Well, there's 'My daughter won't stop crying and screaming in the middle of the night. I visited her grave yesterday.' Also, 'I heard a noise from the basement. The power has been out for days so it couldn't be the furnace.'
I woke up to the sound of scratching at my window. When I opened my eyes, a shadowy figure was peering in.
I saw a figure at the end of the hall. As I blinked, it vanished, leaving only a chill.
She checked under her bed. A pair of eyes stared back.
Another really scary one could be 'My phone rang at 3 am. The caller ID said it was me.' It plays on the idea of the self being something other or unknown, and calls at that time are always spooky.
Well, the one where 'I woke up in a coffin. As I screamed, I realized I was buried six feet under.' is quite terrifying. Just the thought of being trapped alive underground is a nightmare.
I woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise. When I turned on the light, there was a shadowy figure at the foot of my bed.
The first one: I woke up in the middle of the night to a noise downstairs. When I looked down from the top of the stairs, I saw my own face staring back at me. Another one: She heard a knock on the door. When she opened it, there was nothing but a cold handprint on the doorknob.
She always sleeps with one eye open. Tonight, she realized she was the only one in the house.
The sudden appearance of unknown entities. For example, a figure suddenly showing up in a supposedly empty room.
The sudden and unexpected events. For example, a character thinking they are alone and then suddenly seeing a shadowy figure right behind them.