What are the top truly scary stories?

There's 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe. In this story, a prince tries to escape the plague known as the Red Death by locking himself and his nobles in an abbey. But during a masquerade ball, the Red Death arrives in the form of a mysterious figure. It's a story that reflects on the inevitability of death and how no amount of wealth or privilege can protect us from it. It creates a spooky atmosphere with its vivid descriptions of the different rooms in the abbey and the arrival of the deadly figure.

There's the story of the hitchhiker. A man picked up a girl on a lonely road late at night. She was silent the whole ride. When they reached her destination, she disappeared. Later, he found out that a girl had died on that road years ago and her ghost was known to hitch rides.

Often, the unknown makes a story truly scary. For example, in many of these stories, there are unexplained noises or movements. When you don't know what's causing something, it scares you more. Like in a haunted house story, if you just hear a creaking sound but don't see what's making it, your mind starts to imagine all sorts of terrifying things.

Well, ghost stories can be scary for many. They often play on our fears of the unknown and the supernatural. But it varies from person to person based on their imagination and susceptibility to fear.

One scary story is about a haunted house where strange noises and apparitions are constantly witnessed. Another is a tale of a cursed forest where people get lost and never return.

Well, ghost story anime can be scary for some. It all depends on how well the creators build up the tension and the type of ghosts or paranormal elements presented. Some people might find them just spooky, while others could be genuinely frightened.

Well, for me, what makes a scary story really terrifying is when it plays on our deepest fears. Like the fear of death or the loss of a loved one. Stories that involve a loved one turning into something evil or being in danger are often very scary. And the atmosphere is crucial too. If the story can create a really creepy atmosphere, like a fog - filled graveyard at midnight, it'll be terrifying.

A Tumblr user shared a story of a family who bought an antique mirror. Strange things started to happen. At first, they saw faint images in the mirror that didn't match the room behind them. Then, they would often find their furniture moved slightly in the morning as if someone had been in the room at night. One day, the youngest child was staring into the mirror and started screaming. When the parents looked, they saw a menacing face staring back at them. They got rid of the mirror right away.

One scary story could be about encountering a glitched Pokemon that behaves in a really strange and menacing way, like it suddenly disappears and then reappears right in front of you in a distorted form.

Well, there's the classic story of the woman in white who haunts abandoned houses. People claim to see her and feel an icy presence.