The unknown is a big factor. In short scary dream stories, often things are not fully explained. For example, a strange noise in the dark. You don't know what's making it, and that creates fear.
Suddenness also plays a role. Like in a dream where you're in a calm place and then suddenly a menacing figure appears out of nowhere. It catches you off - guard and scares you. Another element is the sense of isolation. If you're alone in a spooky place in the dream, like an empty castle, it amps up the fear because there's no one to help you.
The use of common fears such as the dark, strange creatures, and being trapped. In short scary dream stories, these elements are often combined. For instance, being trapped in a dark cellar with a strange, growling creature lurking in the shadows. The combination of these basic fears makes the story truly terrifying. Also, the feeling of helplessness, like not being able to run or escape from the scary situation in the dream, adds to the fright.
The fear factor in these 13 short scary stories often comes from the sense of isolation. When a character is alone in a spooky place like an old mansion or a dark forest, it makes us feel vulnerable. Also, the idea of the supernatural, such as ghosts or curses, plays a big role. We don't understand these things in our normal lives, so when they are presented in a story, it gives us a chill. For instance, a story where a person is haunted by a spirit that only they can see makes us wonder what we would do in that situation.
The element of the unknown. In these stories, often things are not fully explained. For example, a strange figure that appears in the corner of a room but you can't really see what it is. It leaves your imagination to fill in the blanks, and our minds can come up with some really terrifying things.
Another scary element is the strange noises. Like in some stories, there are unexplained growls or whispers during the Skype call which make the situation very spooky. It makes you feel like there's something evil lurking. Well, it could also be some sort of technical issue that creates these sounds, but in the context of a scary story, it adds to the horror. For instance, a person was having a quiet call and then suddenly there was a loud screeching noise that seemed to come from nowhere. It really startled them.
The unpredictability of their behavior. Spiders can move quickly and quietly. In some scary stories, a spider might be lurking in a corner and then suddenly jump or crawl onto someone without any warning. Also, the idea that some spiders are venomous adds to the fear. People are afraid of being bitten and suffering from the effects of the venom, like in stories where a character gets bitten by a mysterious spider and then falls ill or has strange symptoms.
The characters in these stories often face situations that are beyond their understanding. For instance, they might encounter supernatural forces that they can't explain. And when they try to fight or escape, it seems hopeless. There's also the element of the unknown. You don't know what's going to happen next, and that anticipation of something truly horrible is what makes it so scary. Plus, the vivid descriptions of the settings, whether it's a creepy old mansion or a desolate cemetery, add to the overall fright factor.
The price of getting what you want in 'The Monkey's Paw' is extremely terrifying. We often wish for things, but in this story, it shows that wishes can have a very dark side. The family doesn't expect the horrible consequences of their wishes, and this unexpectedness and the high cost of wishes make the story very scary. It makes you think twice about what you might wish for if you were in a similar situation.
The unknown. In many of these stories, like in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's unclear motives and the sense of something lurking in the shadows create fear. We don't fully understand why he is so obsessed with the old man's eye, and that mystery is scary.
In 'the bad dream scary story', the sense of isolation and helplessness is very frightening. Like when the girl is alone in the forest or the man is in the abandoned house all by himself. There's no one to help them, and they are trapped in these terrifying situations. Also, the presence of things that go against normalcy, such as the self - moving rocking chair or the zombie crew, adds to the scariness as it disrupts our sense of a normal, safe world.
The unknown. You might encounter strange cultures, rituals, or superstitions that you don't understand. I heard a story where a traveler unknowingly entered a place where there was a local superstition about not wearing a certain color. He wore that color and all the locals stared at him in a really creepy way. It made him feel very unwelcome and scared.