Yes, they do. Scary stories often contain strange and unexpected things happening. For example, in many horror tales, there might be unexplained disappearances, strange noises in the middle of the night, or the appearance of terrifying creatures. These elements create the sense of fear and unease that are characteristic of scary stories.
In a scary story, things like strange noises at night often happen. For example, in many haunted house stories, people hear unexplained creaking sounds as if the old floorboards are being walked on by an unseen entity. It creates an immediate sense of dread.
These things happen in scary stories because they tap into our primal fears. We are afraid of the unknown, and when things like ghosts or demons appear in a story, it plays on that fear. Also, it adds an element of mystery. In a lot of scary stories, there's a mystery to be solved, like why a particular place is haunted or what a certain symbol means. The strange happenings are part of that mystery, and they keep the audience engaged as they try to figure out what's really going on.
If a scary neighbor starts following you around, it's really frightening. You don't know what they might do. They could be planning something bad. I knew someone whose neighbor followed her to the store and back home. She was so scared that she called the police. The whole situation made her feel very unsafe in her own neighborhood.
Strange noises are often part of it. Maybe the sound of chains dragging on the ground or a low, guttural growl that seems to come from nowhere. Another spooky thing could be cursed objects. Like a doll found in the backyard that brings bad luck and strange events start to occur once it's been unearthed.
Getting stuck between floors with no way to call for help. And then feeling a presence in the elevator with you. Maybe a cold touch on your skin or a breath on the back of your neck. You're trapped in a small space and there's something menacing sharing that space with you. It's a very claustrophobic and terrifying situation.
Well, in a small town, there was a huge, ancient oak tree in the park. A boy often sat under it to read. One day, while he was there, he noticed something odd. The bark on the tree seemed to be forming faces. And as the sun started to set, he heard screams coming from inside the tree. He ran away in fear. Later, he heard that many years ago, a group of people were killed near that tree and their spirits were said to be trapped in it.
Maybe the tree is a portal to a dark and dangerous otherworld. In the story, a character could accidentally step too close to the tree and be sucked into this otherworld. There, they would face all kinds of horrible creatures and have to fight to find their way back out. The tree would be the gateway to this nightmare realm.
When alone with your girlfriend in a haunted place, you might see apparitions. For example, a figure that looks like a person but fades away quickly. It can be extremely scary as it gives a sense of something otherworldly being present.
In some horror tales, a character might hear three knocks at the door, then see three strange shadows, and finally find three dead animals. It creates a sense of escalating dread.