Some classic elements are the use of foreshadowing. This gives the reader or listener a hint of the horror to come, like a character seeing a strange symbol that later turns out to be related to the evil in the story. Another is the use of sound effects in a story. In a written story, it could be described as a low moaning or scratching noise. In real - life storytelling, it's the actual making of those sounds. Then there are the doomed characters. You know from the start that something bad is going to happen to them, but you keep reading or listening to find out exactly how.
A classic element in scary stories is the idea of the unknown. Leave some things unexplained. Don't give too much detail about the monster or the source of the evil. This makes the audience's imagination run wild. Also, a sense of being trapped is common. The characters are stuck in a place where they can't easily escape, like a locked room in a haunted house or a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean.
Sudden twists are a big part. For example, in 'The Open Window', we think we're hearing a normal story about a man's visit, but then at the end, we find out the girl has been lying all along and the men he thought were ghosts might be real threats. It gives a shock factor.
One classic is 'The Wolf Man'. It tells the story of a man who is cursed to become a werewolf. The idea of a man transforming into a half - man, half - wolf creature during the full moon is really terrifying.
There's also the story of 'Bloody Mary'. If you go into a dark bathroom, say 'Bloody Mary' three times in front of a mirror, a spooky woman might appear. It's often told at sleepovers. The origin of this story is a bit murky, but it has been passed down for generations, scaring kids and adults alike.
Yes, there is one where a person keeps getting late - night telebone calls. Every time they pick up, there's just heavy breathing on the other end. It gets scarier as it continues night after night, and the person starts to feel like they're being targeted.
One classic scary story for kids is 'The Three Little Pigs'. The big bad wolf is a menacing figure. Another is 'Hansel and Gretel' with the evil witch in the forest. And 'Little Red Riding Hood' also has some scary elements, like the wolf disguising as the grandmother.
In 'The Tell - Tale Heart', the narrator's obsession with the old man's 'vulture - like' eye could be seen as hyperbole. The eye is exaggerated to be this all - seeing, menacing thing that drives the narrator to madness. Another example is in 'Dracula' where the count's powers are sometimes hyperbolically described, like his ability to control the weather which is described in an overly dramatic way to make him seem more powerful and terrifying.
Another is 'The Tell - Tale Heart'. In this short story, the narrator is driven mad by the old man's 'evil eye'. He kills the old man and hides his body under the floorboards. But he is haunted by the sound of the old man's still - beating heart, which drives him to confess. It's a great exploration of guilt and madness.
One classic scary riddle is: 'I have no feet to dance, I have no eyes to see, I have no life to live or die, but yet I do all three. What am I?' The answer is a fire. A fire can seem to 'dance', it doesn't have eyes but can 'look' menacing, and it's not alive but can start and end, causing destruction like a living thing might.