Shadows can change shape in a way that defies logic in a scary story. Imagine you're in a room and the shadow on the wall starts to twist and contort into grotesque forms. It could start as a simple human - like shape and then transform into a monster with long claws and a gaping maw. And there's no physical thing that seems to be causing this transformation. It makes you question reality and what could be lurking in the unseen, which is extremely frightening.
The scariest thing could be seeing something that's not supposed to be there, like a strange face or a menacing figure. It gives a sense of invasion of privacy and immediate danger because it's so close, right on the other side of the door.
The scariest thing could be seeing unexplained apparitions. Just imagine seeing a figure that looks like a patient who passed away long ago suddenly appear in front of you in a dim hospital corridor. It gives you the chills.
The scariest thing could be the feeling of being watched when you're all alone in a strange hotel room. It gives you this sense of unease and makes you constantly look over your shoulder.
Her eyes. In a scary story, the girl's eyes in the photograph could be the scariest thing. They might seem to follow you around the room, or they could be filled with an unearthly glow, like she knows all your secrets and is judging you. It gives a feeling that she's not just a picture but has some sort of power over you.
The fact that it's an inanimate object coming to life. We expect toys like sock monkeys to just sit there, so when it starts to move on its own, it goes against all our normal expectations and is really creepy.
The scariest thing could be the feeling of being watched all the time. Even when they were alone in a room, they had this sense that there were eyes on them from every corner of the house.
The isolation. If something bad happens in a mountain top hotel, you're far from help. There's no easy way to escape, like if there are monsters or ghosts. You can't just run out onto a busy street. You're stuck up there with whatever is haunting the place.
Encountering a supernatural being. For example, a ghostly figure that haunts the woods. The hunter might see it out of the corner of his eye at first, thinking it's just his imagination. But as it gets closer and he realizes it defies all logic, like floating above the ground or having no face, it would send chills down his spine. This is something that goes beyond his understanding of the natural world.
For me, the scariest part of the 1999 story was the Columbine shooting. It was so unexpected and the violence was extreme. Innocent students and teachers were just going about their normal day and then suddenly faced this horror.
Well, getting locked inside the supermarket overnight could be terrifying. All the lights go out, and you're surrounded by rows and rows of silent shelves. You might start hearing strange noises from the freezers or the storage rooms, not knowing what could be making those sounds. And with no one to help you, it would be a truly scary situation. There could also be some strange, unexplained events like products flying off the shelves or the cash registers starting to ring on their own. It would make you feel like you're in a horror movie.