Well, a frequent element is the setting. Many culture horror stories are set in places that are considered spooky or have some sort of historical or cultural significance. Such as an old abandoned castle in European stories or a haunted forest in some Asian cultures. Also, there is often a moral lesson hidden within the horror story. It might be about not being greedy, as in the case of the Wendigo story, or respecting the dead. In some Asian horror stories, disturbing the graves of the ancestors can lead to a series of horrible events.
Symbols play a large role. In Western horror culture, a cross can be a symbol of protection against vampires and other evil entities. In some Middle Eastern horror stories, certain religious symbols are used in a similar way. And then there is the element of the unknown. The things that lurk in the shadows, that we can't fully understand or explain, are often at the heart of culture horror stories. This taps into our primal fear of the unknown and the unseen, making these stories so effective at scaring us.
Isolation. Often, in IT horror stories, the characters are isolated. For example, a lone system administrator might be the only one in the server room when something strange starts to happen with the servers. Another common element is the loss of control. The technology that is supposed to be under human control suddenly starts acting on its own, like a self - driving car going berserk in an IT - related horror scenario.
Horror stories often feature a protagonist who is in over their head. They might start out as an ordinary person, like in 'Rosemary's Baby' where Rosemary is just a normal woman, but then they are thrust into a terrifying situation. Settings also play a big role. Abandoned asylums, cemeteries, and old mansions are common settings in horror stories as they have an air of mystery and danger already associated with them.
Fear of death is a big element in horror stories. The threat of death, whether it's from a serial killer or a supernatural force, is always present. Also, there's often a sense of helplessness. The characters find themselves in situations where they seem to have little control over what's happening to them. For instance, in 'The Blair Witch Project', the characters are lost in the woods and being hunted by an unknown entity. There's also the use of suspense. Writers build up the tension by delaying the reveal of the horror, making the readers or viewers more and more anxious as the story progresses.
Another element is body language. In some cultures, certain gestures mean one thing, but in others, they mean something completely different. For instance, the 'thumbs up' gesture which is positive in the US, can be offensive in some Middle Eastern countries. When people unknowingly make these gestures and get unexpected reactions, it makes for a funny story. Often, these stories involve people realizing their cultural blunders and having a good laugh about it later. It shows how different cultures can be and how we need to be more aware.
Another is the discovery of strange or disturbing behavior during the date. Like the person having extreme mood swings or being overly possessive. For example, suddenly getting angry for no reason or acting like they own the other person right away.
Food quality issues are common. For example, finding bugs or foreign objects in the food.
Common elements in diet horror stories include unrealistic goals. Many people aim to lose a huge amount of weight in a very short time. This leads them to choose very harsh diets. Also, ignoring the body's signals is a big part. They keep on with the diet even when they feel really unwell, like being constantly tired or having headaches, thinking it's just a phase.
One common element is financial exploitation. The findom often takes advantage of the submissive's willingness to give money, asking for more and more until it becomes unmanageable. Another is emotional abuse. They may use shame or guilt to make the person give more money. For example, making the payer feel like they are not good enough if they don't send a certain amount.
Well, in Bengali horror stories, there are often elements related to family curses. It could be that an ancestor did something wrong and the whole family has to bear the consequences. The setting is usually in a rural or semi - rural area, which gives an isolated and spooky feel. Ghostly apparitions are also common, like the shadowy figure in the story of the old mansion. And there is always an element of mystery that keeps the readers or listeners on edge, wondering what will happen next.
One common element is over - expansion. Just like in the example of the small business that expanded too quickly. Another is unexpected competition, as seen in the tech start - up story. And also external factors like a large chain store affecting a local business.