Often, there is a sense of chaos in these stories. In a busy pool or beach, there are so many people that it can be hard to spot trouble right away. And then there's the element of the unexpected, like when something goes wrong with the safety equipment. I once heard of a lifeguard whose rescue buoy broke when he was trying to reach a drowning person. That added to the horror of the situation.
One common element is the suddenness of the danger. For example, a swimmer can go from seemingly fine to in distress in seconds. Another is the feeling of helplessness that lifeguards sometimes experience, like when they can't reach a victim in time. Also, human error, either by the swimmers not following rules or the lifeguard making a mistake in judgment.
Sure. One horror story is about a lifeguard who was on duty at a crowded beach. He noticed a swimmer in distress far out. By the time he reached the spot, the swimmer had disappeared. He dived multiple times but couldn't find the person. Later, the body was found washed ashore. It was a really tragic experience for the lifeguard who blamed himself for not being fast enough.
Isolation. Often, in IT horror stories, the characters are isolated. For example, a lone system administrator might be the only one in the server room when something strange starts to happen with the servers. Another common element is the loss of control. The technology that is supposed to be under human control suddenly starts acting on its own, like a self - driving car going berserk in an IT - related horror scenario.
Horror stories often feature a protagonist who is in over their head. They might start out as an ordinary person, like in 'Rosemary's Baby' where Rosemary is just a normal woman, but then they are thrust into a terrifying situation. Settings also play a big role. Abandoned asylums, cemeteries, and old mansions are common settings in horror stories as they have an air of mystery and danger already associated with them.
Fear of death is a big element in horror stories. The threat of death, whether it's from a serial killer or a supernatural force, is always present. Also, there's often a sense of helplessness. The characters find themselves in situations where they seem to have little control over what's happening to them. For instance, in 'The Blair Witch Project', the characters are lost in the woods and being hunted by an unknown entity. There's also the use of suspense. Writers build up the tension by delaying the reveal of the horror, making the readers or viewers more and more anxious as the story progresses.
Another is the discovery of strange or disturbing behavior during the date. Like the person having extreme mood swings or being overly possessive. For example, suddenly getting angry for no reason or acting like they own the other person right away.
Food quality issues are common. For example, finding bugs or foreign objects in the food.
Common elements in diet horror stories include unrealistic goals. Many people aim to lose a huge amount of weight in a very short time. This leads them to choose very harsh diets. Also, ignoring the body's signals is a big part. They keep on with the diet even when they feel really unwell, like being constantly tired or having headaches, thinking it's just a phase.
One common element is financial exploitation. The findom often takes advantage of the submissive's willingness to give money, asking for more and more until it becomes unmanageable. Another is emotional abuse. They may use shame or guilt to make the person give more money. For example, making the payer feel like they are not good enough if they don't send a certain amount.
Well, in Bengali horror stories, there are often elements related to family curses. It could be that an ancestor did something wrong and the whole family has to bear the consequences. The setting is usually in a rural or semi - rural area, which gives an isolated and spooky feel. Ghostly apparitions are also common, like the shadowy figure in the story of the old mansion. And there is always an element of mystery that keeps the readers or listeners on edge, wondering what will happen next.
One common element is over - expansion. Just like in the example of the small business that expanded too quickly. Another is unexpected competition, as seen in the tech start - up story. And also external factors like a large chain store affecting a local business.