The long teeth themselves are a major frightening element. Just the sight of a creature baring its long, sharp teeth can send shivers down your spine. It gives an immediate sense of danger.
The unpredictability of their behavior. Spiders can move quickly and quietly. In some scary stories, a spider might be lurking in a corner and then suddenly jump or crawl onto someone without any warning. Also, the idea that some spiders are venomous adds to the fear. People are afraid of being bitten and suffering from the effects of the venom, like in stories where a character gets bitten by a mysterious spider and then falls ill or has strange symptoms.
Another scary element is the strange noises. Like in some stories, there are unexplained growls or whispers during the Skype call which make the situation very spooky. It makes you feel like there's something evil lurking. Well, it could also be some sort of technical issue that creates these sounds, but in the context of a scary story, it adds to the horror. For instance, a person was having a quiet call and then suddenly there was a loud screeching noise that seemed to come from nowhere. It really startled them.
Unsettling sounds play a big role too. Strange whispers, creaking floors, or howls in the night can create a really scary atmosphere. In many stories, these sounds are often the first sign that something is wrong, and they build up the tension before the actual ghost is revealed. They make you feel as if there is an unseen presence lurking around. Also, the idea of the ghost being an angry or vengeful spirit can be quite terrifying. It gives the impression that the ghost has a purpose, and that purpose is often to harm the living characters in the story.
The idea of a ghost being tied to a Christmas tradition in a negative way can be very frightening. Like a Christmas caroler who turns out to be a ghost, singing sad songs that bring a chill to the air. It takes something that's usually happy and turns it into something spooky. Also, the fact that these ghosts are often lonely or vengeful spirits adds to the fear factor. They are not friendly ghosts but ones that carry some sort of negative emotion from their past lives.
The sudden appearance of the mountain lion is really frightening. You could be minding your own business, like the hiker, and then suddenly, there it is. It gives no warning.
The unknown. You might encounter strange cultures, rituals, or superstitions that you don't understand. I heard a story where a traveler unknowingly entered a place where there was a local superstition about not wearing a certain color. He wore that color and all the locals stared at him in a really creepy way. It made him feel very unwelcome and scared.
The unknown. In most scary stories, there are elements that are not fully explained. For example, in a haunted house story, you don't really know what the ghost is or why it's there. It's this lack of understanding that scares us.
The loss of personal information is very frightening. For example, in cases where hackers steal credit card details. People can then become victims of identity theft.
Well, some people think that the elf could be possessed. It would seem normal during the day, but at night, it would start to do really strange and scary things like whispering in people's ears while they sleep, but they can't move to stop it. It's a very simple yet terrifying idea.
The unknown. In many scary computer stories, the source of the problem is often unknown at first. For example, when a computer starts doing strange things like shutting down randomly or files disappearing without a trace. You don't know if it's a virus, a hacker, or some other technical glitch, and that uncertainty is scary.