A creepy idea could be a town that's cursed, and every full moon, strange and horrifying things happen. The curse could have roots in an ancient evil that was awakened.
One idea could be a haunted house where the spirits have a specific agenda. Maybe they're trying to reveal a hidden truth about the property's past.
How about a story set in an abandoned asylum? A group of urban explorers break into the long - closed asylum. As they wander through the dark, musty hallways, they hear the screams and moans of the former patients. They find old patient records that hint at inhumane experiments. Then, they start to be chased by an unseen force that seems to know every nook and cranny of the building.
One idea could be a person who moves into a new house and every night hears strange scratching noises from the attic. When they finally go up to investigate, they find a diary that details the previous owner's descent into madness and how they were haunted by an entity that lived in the walls. As soon as they start reading, the scratching gets louder and the room grows colder.
Begin with a strange discovery. Say, a young girl is exploring an abandoned attic. Among the dusty boxes and cobwebs, she finds a locked diary. The moment she touches it, she feels a strange coldness seep into her fingers. As she tries to open it, she hears a faint whisper in her ear, as if someone is warning her not to. This discovery can set the stage for a horror story filled with mystery and the unknown.
A doll that comes to life at night. It has a creepy smile and moves around the house, leaving little footprints. It seems to be watching the people in the house all the time and can predict their every move, always staying one step ahead of them, creating a sense of constant dread.
A story about a cursed mirror. Anyone who looks into it sees their worst fears come to life behind them. The reflection slowly changes, showing a distorted and terrifying version of reality. The person is then haunted by the images they saw, and they start to lose their sanity as the mirror seems to have a hold on them.
One idea could be a haunted house. Picture an old, dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of town. Strange noises come from within at night, like creaking floorboards and whispers. People who enter never come out the same, if they come out at all. Shadows seem to move on their own, and there are cold spots throughout the house that send shivers down your spine.
One idea could be a haunted house where every night strange noises come from the attic and the walls seem to ooze a cold slime. People who enter the house start to see apparitions of past residents who died in tragic ways. Another idea is a cursed forest where the trees have faces that whisper dark secrets, and anyone who gets lost in it is never seen again. And a third idea could be a possessed doll that moves on its own and causes chaos in a family's home.
One idea could be a story about a cursed antique mirror. Every time someone looks into it, they see a distorted version of themselves that slowly starts to take over their body. Another idea is a horror story set in an old asylum. The patients there were experimented on in cruel ways, and now their tortured spirits haunt the place. Or, a story about a small town where every night at midnight, all the dolls in people's houses come to life and start to cause chaos.
A possessed doll makes for a great horror story idea. It moves on its own, has an evil glint in its eyes, and seems to have a mind of its own. It could start by causing small annoyances like moving around the room at night, but then escalates to more dangerous things like attacking people. Also, the idea of a group of people getting lost in a fog - covered forest where the trees seem to have a life of their own and there are strange noises all around can be very terrifying.
A good idea to start a horror story could be with an unexplained noise in the middle of the night. For example, the main character wakes up to a strange scratching sound coming from the attic. They're all alone in the house, and the sound is rhythmic and menacing. This immediately creates a sense of unease and mystery, drawing the reader in as they wonder what could be making that noise.