A cemetery at midnight is a classic setting for scary stories. The tombstones, the silence broken only by the wind, and the idea of the dead not really being at rest. Also, an old, derelict asylum can be really spooky. The empty hallways, the cells, and the history of madness and pain associated with it.
The unknown elements usually make a scary story truly terrifying. When there are things left to the imagination, like a strange noise in the dark with no clear source, it scares people. For example, in many classic horror stories, the fear of the unseen monster lurking just out of sight is what gets the heart racing.
A desolate, fog - covered forest at night. The thick fog conceals unknown dangers, and the gnarled trees seem to have a life of their own, their branches reaching out like twisted arms.
A dense, fog - covered forest at night. The trees loom large and menacing, and the fog makes it hard to see what's ahead. Strange noises come from the bushes, and the moonlight barely penetrates the thick canopy. There could be hidden creatures or lost souls wandering among the trees.
Well, for scary stories, mental institutions can be a setting. The idea of the patients there, some with unknown and disturbing conditions, is quite spooky. There are long, cold corridors with locked rooms. Haunted castles are also a great setting. With their high towers, hidden passages, and a history full of mystery and death. And don't forget about the old, overgrown cemeteries. The tilted tombstones, the smell of decay, and the feeling that the dead might not be at rest all contribute to the scare factor.
There's a story of a cursed forest. Hikers who ventured into it often got lost, even with compasses. They would see glowing eyes in the dark among the trees. One hiker said he was chased by something he couldn't see clearly but could hear its heavy breathing. The air in the forest seemed thick and suffocating, as if it was alive with evil.
A haunted old mansion. There are creaking floorboards, dusty rooms filled with cobwebs, and portraits on the walls whose eyes seem to follow you. The attic is full of old trunks and strange noises come from it at night.
One classic Halloween night scary story is 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. It's about Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher who encounters the Headless Horseman. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw'. A family gets a cursed monkey's paw that grants wishes but with terrible consequences. And 'The Tell - Tale Heart' is also great. A man is driven mad by an old man's vulture - like eye and commits murder, only to be haunted by the sound of the dead man's heart.
One classic is the story of the Hook Man. Legend has it that a man with a hook for a hand haunts lovers parked in secluded areas at night. Another is the story of the girl in the mirror. If you stare into a mirror in a dark room and say her name three times, she'll appear behind you. And there's the story of the abandoned asylum, where strange noises and apparitions are said to lurk.
Strange sounds. Creaking floorboards, howling winds that sound like wails, or unexplained whispers can add a lot of spookiness. For example, in an old house setting, the sound of something dragging across the attic floor at night can be really terrifying.
One really good scary story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who is driven mad by the old man's vulture - like eye and finally murders him. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw' which has a cursed object that grants wishes in the most horrifying ways. And 'The Yellow Wallpaper' is also great, where a woman's descent into madness in a room with hideous wallpaper is described in a truly spooky way.