In a corporate workplace, there was a corner cubicle that was always cold. Employees who sat there would feel a presence. A new girl started working there. She began to have nightmares of a pale woman standing over her desk while she worked. One day, she found scratches on her paperwork that looked like they were made by long fingernails. She quickly requested a transfer to another desk.
The sense of the unknown is really scary. For example, in a workplace ghost story, not knowing what the strange noises or apparitions are can be terrifying. You're in a familiar place, like your office, but then something completely out of the ordinary and unexplainable happens.
The story of the Queen Mary ship is also terrifying. There have been numerous reports of ghosts on the ship. People claim to see the apparitions of sailors who died on board. Cold spots and unexplained noises are common occurrences. It's as if the ship still holds the spirits of those who once served on it.
They often use the element of the unknown. For instance, in a story where a character hears strange whispers but can't figure out where they're coming from.
There was a story of a haunted doll. A little girl found the doll in an antique store. Ever since she brought it home, strange things started to happen. Her toys would move on their own and she would often see a figure of a little girl in her room at night, who she was sure was not real. The doll's eyes seemed to follow her everywhere.
The use of the gothic architecture in the setting is a big characteristic. The tall spires, dark corridors, and hidden chambers all add to the sense of mystery and horror. The characters in these stories are often tormented, either by their own pasts or by the ghosts they encounter. In 'Carmilla', the protagonist is tormented by the presence of the vampire. The color palette in these stories is usually dark, with lots of blacks, grays, and deep purples. The language used is often rich and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the spooky world. And there's always a sense of something lurking in the shadows, waiting to be revealed.
Chilling ghost stories are appealing because they often tap into our primal fears. Fear of the unknown, fear of the dark, and fear of being alone. They also usually have elements of the supernatural which seem to defy the laws of nature we know, making them both fascinating and terrifying at the same time.
There's 'The Canterville Ghost' by Oscar Wilde. It tells the story of an American family who moves into a haunted English castle and their encounters with the resident ghost. It has a mix of humor and spookiness. Also, Edgar Allan Poe's stories like 'The Fall of the House of Usher' are quite chilling. The decaying mansion and the strange events that unfold within it create a very eerie atmosphere.
One common element is the setting. Often, it's a dark, isolated place like an old mansion, a deserted forest, or an abandoned asylum. These places create a sense of unease and mystery.