The use of suspense. The stories build up tension until you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something bad to happen. For instance, a story might start with a normal day in someone's life and then slowly introduce strange events like objects moving on their own. This gradual build - up is what makes it so scary.
The element of the unknown. In these stories, often things happen without explanation. For example, a shadow moving on its own. We don't know what it is or what it wants, and that scares us.
The violation of the normal. Scary nightmare stories often have things that shouldn't happen in our normal world. Like a dead person coming back to life or objects having a life of their own. It goes against what we know and accept as normal, and that scares us. Take a story where a painting on the wall starts to bleed. It's completely abnormal and terrifying.
The unexpected twists. You think you know where the story is going, but then it takes a sudden turn into something even scarier.
The real - life aspect. These stories often claim to be based on true events, which makes them scarier. We know that things like haunted houses and cursed objects can potentially exist in our world.
His use of atmosphere. Mr. Nightmare is great at building a spooky atmosphere from the very start. He sets the mood with details like a howling wind outside a lonely house or a dimly lit corridor. Then he adds in the scary elements like strange sounds or apparitions, and by that time, you're already on edge.
The realism in Mr Nightmare's stories makes them terrifying. These are not fictional horror tales but things that actually happened to people. For example, the way normal people are thrown into these strange and often dangerous situations that defy explanation.
The sense of helplessness. In many of these true stories, the people involved are powerless against whatever is scaring them. Like in the story of the cursed object, the person couldn't stop the bad things from happening no matter what they did. This lack of control is really frightening. And also, the fact that these are true stories gives them an extra edge of fear. It makes you think that such things could actually happen to you.
The unknown elements in them. When we don't know what's causing the strange happenings, it scares us. For example, in a story where there are unexplained noises, our minds start to imagine all sorts of terrifying things.
His stealth. He can come when you least expect it, right as you're about to fall asleep. You're in a vulnerable state, and he takes advantage of that.
Maybe it's Mr. Sullivan's appearance. If he has a menacing look, like sunken eyes and a gaunt face, that can be scary.