What makes the '20 scary two - sentence stories' so scary?

They often play on common fears. Like being alone in a strange place or the idea of something unseen. Consider 'I was alone in the forest. I heard footsteps but saw no one'. This taps into the fear of the unknown in a natural and isolated setting, which is very effective in scaring the reader.

They often play on our deepest fears. Take 'The cellar door opened on its own. Something dark and formless slithered out.' It taps into the fear of the unknown in a very short space. The brevity makes it even more impactful as there's no time for the mind to rationalize. It's just pure fear hitting you.

The fact that they involve little monsters is key. Little things that are out of the ordinary can be scarier than big, obvious threats. For instance, 'I found a little monster's footprint on my pillow. Then I saw it watching me from the corner.' The idea of a small, uninvited and potentially dangerous creature in our personal space is very unsettling. It's like our safe havens are being invaded by something we don't understand and can't easily control.

The brevity. They quickly set a spooky mood without over - explaining. For example, in 'The well was deep. A voice called from below. I peered in. A pale face stared back', it gives just enough to make you shudder.

The use of suspense. For example, in a scary sentence story like 'The door slowly creaked open, and a shadowy figure lurked behind it.' We don't know who or what the figure is right away. This keeps the reader on edge.

Their brevity. They get straight to the point without any long build - up. For example, 'I opened the closet. A pair of red eyes stared back. I slammed it shut.' It gives a quick jolt of fear.

The brevity. They quickly set a spooky mood without giving too much away, leaving a lot to the imagination. For example, 'The phone rang at midnight. It was my dead mother's ringtone.' It's short but makes you shudder.

They are effective because they create immediate fear. In just two sentences, they can set a spooky scene and introduce a threat, like a sudden grab in an empty house or a menacing face in a mirror.

In the mirror, a face that wasn't mine stared back. It grinned as I screamed.

It depends. Some people might find them super creepy, while others might not be that affected.