The little girl found a doll in the forest. As she picked it up, the doll's eyes started to bleed.
Sara looked into the mirror. But instead of her reflection, she saw a shadowy figure slowly approaching her from behind the mirror.
Well, start with a scary setting or a mysterious character. Like, 'The old house creaked. A shadow moved behind the curtains.' Make it short and spine-chilling. Also, use simple but powerful words to build tension quickly.
Think of a common fear and describe it in an unusual way. Say, 'The mirror showed my reflection. But it wasn't mine.' Keep it short and intense.
The phone rang at midnight. When I answered, all I heard was heavy breathing and then a whisper of my name from an unknown voice.
The moon was full. But the werewolf outside my window wasn't howling at it, but rather staring right at me.
Think of a common, ordinary situation first. For example, 'I was walking my dog at night.' Then add a terrifying twist like 'Suddenly, the dog started growling at me, and I realized there was something following us that only the dog could sense.'
Sarah walked down the dark alley. Out of the darkness, a pair of glowing eyes stared at her, and she knew she was being hunted.
I heard strange noises coming from the attic. When I opened it, a pair of yellow eyes stared back at me.
I found an old diary in the attic. The last entry said 'They're coming for me, and now they know I'm here' and then the pages started to bleed.
Well, it's about the unexpected. In a 'two sentence horror story' like 'I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, there was nothing but darkness.' The suddenness and the unknown in just two sentences can send shivers down your spine.
Another really scary one could be 'My phone rang at 3 am. The caller ID said it was me.' It plays on the idea of the self being something other or unknown, and calls at that time are always spooky.