Mysterious Short Stories

The following Six tales are mysterious. They are each short stories. They each explore some element of suspense or the unexplained. They can help you investigate the elements of short stories such as conflict and characterization.

Check out the following Titles Predict what you think the stories will be about using the visual clues provided and the context clues of the title

Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the sound of an animal in an extremity of anguish and terror. He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did not try to; with fresh vitality he swam toward the sound. He heard it again; then it was cut short by another noise, crisp, staccato. "Pistol shot," muttered Rainsford, swimming on.

The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allen Poe When I had waited a long time very patiently without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little -- a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it -- you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily -- until at length a single dim ray like the thread of the spider shot out from the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye.

Lamb to the Slaughter By Shirley Jackson “It’s the old story,” he said. “Get the weapon, and you’ve got the man.”

By Washington Irving Ichabod quickened his steed, in hopes of leaving this midnight companion behind. The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind - the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him. There was something in the stranger's moody silence that was appalling. It was soon fearfully accounted for. On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow traveler in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horrorstruck on perceiving that he was headless! But his horror was still more increased on observing that the stranger's head was carried before him on the pommel of the saddle.

The Veldt He didn't answer Lydia. Preoccupied, be let the lights glow softly on ahead of him, extinguish behind him as he padded to the nursery door. He listened against it. Far away, a lion roared. He unlocked the door and opened it. Just before he stepped inside, he heard a faraway scream. And then another roar from the lions, which subsided quickly. By Ray Bradbury

The Dinner Party By Mona Gardner “A woman’s unfailing reaction in any crisis,” the colonel says, “is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of nerve control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what counts.”

When we finish a story… You can earn some extra credit by completing a Literature Extension Activity.

Literature Extension Activities 1. Read an additional SSR book by the same author—compare and contrast 2. Research a related topic of your choice and turn in a on page essay or power point on it. 3. Act out a scene from a book or story. Choose a few students to help you perform your play. Use props, costumes, etc.

4. Create a new ending for the book. Be sure to tell a little about the original ending so readers can understand how your ending is different. 5. Rewrite the story as a picture book for a young child. 6. Draw a map detailing the various places in the book. Along with each location. Include a description of the major events that occurred there. 7. Summarize the story from a different character’s point of view (someone other than the main character). Use first person. 8. Design a travel brochure that would inform people about the place where the story takes place. Include a heading, a map, vivid description, things to do, interesting facts, or historical information. 9. Create a digital media presentation: PowerPoint, charts/graphs, maps, timeline, claymation, etc. 10. Create a Soundtrack with at least 10 songs. Songs must relate to main events from the story and CD cover must have an explanation of why those songs relate to those events.