first lines of horror stories

Sure. If the first line is 'The old house on the hill had always been there, silent and brooding.' One possible story could be about a group of teenagers who decide to explore it. As they enter, they feel a cold chill. Strange noises start to come from the attic. They find old portraits that seem to be watching them. Shadows move on their own, and one by one, they start to disappear, leaving only their screams echoing in the empty halls of the house.

One of the best is from 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker: '3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8.35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6.46, but the train was an hour late.' It immediately sets a sense of travel and the start of an adventure into the unknown, which is a great build - up for the horror to come.

To develop a full horror story from the first line, you need to think about what kind of horror it implies. Say the first line is 'The abandoned asylum loomed in the distance, its broken windows like empty eyes.' Start by creating a character who has a reason to go there, like a journalist. As the journalist enters, describe the decaying interior. The smell of mildew and old blood. Slowly introduce supernatural elements, like doors slamming on their own. Keep building the fear until there's a final confrontation with some kind of malevolent spirit that haunts the asylum.

In 'Pride and Prejudice', 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' This first line is so iconic. It not only reveals the social context of the time where marriage was a major concern for economic and social reasons but also sets up the main theme of the novel about love, marriage, and social status.

One memorable first line is from 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker: '3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8.35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6.46, but the train was an hour late.' This line sets a journey in motion which leads to the encounter with the terrifying Dracula. It gives a sense of the time and place, creating an atmosphere of normalcy that is soon to be shattered by the horror that awaits.

One good line could be 'The darkness seemed to breathe, a living entity that wrapped itself around me.' It creates a sense of the environment being alive and menacing.

A well - known last line is 'The darkness never left.' This is very effective as it gives a feeling of eternal doom. The 'darkness' here can be symbolic of evil or the unknown horror that has now become a permanent part of the world in the story. It creates a sense of hopelessness and a chilling atmosphere that stays with the reader long after they've finished reading.

In Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre', the line 'There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.' starts the story. It gives a sense of confinement which is relevant to Jane's situation as an orphan at Gateshead. It makes the reader curious about why she can't go for a walk and what kind of life she leads.

Some famous first lines immediately draw readers in. For example, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from George Orwell's '1984'. This line sets an unusual and slightly off - putting atmosphere right from the start, making the reader curious about what kind of world this is where the clocks strike thirteen. It gives a sense of a world that is different from our own, perhaps dystopian.

Some famous first lines in short stories are very captivating. For example, in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado', the first line 'The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could' immediately sets a tone of vengeance and mystery. It makes the reader wonder what these 'injuries' are and what the narrator is planning.