Isolated locations like abandoned asylums or deep, dark forests are excellent themes too. In these places, help is far away. There could be strange creatures or entities that exist there, preying on the lost or the curious who wander into these areas.
One scary theme could be the idea of being haunted by a vengeful spirit. This often involves a dark and shadowy figure that lurks in the corners of old, creepy houses. Another is the concept of a post - apocalyptic world overrun by mutants or zombies. The fear of the unknown and the fight for survival in such a desolate landscape can be truly terrifying. And a third scary theme could be a psychological thriller type, like a person slowly losing their mind and not being able to trust their own senses.
Ghosts are a classic theme. They can haunt houses, cemeteries or even people. The idea of an unseen entity lurking around is really spooky.
One classic scary story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who is driven mad by the old man's vulture - like eye and eventually kills him. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw', where a family gets a cursed paw that grants wishes but with terrible consequences. There's also 'The Yellow Wallpaper', which is a disturbing tale of a woman's descent into madness.
One really good scary story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who is driven mad by the old man's vulture - like eye and finally murders him. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw' which has a cursed object that grants wishes in the most horrifying ways. And 'The Yellow Wallpaper' is also great, where a woman's descent into madness in a room with hideous wallpaper is described in a truly spooky way.
Another theme might be isolation. When a character is alone, whether in a deserted place or just cut off from others, it makes them more vulnerable. In a lot of scary stories, the protagonist is isolated and then something terrifying happens to them. It could be a person trapped in an old, abandoned asylum all by themselves. There are no other people around to help, and they start to feel a growing sense of fear as they hear strange noises and see strange shadows. This isolation amplifies the horror of the situation.
Isolation is also a common theme. When a person is alone in a spooky place like an abandoned lighthouse or a deserted island, it heightens the sense of fear. In such a setting, any strange sound or occurrence can seem much more terrifying because there's no one around to help. There could be a story where a shipwreck survivor is stranded on an island and starts to experience unexplainable events, making them feel completely alone and vulnerable.
Well, isolation can be a theme. When a character is alone, perhaps in a big, empty house or a desolate forest, it adds to the scariness. Psychological horror is also a theme, where the mind plays tricks on the characters. For example, in some stories, the main character starts to doubt their own sanity. And then there's the theme of the cursed or haunted place, like an old, abandoned asylum.
One 2020 scary story could be about the isolation during the pandemic. People locked in their homes, not knowing what the future held. Strange noises in the empty streets at night added to the spookiness. Another could be a haunted hospital story. With the overcrowding of hospitals in 2020, rumors spread of ghosts in the corridors where so many patients passed away.
One classic scary story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who kills an old man because he can't stand the old man's vulture - like eye. He hides the body under the floorboards, but then he starts to hear the heart still beating, which drives him insane.
One good scary story from iheart scary stories could be about a haunted house. A family moves into an old mansion, and at night, they start hearing strange noises. Doors open and close by themselves, and cold drafts sweep through the halls. The children claim to see shadowy figures moving around their bedrooms.