not see it again in a dream, so great is the impression of fear it has left on my mind. For ten minutes I experienced such horrible fright that ever since then a sort of constant terror has remained with me. Sudden noises startle me violently, and objects imperfectly distinguished at night inspire me with a mad desire to flee from them. In short, I am afraid of the dark! » – (Guy de Maupassant)

« I also know of something strange, so strange that it has haunted me all my life. It is now fifty-six years since the incident occurred, and yet not a month passes that I do not see it again in a dream, so great is the impression of fear it has left on my mind. For ten minutes I experienced such horrible fright that ever since then a sort of constant terror has remained with me. Sudden noises startle me violently, and objects imperfectly distinguished at night inspire me with a mad desire to flee from them. In short, I am afraid of the dark! » - (Guy de Maupassant)

Immerse yourself in the haunting and introspective world of Guy De Maupassant's "The Terror." This short story delves into the mind of a man who is consumed by an overwhelming sense of dread and paranoia. As he struggles to understand the source of his fear, De Maupassant explores themes of psychological terror, existential angst, and the fragility of the human mind. De Maupassant masterfully portrays the protagonist's descent into fear, using his sharp narrative style to convey the intense emotions that accompany unexplained terror. His exploration of the human psyche provides a gripping and chilling experience for readers. "The Terror" is a powerful and unsettling story, perfect for readers who enjoy psychological horror and the profound storytelling of one of France's most celebrated authors.

"My heart was throbbing wildly. I was frightened. I opened the door brusquely, and in the darkness I distinguished a white figure, standing erect, something that resembled an apparition." When the narrator in Guy de Maupassant’s short story "The Spasm" meets a father and his ill daughter at a health spa, he is reminded of characters from the universe of Edgar Allan Poe. What they proceed to recount to him is a tale so gruesome and harrowing that even Poe himself would cower in fear. Inspired by a real nineteenth century risk of premature burial, "The Spasm" comes with a shocking twist that holds everyone captive until the very end. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a famous French writer, best known as one of the finest practitioners of the French short story. Master of style and dramatic narrative, Maupassant’s stories are mainly interested in the relationships between men and women, often found at the crossroads of life. One of his greatest influences was Gustave Flaubert, who introduced him to some of the central names of the time such as Emile Zola, Henry James, and Ivan Turgenev. Some of his best known works include the novels "Bel Ami" and "Une Vie", more than 300 short stories, travel books, and even an attempt at poetry.

Frightening stories give us the means to explore the things that scare us... but only as far as our imaginations and our experiences allow. They keep us safe while letting us imagine we're in peril. Stories, after all, are never about what they're about: there is always a pocket somewhere within them for us to drop in our own emotions, our own fears. A box we can lift up the lid and look at the darkness... and close it again when we've had enough.That's exactly what you going to find out at this special selection of the 13 masterpieces of short scary stories, writen by the greatest writer of the gender: Edgar Allan Poe, Frank Richard Stockton; H.O. Lovecraft, Guy de Maupassant, Franz Kafka, Arthur Conan Doyle, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Oscar Wilde, W.W. Jacobs, Richard Matheson. It's definitely a must read!