How can a cliffhanger scary text message story build suspense?

Once I got a text that said 'I'm watching you from the attic.' I live alone. I nervously looked up at the attic hatch. Heart pounding, I grabbed a flashlight and slowly climbed the stairs. But when I opened the hatch, there was nothing there. Then my phone buzzed again, 'You can't escape me.' It was so creepy.

You might end it with the protagonist about to make a crucial decision that could have life or death consequences, but we don't know what they'll choose.

The short story could build suspense by creating false alarms. For instance, the protagonist might think they've escaped the clown, but then they hear a faint jingle of bells that could be from the clown's costume. This back - and - forth of thinking they're safe and then realizing the danger is still there keeps the reader guessing and builds suspense.

You can build suspense by creating uncertainty about what will happen next. Maybe introduce mysterious characters or situations and don't reveal all the details at once.

A friend of mine had a scary text message story. He got a text with a picture of his front door and the words 'I'm near'. He didn't know who it could be. He called the police right away. They checked the area but didn't find anyone suspicious. But it still took him a long time to feel safe again, and he installed extra security cameras at his place.

They often use foreshadowing to create cliffhangers. Let's say a character in a horror story finds an old diary that mentions a curse. As the story progresses, strange things start to happen but the full nature of the curse is not revealed until the end, if at all. This builds suspense. Also, cliffhangers can be created by putting the characters in dangerous situations at the end of a chapter or scene. Say a group of friends is being chased by a serial killer in the woods and the chapter ends there. You're left on the edge of your seat, eager to know if they'll escape.

One cliffhanger scary text story could be: 'I was walking alone in the old cemetery at midnight. As I passed a mausoleum, I heard a faint scratching from inside. I stopped, my heart pounding. I leaned closer to the cold stone, and suddenly, a hand reached out from the crack. Then my phone rang and I woke up. Was it a dream?'

Use cliffhangers at the end of sections. Say, a character is about to open a door that they've been warned not to. End the part there and make the reader wait to find out what's behind the door. Also, play with the reader's expectations. You might make it seem like a friendly neighbor is coming to help, but then as they get closer, their appearance changes into something menacing.

The trailer at the end of scary stories builds suspense by using quick cuts. It might show a series of short, mysterious images one after another, such as a closed coffin, a howling wolf, and a full moon. These fast - paced visuals keep the viewer on edge as they try to piece together what the story could be about. Also, the color palette in these trailers often consists of dark and muted colors, adding to the overall sense of dread.

Once I received a text message that told a really strange zombie story. It was about a town where people started getting text messages from an unknown number. The messages described a zombie outbreak that was slowly approaching the town. People initially thought it was a joke but then strange things started to happen. They saw figures in the distance that looked like zombies. It was really scary as the texts seemed to be predicting the events accurately.