Well, the sudden appearances of the ghosts can be really terrifying. Just when you think everything is normal, a ghost pops up out of nowhere.
The sense of being watched is also very scary. In some real ghost stories, people often describe feeling like there are eyes on them all the time. For example, in a haunted house, you might be walking around and suddenly get this overwhelming feeling that something is observing your every move, and you can't see what it is. It makes you feel vulnerable and on edge. Another terrifying aspect is when things move on their own. In a story I heard, a picture frame kept falling off the wall for no reason at all. No amount of explanation like a loose nail or an unbalanced surface could justify it. It gives the impression that there's an unseen force at play, which is truly terrifying.
The most terrifying element is often the unexpectedness. For example, when you hear a strange noise in an empty library or see a figure when you thought you were alone. It plays on our fear of the unknown.
There's the story of 'Bloody Mary'. Legend has it that if you stand in a dark bathroom, light some candles, and say 'Bloody Mary' three times into the mirror, a ghostly woman will appear. Some people claim to have had really frightening experiences when trying this. And the Japanese 'Yuki - onna' story is also terrifying. Yuki - onna is a snow spirit that often appears as a beautiful woman in white, but she brings death and cold to those who encounter her.
One of the most terrifying ghost stories is 'The Bell Witch'. It's about a spirit that haunted a family in Tennessee. The witch was said to torment the family, making strange noises, moving objects, and even physically attacking them.
One of the scariest things in these stories is when the ghosts interact with the living in a menacing way. This could be like a ghost moving objects around, or leaving cold spots in a warm room. It gives a sense of the supernatural invading the normal world. Also, when the past haunts the present, like a tragic event from long ago repeating itself in some form in the present day, it adds to the horror.
In the Greyfriars Bobby story, the most terrifying element might be the dog's unwavering loyalty even in death. It gives a sense of something that can't be broken, not even by death. For the Mackenzie Poltergeist, it's the physical manifestations like being touched by an unseen force. It makes you feel vulnerable and at the mercy of the unknown.
The sudden appearance of apparitions is really terrifying. Just when you think you're alone, a ghostly figure pops up out of nowhere. It gives you no time to prepare, and your heart just jumps into your throat.
The glowing eyes are really terrifying. When a ghost dog has eyes that glow in the dark, it gives an otherworldly and menacing look, like it's staring right into your soul.
The sense of something being out of place in the natural order of the farm is quite terrifying. Like a cold spot in a warm barn or a strange mist that forms in a field on a clear day. These things defy explanation and make you think that there is a supernatural presence. And the stories that are passed down through generations, the fact that they've been around for so long gives them an air of authenticity, making them even scarier.
There could be ghost stories in it that involve apparitions. You know, a figure that suddenly appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a misty form. It might be the spirit of someone who met a tragic end in the past. Such stories can be really scary as they play on our fear of the unknown and the afterlife.