Sentence 1: I woke up in the middle of the night to a strange scratching at my window. Sentence 2: When I finally summoned the courage to look, there was a shadowy figure with no face staring back at me.
The first one: I heard a strange scratching at my window. I opened my eyes and saw a shadowy figure outside, then the power went out. Another one: I was alone in the old house. I smelled a putrid odor, and then a cold hand touched my shoulder.
The first sentence: I woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise. The second sentence: When I turned on the light, I saw a figure standing at the foot of my bed.
Example 1: I woke up in the middle of the night. There was a figure at the foot of my bed, smiling with no eyes. Example 2: She heard a knock on the door. When she opened it, there was only a bloody handprint on the doorknob.
Well, it's their brevity. They quickly set a spooky mood. For example, in just two sentences like 'I walked into the empty room. There was a cold hand on my shoulder.' It gets right to the point of fear without a lot of build - up.
They're effective because they quickly build tension. In just two sentences, they can create a sense of mystery and fear. For example, 'I heard a noise downstairs. When I went to check, a cold wind blew out the candle.' It makes you wonder what's downstairs and what will happen next.
First, think of a creepy setting like an abandoned asylum or a dark forest. For example, start with 'I walked into the long - forgotten cemetery.' Then, add a terrifying event like 'Suddenly, a hand reached out from a grave.'
Story 1: I woke up to a cold hand on my face. When I turned on the light, no one was there.
I heard a baby crying in the attic. When I went up, I saw my old doll with a knife in its hand.
I woke up to find a handprint on my window. It was on the inside.
I opened the attic door. A pair of glowing eyes stared back at me from the darkness.