What are some examples of 'bad things happen in threes' in scary stories?

Well, it might be related to the psychological concept of the 'rule of three'. In many cultures, three is considered a significant number. In scary stories, it creates a feeling of anticipation. For example, the first bad thing makes the reader or listener a bit uneasy, the second one heightens the anxiety, and the third one often delivers the final shock. It's like a crescendo in music, leading to a more impactful horror experience.

Maybe the tree is a portal to a dark and dangerous otherworld. In the story, a character could accidentally step too close to the tree and be sucked into this otherworld. There, they would face all kinds of horrible creatures and have to fight to find their way back out. The tree would be the gateway to this nightmare realm.

Yes, they do. Scary stories often contain strange and unexpected things happening. For example, in many horror tales, there might be unexplained disappearances, strange noises in the middle of the night, or the appearance of terrifying creatures. These elements create the sense of fear and unease that are characteristic of scary stories.

Well, in a small town, there was a huge, ancient oak tree in the park. A boy often sat under it to read. One day, while he was there, he noticed something odd. The bark on the tree seemed to be forming faces. And as the sun started to set, he heard screams coming from inside the tree. He ran away in fear. Later, he heard that many years ago, a group of people were killed near that tree and their spirits were said to be trapped in it.

These things happen in scary stories because they tap into our primal fears. We are afraid of the unknown, and when things like ghosts or demons appear in a story, it plays on that fear. Also, it adds an element of mystery. In a lot of scary stories, there's a mystery to be solved, like why a particular place is haunted or what a certain symbol means. The strange happenings are part of that mystery, and they keep the audience engaged as they try to figure out what's really going on.

Ghostly apparitions are a common spooky thing. Just like in the story where a person saw a figure at the foot of the bed. Another is strange noises, like the scratching on the walls or the whispers. These noises can make you feel really uneasy and scared.

In a scary story, things like strange noises at night often happen. For example, in many haunted house stories, people hear unexplained creaking sounds as if the old floorboards are being walked on by an unseen entity. It creates an immediate sense of dread.

A family went camping. They were worried about bad weather or wild animals. But the weather was perfect, and the only animals they saw were some cute squirrels. They had a great time roasting marshmallows and sleeping under the stars. So, nothing bad happened.

If a scary neighbor starts following you around, it's really frightening. You don't know what they might do. They could be planning something bad. I knew someone whose neighbor followed her to the store and back home. She was so scared that she called the police. The whole situation made her feel very unsafe in her own neighborhood.

A good thing could be finding a $20 bill on the street. It's unexpected money that can bring a sense of joy. A bad thing might be getting a flat tire on your way to an important meeting. It causes stress and delay. For a story, you could say a person finds the $20 bill (good thing), but then uses it to pay for a tow truck when they get a flat tire (bad thing). In the end, they meet a kind mechanic who gives them some great advice about car maintenance, turning the whole situation into a learning experience.