Relatability. If a reader can imagine themselves in the situation of the story, it becomes scarier. When you read about someone waking up to a strange touch and not seeing anyone, you can easily put yourself in that position, which makes the fear more real.
Atmosphere. A good shortest scary story can quickly set a spooky mood. Using words that imply darkness, isolation or the unknown. Like in the story where a girl is in an old house and hears a whisper. The old house, the slamming door and the lights going out all build a terrifying atmosphere.
Simplicity. A shortest story like 'Gone.' is effective because it leaves a lot to the imagination. It can make the reader think about what has disappeared, whether it's a person, an opportunity, or something else.
The element of surprise. Consider 'I opened the closet. A face stared back. I never had a mirror there.' It catches the reader off - guard in a very short span. In shortest ghost stories, there's no room for long build - ups, so this sudden shock is key. Also, the use of common, yet eerie settings like closets or empty rooms adds to the effect.
Well, these short scary stories often play on common fears. Things like the fear of the dark, the unknown, and being alone. They also use elements that are easy to imagine. For instance, a story about a hand reaching out from under the bed. Everyone can picture their own bed and that sudden, unexpected threat. They don't need a lot of description because our minds fill in the blanks with our worst nightmares. Another factor is the element of surprise. In a short story, it can be as simple as a sudden noise or a strange sight that catches you off - guard.
Regarding 'She opened her eyes. Darkness everywhere. Then she realized she was already dead.', it's the sudden realization of a terrible truth. The contrast between thinking you're alive and then finding out you're dead is a huge shock. It plays on our fear of the afterlife, of the unknown state of being dead, and the fact that we may not even be aware of our own death.
The brevity makes it effective. It gets straight to the point. For instance, a simple 'Knock. I opened the door. Death stood there.' There's no time for long - winded build - up, just immediate horror.
The element of the unknown makes a scary story effective. When the reader or listener doesn't know what's going to happen next, it creates a sense of unease and anticipation. For example, in a story where a character is walking alone in a dark forest and hears strange noises but can't see the source, that mystery is what scares us.
They rely on the reader's imagination. In 'shortest horror stories', there are often just a few details given. For instance, 'The old house was silent. Then I heard a creak from the attic.' It leaves it up to the reader to fill in the blanks about what might be in the attic. Our minds can often come up with scarier things than what could be written out fully.
The brevity. They leave a lot to the imagination. For example, in 'The phone rang in the empty house', we don't know who's calling or what will happen. It's the unknown that scares us.
One key factor is the use of suspense. For example, not revealing the source of a strange noise right away. Another is creating a vivid and eerie setting, like a dark, abandoned house. Also, having relatable characters who are in a situation that the reader can imagine themselves in.
One key element is the element of the unknown. For example, in a story where there are strange noises but you don't know what's causing them, it creates fear. Just like in a text story where there's a mystery figure that's only described vaguely.