Symbols in horror stories create fear in multiple ways. Let's take the symbol of the haunted house. It's a place that's supposed to be a home, a place of safety, but when it's haunted, it subverts that expectation. The dilapidated walls, broken windows, and creaking floors all contribute to the feeling of dread. Another symbol, the disembodied voice, is also very effective. We rely on our sense of hearing to detect danger in the real world, and a voice with no visible source is deeply unsettling. And then there are symbols like the pentagram, which are associated with dark magic and the unknown, and that mystery and potential for malevolence is what scares us.