The stories in 'best true horror stories' are frightening because they play on our deepest fears. Fears of the dark, of the supernatural, of losing control. A story about a person who suddenly loses time and finds themselves in strange places with no memory of how they got there taps into our fear of not being in control of our own minds and bodies.
Often, it's the sense of the unknown. In these stories, there are things that can't be easily explained. Like a town where people keep having the same nightmare about a dark figure. There's no rational explanation for it, and that scares us. Also, the settings are usually very ordinary places like our own homes or neighborhoods, which makes it seem like it could happen to anyone.
The fact that they are true. When you know something actually happened, it makes it scarier. For example, if it's a story about a real - life ghost sighting, it hits closer to home than a fictional ghost story.
The fact that they are true stories. Knowing that these horrible things actually happened in real life makes it much scarier than fictional horror. It makes you wonder if something similar could happen to you or someone you know.
The unpredictability in these stories is a big factor. You don't know what's going to happen next. It could be a sudden appearance of a terrifying apparition or a strange event that defies logic. And the fact that they are based on real experiences (or at least claim to be) gives them an authenticity that makes them more effective at scaring us compared to fictional horror stories.
Tickling horror stories are frightening because it involves a very personal and often vulnerable feeling. When it's turned into something malicious in a story, like an unseen force tickling you against your will, it makes you feel violated. Also, the physical reaction of laughing uncontrollably during tickling can be quite scary when you don't have control over it and it's being caused by something spooky.
It's the mind games. Psychological horror stories mess with your head. They often make you question your own perception of reality. For example, in 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's unreliable account makes you wonder what's really going on.
The unknown. In these stories, a lot of the horror comes from not knowing what will happen next. It keeps the readers on edge.
The element of unpredictability makes them so scary. In horror real stories, events unfold in real - life settings that we are familiar with. So when something out of the ordinary and terrifying happens, like a sudden appearance of a ghost - like figure in your own backyard which has been normal all your life, it completely shatters our sense of security and makes us feel vulnerable.
It's the unknown aspect. We don't know who the hunter is, what their motives are, or how far they'll go. In a manhunt horror story, this lack of knowledge keeps us on edge. For example, in many such stories, the hunter could be a supernatural being or a deranged human with no clear reason for the hunt. Also, the isolation of the victims, whether in a desolate forest or an empty building, adds to the horror as they have few places to hide and no one to immediately turn to for help.
The unknown factor makes horror dreams stories so frightening. In a horror dream, we often don't know what is going to happen next or what the strange entity really is. For example, in a dream about a haunted house, not knowing who or what is making the spooky noises scares us.
Blackout horror stories are frightening because they often involve a sense of helplessness. We rely so much on electricity for safety, like security lights and alarms. When that's gone, we're left feeling exposed. And our imagination runs wild. We start thinking about all the spooky things we've heard or seen in movies. A simple creak in the floorboards during a blackout can make us think of a ghost or a monster, and there's no easy way to prove otherwise in the dark.