Well, in these stories, there's often an element of the unknown. For example, the hitchhikers usually have some strange behavior like disappearing suddenly or acting very oddly. In one of the stories, the hitchhiker's sudden vanishing from the back seat is really spooky. It gives this feeling of the supernatural being involved.
The setting also plays a big role. Most of these stories are set in isolated places like desolate roads or at night. This setting adds to the scariness. Imagine being on a lonely road at night and having a strange hitchhiker in your car. It's the perfect recipe for a scary story.
Another element is the sense of danger. When the hitchhiker in one story reveals that he's a killer from a mental institution, it creates a very tense and dangerous situation for the driver. It makes you think about the risks of picking up strangers. And in the story with the couple and the girl who goes crazy near the cemetery, it also shows how unpredictable these situations can be.
Well, one scary element could be the unpredictability of the hitchhiker. You don't know who they are or what their intentions are. Maybe they turn out to be a serial killer or a ghost.
One common element is the strange appearance of the hitchhiker. They might have a pale face, wild eyes or disheveled hair. For example, in many stories, the hitchhiker looks like they've been through something traumatic. Another element is the eerie behavior. They could be silent for a long time and then suddenly start acting strangely, like mumbling or making odd noises. Also, there's often something abnormal about the situation, such as things in the car malfunctioning, like the radio going crazy, when the hitchhiker is present.
The sudden and unexplained disappearances or strange happenings. For example, in many hitchhiker stories, the hitchhiker might vanish suddenly, or objects in the car start behaving oddly like the radio going haywire or the engine stopping without reason. This creates a sense of the supernatural and the feeling that there's some malevolent force at work.
One common element is the lonely setting, like a dark, empty road. Another is the unexpected appearance of the hitchhiker. And of course, the sudden vanishing of the hitchhiker is a key element.
The unexpected behavior of the hitchhiker. For example, suddenly changing their appearance or showing a very strange demeanor out of nowhere. Like in one story, a hitchhiker's eyes turned completely black all of a sudden.
One story is about a hitchhiker who got into a car. The driver seemed normal at first. But then he started driving erratically and talking to himself. The hitchhiker became really scared. He managed to jump out of the moving car at a red light and ran away.
Sure. One story is about a girl who picked up a hitchhiker late at night. The hitchhiker was very quiet at first, but then started to mumble strange things. Suddenly, he pointed to an empty field and said 'They're coming for us.' The girl got so scared that she quickly stopped the car and let the hitchhiker out.
The hitchhiker in the story is so frightening because they seem to be connected to something otherworldly. There's an air of mystery around them. They might make references to things that the driver has no knowledge of, like strange places or events from the past or future. Their very existence seems to defy the normal order. For instance, they could disappear and reappear in the car, or leave behind strange marks or objects that have no explanation. All these things combined make the hitchhiker a very scary character in the story.
The feeling of being trapped. Once you've let the hitchhiker into your car, it's not that easy to get them out, especially if they don't want to leave. And if they turn out to be dangerous, you're in a very vulnerable position in a small, enclosed space like a car.
The atmosphere in these stories is often very spooky. The description of the hitchhiker, their pale face, their cold eyes perhaps. And then there are the events that unfold. For instance, they might disappear suddenly from a moving vehicle or leave behind a creepy object. All these elements combine to create a truly frightening experience. The stories play on our basic fears of strangers and the unexpected. We are conditioned to be cautious around people we don't know, and these stories take that to an extreme level, making us feel the danger as if it were real.