Walking through the cemetery, I heard a soft cry. I turned to see a little girl in a white dress. When she looked up, her eyes were black holes that seemed to suck the life out of me.
A classic horror story is 'Dracula'. This tale of the vampire Count Dracula has terrified readers for generations. His ability to transform into a bat, his thirst for blood, and his power over the undead make for a truly spooky read.
Set the story in an abandoned asylum. Start by detailing the long, echoing hallways with peeling wallpaper and rusted gurneys scattered about. The fluorescent lights above flicker erratically, casting strange shadows on the walls. The main character is exploring this place, perhaps as part of a dare or because they are a journalist looking for a story. But as they venture deeper into the asylum, they start to feel as if they are being watched, and they hear the faint sound of screams that seem to be coming from the very walls around them.
I woke up in the middle of the night. There was a shadowy figure at the foot of my bed.
One spooky event could be when a child is playing with sparklers on Diwali night. As the sparkler fizzles out, the child looks up and sees a ghostly apparition of an old woman standing right in front of them. The old woman is dressed in traditional Diwali clothes, but her expression is menacing. She reaches out a bony hand towards the child, and the child is too terrified to move.
I once was driving at night on a lonely country road. Out of nowhere, a deer ran across the road. I swerved to avoid it and ended up in a ditch. As I was trying to get out of the car to see the damage, I heard a howling sound that didn't sound like any normal animal. I quickly got back in the car and locked the doors. I sat there for what felt like hours until finally, a passing truck stopped and helped me out. But that howling still haunts me.
I'd recommend 'The Shining'. The idea of a haunted hotel where a family is trapped and the father slowly loses his mind is really spooky. The ghosts in the hotel have their own agendas and the way they interact with the family is hair - raising. Also, 'Pet Sematary' is quite disturbing. The concept of an ancient burial ground that brings things back to life in a twisted way makes for a truly spooky read.
A two - line horror story is effective when it creates immediate fear. For example, 'The phone rang at midnight. It was my own voice on the other end.' This short scenario plays on our fear of the unknown and the uncanny. It gives just enough information to spark our imagination and make us feel uneasy.
I was camping alone. As I stared into the fire, a face emerged from the flames, its eyes burning into mine. I ran, but the heat chased me.
An old, abandoned asylum. Inside, the patients' cells are still filled with their belongings, and there are strange scratches on the walls. The protagonist hears the faint sounds of screams and maniacal laughter echoing through the corridors. It gets even scarier when they find a hidden basement with surgical equipment and signs of inhumane experiments.
There's 'The Masque of the Red Death'. Poe's story creates a vivid and terrifying picture of a plague - like situation. The different rooms with their different colors and the final encounter with the Red Death itself is very spooky. Then there's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Ichabod Crane's encounter with the Headless Horseman is a classic spooky tale. And don't forget 'The Girl with the Green Ribbon'. It has a simple yet very creepy premise where a girl always has a green ribbon around her neck, and the ending is quite chilling.