The unknown is often the scariest part. For example, in a story where a best friend sees a strange figure in the attic, not knowing what it is or if it means harm is terrifying. It plays on our fears of the unseen.
The scariest part can be when the events in the story seem to defy logic. For instance, when a best friend's room keeps getting rearranged in the middle of the night while they sleep. There's no rational explanation for it at first. And the fact that it's your best friend experiencing it makes it even more real and terrifying because you care about them and don't want anything bad to happen to them.
The sense of betrayal by a familiar place or person can be really scary. Like in a story where a best friend's pet starts acting oddly and seems to be possessed. The pet is usually a source of comfort, but when it becomes something strange, it's frightening. Also, the feeling of being trapped in a scary situation with your best friend, like in a haunted house and not being able to find an easy way out, is a very scary aspect.
In some of the stories, the sudden appearance of the supernatural entities is the scariest part. Like in the haunted house story, when a ghostly figure just pops up in front of you out of nowhere. It gives you an instant shock.
The invasion of privacy in smart home device hacks is very scary. Knowing that someone could be watching you through your own camera or messing with your home environment without your permission is a huge concern. It makes you feel vulnerable in your own home, which is supposed to be a safe place.
The sudden appearance of something strange. In the story of the face at the window, the babysitter is just going about her job, and then suddenly there's this creepy face. There's no warning, and it's something that seems out of place and threatening, which is really terrifying.
The feeling of helplessness. For example, in a haunted house story, when you're trapped inside and there's no way to escape the terrifying presence. You can't fight it because you don't know what it is. It makes the story really scary as hell.
The suddenness is often the scariest part. Lightning can strike without warning, like in the story of the hiker where it hit the tree near him so suddenly. Another scary aspect is the power it shows. When it causes destruction, like splitting a tree or hitting a chimney and causing sparks. It makes people realize how vulnerable they are.
For me, the scariest is the voices. In exorcism stories, the possessed often speak in strange voices that are not their own, sometimes multiple voices at once. These voices can be guttural, demonic-sounding, and they often say things that are disturbing or full of hatred.
The sense of isolation. Orphans are already alone in the world, and when something scary happens, they have no real family to turn to. For example, in the haunted orphanage stories, they can't just go home to a safe place.
The unexpectedness. For example, in a story about a spooky mirror, you might think it's just a normal mirror at first. But then suddenly it shows a face that's not yours, and that sudden shock is a really scary part. It's the element of surprise that makes dumb scary stories effective.
Maybe the descriptions of the strange creatures. They can be really spooky.
When the shark starts to circle its prey. This creates a sense of impending doom. The prey, whether it's a surfer or a diver, knows that the shark is sizing them up and could attack at any moment. It's like being in a slow - motion horror movie where you can't escape the inevitable.