I was home alone and heard a knock on the door. I opened it, and no one was there, but the doorknob was cold as ice, as if something had just been holding it.
I saw a child's ball roll into a dark alley. When I went to get it, a pale hand reached out for it instead of me. It was so sudden and unexpected that it sent chills down my spine.
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.
Thought Catalog stories can vary. Some might be completely true, sharing genuine personal accounts. Others could be partly fictionalized or embellished to make a point or be more engaging.
Maybe there was a situation where a waiter had to deal with a large group that got rowdy and started breaking things in the restaurant. It was a nightmare for the waiter to try and control the situation and also clean up the mess.
Well, a waiter might have had a customer who had some really strange and inappropriate demands. For example, asking the waiter to do things that were not part of their job description at all.
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.
Some two - sentence horror stories are truly spine - chilling. For example, 'I woke up to a noise in the kitchen. When I got there, all the knives were floating.' The simplicity of the setting and the unexpected, supernatural element make it effective. Another one could be 'She heard a baby crying in the attic. She doesn't have a baby.' It plays on our primal fears of the unknown and the unexpected in a very short space, creating a sense of unease and horror.