I always thought my dog was protecting me. Last night, I saw it standing over my bed, its eyes glowing red.
One: I woke up in the middle of the night. The figure at the foot of my bed was my own corpse.
The hiker got lost in the forest. As night fell, he noticed eyes watching him from every direction. There was no escape.
One could be 'The game loaded, a familiar world at first. Then the glitched faces of loved ones stared back, their screams silent.'
Another really scary one could be 'My phone rang at 3 am. The caller ID said it was me.' It plays on the idea of the self being something other or unknown, and calls at that time are always spooky.
Story 1: I woke up to a cold hand on my face. When I turned on the light, no one was there.
How about this: 'I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned around, there was no one there, but the footsteps grew louder.'
She walked into the empty forest. Every step she took, a whispering voice behind her grew louder.
One interesting one is 'My phone took a picture of me sleeping. I live alone.' It's interesting because it implies that there's something else in the supposedly empty house that can operate a phone to take pictures. It gives a sense of being watched when you thought you were alone, which is a very creepy feeling.
One interesting point could be the creativity of the horror concepts. In just two sentences, the stories manage to evoke fear, and reviews might focus on how well the author achieved this with limited words. For example, a story that plays on common fears like the dark or being alone can be really effective. Reviews might also discuss the use of unexpected twists at the end of the two sentences. This sudden change in the narrative can leave the reader shocked, and reviewers may analyze how well this was executed to enhance the horror factor.
I think 'The clock stopped at midnight. Then I heard footsteps.' is quite scary. It gives this feeling of something ominous starting right at a spooky time.