The old house was said to be haunted. I didn't believe it until I saw the door slowly creak open on its own.
I woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise. When I turned on the light, there was a shadowy figure at the foot of my bed.
I saw a figure at the end of the hall. As I blinked, it vanished, leaving only a chill.
Another really scary one could be 'My phone rang at 3 am. The caller ID said it was me.' It plays on the idea of the self being something other or unknown, and calls at that time are always spooky.
I was alone in the school gym. A cold hand touched my shoulder, but when I turned, there was no one there.
I think 'The clock stopped at midnight. Then I heard footsteps.' is quite scary. It gives this feeling of something ominous starting right at a spooky time.
She checked under her bed. A pair of eyes stared back.
I think 'I heard a child crying in the basement. But I live alone.' is quite terrifying. The idea of a crying child in a place where no child should be, especially when you live alone, plays on our fears of the unknown and the supernatural. It makes you wonder what could be down there, and the thought that it's not a normal, explainable situation is very frightening.
I woke up to the sound of scratching at my window. When I opened my eyes, a shadowy figure was peering in.
Well, there's 'My daughter won't stop crying and screaming in the middle of the night. I visited her grave yesterday.' Also, 'I heard a noise from the basement. The power has been out for days so it couldn't be the furnace.'
In some, it's the sudden appearance or disappearance. For example, 'She was walking in the empty hallway. A figure emerged from the wall and vanished.' The unexpected emergence and then quick vanishing is really scary.
The clock stopped ticking. Then I heard a slow, dragging sound coming from the attic.