two line scary story

I woke up in the middle of the night. There was a figure at the foot of my bed, staring at me with empty eyes.

I looked in the mirror, but my reflection had a sinister smile that wasn't mine.

The element of surprise. For example, 'I sat on the park bench. The empty bench beside me whispered my name.' Just a simple, unexpected twist in the second line can be very effective.

I was home alone when the doorknob started to turn slowly on its own.

Well, one possible 'scary two - line story' could be 'I heard a knock on the door at midnight. When I opened it, no one was there but I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.' Another could be 'The old house was empty. As I walked in, I saw a shadow that moved on its own.' And a third one might be 'She walked through the graveyard. Suddenly, a whisper called her name from an unmarked grave.'

One example could be 'I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, no one was there but I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.'

They are effective by creating immediate tension. For example, 'The phone rang at midnight. A raspy voice said 'I'm coming'.", "Answer2":": 'Scary two line stories' work well because they rely on the reader's imagination. In a story like 'The moon was full. A howl that wasn't from a dog echoed.', the reader has to fill in the blanks about what might be making that howl. It's this sense of mystery that makes them effective.

One could be 'The old house stood alone. Strange noises came from within.'

The old mirror in the attic showed a reflection that wasn't mine. Just one glance made my blood run cold.

I'll share one. 'I woke up in the middle of the night. There was a figure at the foot of my bed, grinning with no eyes.'