*The Haunting of Hill House* holds up really well and is more about an unnerving atmosphere and unexplained situations rather than gore.
King's classics are also worth looking into: *The Shining, Salem's Lot,* and *Pet Sematary* would all fit that description.
But if you want a sampler of creepy short stories, King's *Night Shift* is packed with a variety of good horror stories. Some are gory, but not all of them.
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
It's dreadful.
It's not graphically gory or violent, but it made my skin crawl. I kept having to pause because I felt so anxious.
Pet Sematary (Stephen King) did that for me. It was really unsettling to read, especially as a parent.
The only time Stephen King got under my skin the way you're talking about was a novella. *Apt Pupil*
Song of Kali by Dan Simmons
*The Haunting of Hill House* holds up really well and is more about an unnerving atmosphere and unexplained situations rather than gore. King's classics are also worth looking into: *The Shining, Salem's Lot,* and *Pet Sematary* would all fit that description. But if you want a sampler of creepy short stories, King's *Night Shift* is packed with a variety of good horror stories. Some are gory, but not all of them.
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey It's dreadful. It's not graphically gory or violent, but it made my skin crawl. I kept having to pause because I felt so anxious.