They're terrifying because they often play on our deepest fears. Take the fear of the unknown, for instance. In many 'creepypasta real life scary stories', there are elements that are left unexplained. Like a strange noise in an empty house that no one can figure out the source of. Our minds then start to fill in the blanks with the most horrifying possibilities, and that's what makes these stories so scary.
Sure. There's a story where a girl was walking alone at night in a park. She saw a figure in the distance that seemed to be following her. She quickened her pace, but the figure also sped up. When she finally ran out of the park, she looked back and the figure just disappeared. Later, she found out that there had been several disappearances in that park before, and people claimed to have seen a similar shadowy figure. It sent shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
For me, the 'Candle Cove' story is really scary. It was about a kids' show that no one else seemed to remember but a few people. They described it as having disturbing puppets and a really eerie atmosphere. The fact that it seemed like a shared false memory among some, and the details they remembered were so creepy, gives it a very unsettling feel.
One story could be about a person who always heard strange whispers in an old, empty house they moved into. Every night, when they were about to fall asleep, the whispers would start, making the hair on their neck stand up.
They often lack the typical horror elements like excessive gore or sudden jump scares. For example, they might focus on mystery or a unique concept that is more thought - provoking than terrifying.
One of the best is 'The Werewolf of Fever Swamp'. It's about a boy who moves to a new town near a swamp. Strange things start to happen, like animals being found torn apart. He soon discovers a werewolf is lurking in the swamp. The descriptions of the werewolf are really creepy, with its glowing eyes and the howls that echo through the night.
There could be a story about a man who worked late in an old office building. One night, he heard typing noises from an empty room. When he went to check, there was no one there, but the typing continued. It made him wonder if there was a ghostly presence in the building. This kind of story is really interesting as it plays on our fears of the unknown in a familiar setting.
One of the things that make creepypasta life stories so scary is that they often have a sense of realism to them. They are set in ordinary, familiar settings like a suburban neighborhood or a school. So, when the horror elements start to appear, it feels like it could happen to anyone. Also, the way the characters are developed makes it more terrifying. If we start to care about a character and then see them go through these horrifying experiences, it makes the story more impactful and scary.