It's also about the atmosphere they create. When we think about 'Bloody Mary' in a dark bathroom, or a haunted forest in other stories, the setting adds to the fear. The isolation, the darkness, and the silence broken by strange sounds all combine to make these stories really frightening. Also, the fact that these stories are often shared as if they could be true, makes them even scarier.
The mystery. For 'Bloody Mary', not knowing if the ritual will actually summon something is scary. In other stories too, the unknown elements are frightening. Like in a haunted house story, we don't know what's making those noises.
The fear of the supernatural. 'Bloody Mary' is a supernatural entity. And other scary stories often involve things like ghosts, which are beyond our normal understanding of the world. It makes us feel vulnerable as we can't control or predict these supernatural forces.
The mystery around it. We don't really know who Bloody Mary is supposed to be exactly. It could be anyone from a wronged woman to a witch. And the idea that just by saying her name in a specific place (the bathroom) and in the dark, something terrifying might happen.
The bloody hand is scary because it represents violence and danger. It's a visual reminder of something bad that has happened or is about to happen. It also creates a sense of mystery, as we wonder about the story behind it. Maybe it was a victim of a brutal crime, or it could be a sign from the afterlife. All these uncertainties add to the fear factor.
The darkness is a big factor. Doing the 'Bloody Mary' thing in a pitch - black bathroom makes it scarier. Also, the idea of an unknown, probably angry spirit appearing is terrifying. Just the thought of looking into the mirror and seeing something that shouldn't be there is really creepy.
The unknown. In 'Tailypo', the strange creature is not fully understood. It creates fear because we don't know what it can really do. Also, the idea of something coming back for revenge, like in the 'Tailypo' story, is scary.
The unknown elements in 21 scary stories often make them frightening. When we don't know what's lurking in the dark or what will happen next, it creates fear.
Often, it's the combination of elements. It could be the setting, like a dark and isolated place in the stories. And the characters' vulnerability. If the main character in one of the 7 stories is all alone in a spooky old mansion with no way to escape, that's pretty frightening. Also, the use of suspense, like when the story builds up to a big scare moment but keeps you in suspense for a while.
She's frightening because she first pretends to be loving and then turns out to be extremely controlling and menacing. She wants to trap the main character in a false world, which is a very scary concept as it means losing one's freedom and being in a place that seems nice but is actually full of danger.
The element of the unknown. In these stories, things happen that can't be easily explained. It's like a strange noise in the middle of the night with no obvious source. That makes our minds race with all kinds of scary possibilities.
The element of the unknown. For example, when there are strange noises in a story but no clear explanation of what's causing them. It makes the reader's imagination run wild, which is a big part of what makes it scary.
The way they play on our fears. A lot of the stories in '50 scary stories' involve common fears such as the fear of the dark, being alone, or something evil lurking just out of sight. They build up the tension slowly, making you feel more and more on edge until the big scare comes. For instance, there are stories where a character is home alone at night and starts to notice small, unexplainable things happening around them, like doors opening slightly by themselves. This gradually makes the reader or listener feel very uneasy. Another aspect is the use of vivid descriptions. When the author describes a spooky location, like a decrepit old cemetery with broken tombstones and mist swirling around, it really sets the mood and makes it scarier.