A story about a small, seemingly ordinary cemetery. One night, a gravedigger working late notices that one of the graves is glowing. He goes to investigate and finds that the tombstone has strange symbols carved on it. As he touches the tombstone, he feels a sudden chill. Soon, the dead start to rise from their graves. The gravedigger has to find a way to stop this before the entire town is overrun by the undead. This could be due to a curse placed on the cemetery long ago.
You could write about a man who inherits an antique mirror from his deceased grandmother. When he hangs it in his bedroom, he notices that there are strange reflections in it at night. The reflection shows a different version of his room, with dark, shadowy figures moving around. As he stares into the mirror more often, he starts to feel a presence trying to reach out from the other side, and he realizes that the mirror might be a portal to a haunted dimension.
One idea could be that the character who seems to be the hero is actually the villain all along. For example, in a story about a detective solving a crime, it turns out that the detective was the one who set up the crime in the first place to gain fame.
A girl finds an old, mysterious diary in the attic of her new home. As she starts reading it, she discovers that it was written by a girl who lived in the house decades ago. The diary reveals that the girl was into some dark magic and made a deal with an evil entity. Now, as the current girl reads the diary, she starts experiencing strange events. Things in her room move on their own, and she has nightmares of the entity from the diary coming to get her.
One idea could be a story about an old, abandoned house at the end of a dark lane. A young girl, curious about the rumors surrounding it, decides to enter. Once inside, she hears strange whispers and feels cold hands on her shoulders, but when she turns around, there's no one there. As she explores further, she discovers a locked room with a faint red glow seeping from under the door.
Good use of atmosphere is crucial. Dark and gloomy settings, strange noises, or a sense of unease can enhance the impact of the plot twist. In a story set in an old, creaky house, the reader is already on edge. When the plot twist comes, like the discovery that the friendly neighbor who helped the main character move in is actually a serial killer who has been using the house to hide his victims, the atmosphere makes it even scarier.
One way is to introduce a completely unexpected character at the end who changes everything. Maybe it's someone the main character thought was dead or a long-lost relative with a dark secret.
One way is to have a seemingly happy ending, but then show a creepy detail that suggests it's not over. Maybe a shadow in the background or a strange noise. This leaves the reader with a sense of unease.
One idea could be a haunted house where strange noises and apparitions keep appearing. Another could be a forest with a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows.
You could write about a Ouija board that actually works. When a group of teenagers play with it, they accidentally summon a powerful and vengeful spirit that starts to torment them. For example, it moves objects around their houses, makes strange noises at night, and even appears in their nightmares.
One idea could be a story about a haunted mirror. A young girl moves into an old house and discovers a large, ornate mirror in the attic. Every time she looks into it, she sees a figure that gets closer and closer each day. Eventually, the figure steps out of the mirror.
A story about a cursed doll. A little girl finds an old, tattered doll in a thrift store. She takes it home, and strange things start to happen. Her toys start to move on their own, and she hears whispers at night. It's revealed that the doll was once owned by a witch, and now it's bringing bad luck to the girl's family.