I walked into the basement. A disembodied voice said 'you'll never leave' as the door slammed shut behind me. I tried to open it but it was locked. I started to panic as the room grew colder. I could hear strange noises in the corner. I knew I was in real trouble. This was not just a simple prank or my imagination running wild. There was something truly evil in this basement with me. I fumbled in the dark for a weapon, anything to defend myself. But all I could find were old boxes and cobwebs. The noises grew louder and closer. I backed myself into a corner, waiting for the unknown horror to reveal itself.
I took a shower. The water turned to blood and a face formed in the steam.
The mirror showed my reflection smiling. I wasn't smiling.
One: I sat on my couch. Something under the cushion grabbed my finger. Another: I walked into my room. The closet door opened on its own and a dark figure peeked out.
The first one: I woke up in the middle of the night. When I looked at the mirror, there was a figure behind me but no one was there when I turned around.
The old doll in the corner moved. Its eyes followed me as I walked across the room.
I saw a face in the window. It vanished when I blinked.
I found a doll in the attic. Its eyes seemed to follow me as I left the room.
Here's another. I heard a scratching at my door all night. In the morning, I found deep claw marks on the outside.
They are effective because they quickly create a mood. For example, 'The door opened by itself. A shadow slipped inside.' Just these two sentences can make you feel uneasy.
I opened the fridge. A severed hand waved at me from the vegetable drawer.
First sentence: The old doll on the shelf blinked. Second sentence: Then it started to crawl towards me with its broken porcelain limbs.