one sentence scary ghost stories

I woke up in the middle of the night to see a figure at the foot of my bed, then it vanished. It was my dead grandmother.

I was home alone when the doorknob started turning on its own. No one should be there.

I woke up to see a figure at the foot of my bed. When I blinked, it was inches from my face.

I woke up in the middle of the night to see a shadowy figure standing at the foot of my bed. It just stared at me with empty eyes.

The last person on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.

I woke up to find a strange handprint on the mirror, but I live alone.

I woke up in the middle of the night to see a figure standing at the foot of my bed. It disappeared when I turned on the light.

The last person on earth sat alone in a room. Then there was a knock at the door.

I heard a child's laughter in the empty attic. When I looked up, a pale face stared back.

He heard a whisper in his ear. When he turned, there was no one there. Ghost stories like these work well because they create a sense of immediate unease. They rely on simple yet effective elements such as the unexpected presence or the sudden, unexplained action. This brevity makes them all the more impactful as they quickly set a spooky mood without over - explaining. The lack of detail in some ways adds to the mystery and the fear factor, leaving a lot to the imagination of the reader or listener.