Short Horror Stories

Fear

People often get confused between the meaning of fear, terror and horror.

Fear is being afraid something will happen. Always. You can't always be terrified or horrified, but you can always be fearful of something, like a phobia.

Terror is the agonising period of time between fear and horror. It leads up to the ending. The punchline. The sudden horror. Not only do you fear it happening, you can feel it almost definitely will. You are terrified.

Horror, as I said, is the punchline. You can be horrified that something IS happening, or HAS happened. It is the actual act of your own fear happening to you.

Too confusing? To put it into context:
Fear is being afraid of a werewolf catching you.
Terror is seeing one running towards you.
Horror is realising your feet are stuck to the ground.

Scared? Good.

Let me explain it in a way that you can relate to:

Fear is being afraid of someone watching you.
Terror is feeling a presence around you.
Horror is receiving a message that reads: I SEE YOU.

Turn around.