Here is one. 'The old doll's eyes followed me. It wasn't alive before.' This simple two - line story creates a sense of unease. The idea of an inanimate object suddenly showing signs of life or awareness is a classic horror trope. In this case, the doll which was previously lifeless now has its eyes following the narrator, which is quite creepy.
Another one is 'I heard a baby crying in the attic. I don't have a baby.'
Sure. 'I woke up to a cold hand on my face. I live alone.'
Another one might be 'The old doll in the attic blinked. I'm sure it did.' This simple line creates a sense of unease as dolls are often associated with the uncanny. The idea of an inanimate object like a doll showing signs of life is quite terrifying.
There was a line cook who was constantly bullied by the head chef. The head chef would yell at him for the smallest mistakes and make him work extra hours without pay. One day, the line cook was so stressed that he made a big mistake with a special order. The customer was furious and the line cook almost lost his job. It was a horrible experience for him, not just because of the mistake but also because of the hostile work environment.
One horror story could be about the food. Some passengers reported that the food on Norwegian Cruise Line was of very poor quality. It was either undercooked or tasted really bad, like the fish that smelled off and was served anyway.
I heard a knock at the door. I opened it, but no one was there, yet the knocking continued.
Here's another: 'The old doll sat on the shelf. Its eyes followed me. I turned off the light. In the dark, it giggled softly.'
I heard a knock at the door. I opened it, no one was there, but I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.
A memorable one is 'I can't sleep at night because I keep hearing my name being whispered in my ear, but there's no one there.' It gives that feeling of being haunted and makes you shiver at the thought of an unseen presence that knows your name.
On one cruise, there was a fire in one of the cabins. The smoke spread quickly, and the fire alarms were not working properly in some parts of the ship. People were confused about what to do. Some passengers had to help others to safety as the crew seemed disorganized at first. It was a very chaotic and dangerous situation.
Here's a line: 'The old doll's eyes follow me around the room.' This is scary because dolls are often associated with innocence, but when they seem to have a life of their own and are watching you, it goes against that perception. It creates an uneasiness as if something inanimate is now sentient and has an intent, which is very disturbing.
The mirror showed my reflection smiling. I wasn't smiling. I ran.