The idea of being haunted or possessed, as seen in 'Ben Drowned', is really scary. It's the thought that an inanimate object like a video game cartridge can be a vessel for an evil entity. And once you interact with it, you become a target. This makes people feel vulnerable even in the safety of their own homes when they are playing a simple game.
The unknown is a very scary element. For example, in 'The Slenderman' story, his faceless nature makes him so terrifying. We don't know what he really is or what he's capable of. It plays on our fear of the unexplained.
The sudden turn from normal to abnormal is also quite frightening. Like in 'Jeff the Killer', he was just an ordinary boy, and then he became a deranged killer. It makes the reader or listener wonder if such a sudden change could happen to anyone, including themselves. Also, the graphic and disturbing descriptions in these stories, such as Jeff's self - mutilation to create his 'permanent smile', add to the scariness.
The idea of the supernatural being inescapable. In the mirror story, the mirror keeps coming back no matter how hard the woman tries to get rid of it. It gives the impression that once you are caught up in the horror of these Gordan Perscate stories, there's no way to truly escape, and that's what makes them so scary.
The sense of the unknown. In these stories, there are often things that can't be easily explained. For example, strange noises in an empty room. You don't know what's causing them, and that makes it really scary.
There's the 'Jeff the Killer' story. Jeff was a normal boy until he went through a series of traumatic events that drove him insane. He carved a permanent smile into his face and killed his family. He now roams around, often sneaking into people's houses at night, his pale face and wide, maniacal grin being the last thing his victims see.
The unknown is often the scariest element. In old creepy stories, things like a strange noise in the dark or a shadow that moves on its own. You don't know what's causing it, and your mind fills in the blanks with all kinds of terrifying possibilities.
Isolation is often a part of it too. For example, in stories where a person is alone in a haunted castle or a dark forest. They have no one to turn to for help, and that makes them more vulnerable to the creepy things that are going on. It gives a feeling of helplessness. Moreover, the idea of the supernatural breaking into the normal world is quite frightening. When a ghost or a monster shows up in an ordinary place, it disrupts the sense of safety we usually have in our daily lives.
The unknown is often the scariest element. In these stories, things like strange noises or unexplained figures. For example, in the story of the woman in the old house, the scratching noise from the attic was scary because she didn't know what was causing it.
The mystery. In short creepy pasta stories, there are often elements that are not fully explained. For example, in the 'Slenderman' stories, his origin is not clearly defined. This lack of clarity makes people curious and keeps them engaged.
They're popular because they tap into our fears. People are intrigued by the unknown and the macabre. For example, the idea of faceless entities like Slenderman scares us because it defies our normal perception of what a being should look like.
The unknown is one of the scariest elements. Like in stories where there's a strange noise or a shadow that you can't identify. It makes your imagination run wild.
One short creepy pasta story is about the 'Smile Dog'. A person receives an email with a picture of a dog with a really wide and disturbing smile. As they look at it, they start to have nightmares and see the dog in their waking life, driving them to madness.