The story of the old mansion with the woman in white is also very scary. A ghostly figure in a white dress is a classic horror element. And the thought that she might be reliving her tragic past in the halls of the mansion makes it all the more frightening.
The scariest might be the one about the lighthouse. The idea of a ghost keeper still roaming around in that isolated place gives a very eerie feeling. Just imagining seeing a shadowy figure in the tower when it should be empty is quite terrifying.
The soldier ghost near the cemetery is quite spooky too. It's as if he's stuck in time, forever patrolling the cemetery. The fact that it's a cemetery, a place associated with death, and having a ghostly soldier there adds to the overall scariness.
One of the well - known New Smyrna ghost stories is about the haunted lighthouse. It's said that the ghost of a former lighthouse keeper still wanders there, as if he's still on duty. People claim to have seen strange lights and heard unexplained noises coming from the lighthouse at night.
In a small village in New Mexico, there is a story about a possessed child. The child would often talk in strange voices, and sometimes would say things related to the Holy Ghost in a very distorted way. The villagers thought that an evil spirit was trying to use the guise of the Holy Ghost to cause chaos. They called in a priest to perform an exorcism, but the child's condition was very difficult to deal with, and the whole situation was extremely terrifying.
The scariest part is the unknown. In many stories, things just happen without any explanation. For example, objects moving on their own.
In these new nanny ghost stories, the scariest parts are the connections to the past tragedies. Like when a nanny realizes that there was a previous nanny who died mysteriously in the same place she's now working. It makes her wonder if she'll meet the same fate. Also, the strange noises and unexplained events, such as toys moving on their own or cold spots in a warm room, add to the scariness because they can't be easily explained away.
The story of the haunted mine is quite scary. Miners died in a tragic accident there long ago. Now, people say they can hear the screams of the miners and see strange lights deep in the mine. It gives off a feeling of great dread.
The scariest might be the phantom conductor. The idea of seeing a figure in an old - fashioned uniform on an empty train is really creepy. It gives the feeling that something from the past is still lingering in the present - day subway. Another scary one is the ghost train. Imagining getting on a train full of apparitions from another time is terrifying.
The sense of the unknown. In these stories, things happen without explanation. For example, objects moving on their own. It's scary because we can't predict it and don't know what's causing it.
The ghost story of the LaLaurie Mansion is extremely scary. The idea that the slaves' tortured souls are still there, and that their pain and suffering continues in the form of hauntings is terrifying. The screams that people claim to hear are bone - chilling.
The most terrifying part of the Clinton Road Phantom story is the uncertainty. You don't know what will happen when you see that figure. It could be a malevolent spirit that might cause harm to you or your vehicle.
The most terrifying element is often the unknown. In these stories, things like phantom hitchhikers are really scary because you don't know who or what they are. You pick them up thinking they are real people, but then they vanish.