One common element is the suddenness of the abduction. Victims are often taken without any warning, like the girl snatched from her yard. Another is the isolation of the victim. They are usually held in a remote place like a basement or an abandoned building. Also, the threat of harm is always there, which makes the situation extremely scary.
The Jaycee Dugard case is another harrowing one. She was abducted in 1991 at the age of 11. She was held by her captor for 18 years, during which time she was repeatedly abused and had children with him. Her discovery in 2009 was a shock, and it highlighted the long - term trauma that kidnapping victims can endure.
The uncertainty. In a kidnapping, the victim's family and friends don't know what's happening to them. They don't know if they are being hurt or even alive. For example, in the cases like the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the parents were in agony waiting for news.
The case of Natascha Kampusch is extremely scary. She was kidnapped in Austria in 1998 and held captive in a cellar for over eight years. Her kidnapper controlled every aspect of her life. In some of the top 10 stories, there are those where the kidnappers were serial offenders. They would abduct multiple victims one after another, causing widespread fear in the communities. These stories often involve a lot of mystery about how the kidnappers selected their victims and how they managed to avoid detection for so long.
One of the top kidnapping stories is the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. In 1932, the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh was abducted from his home. It was a highly publicized case that shocked the nation. The ransom demands and the subsequent search for the baby made it a very tragic and famous case.
One scary fictional kidnapping story could be about a young girl who gets abducted from a park. The kidnapper takes her to an abandoned house in the woods. Every night, she hears strange noises and the kidnapper just stares at her with a creepy smile. She tries to escape but there are always obstacles in her way.
A really scary kidnapping case involved a child who was taken from a shopping mall. The kidnapper was very cunning. He disguised himself as a mall employee. He took the child to an abandoned building. The police launched a massive search operation. It took days of investigation, following up on various leads. In the end, they found the child locked in a small room in the building. The kidnapper had fled but was later caught.
One story is about a little girl who was kidnapped while waiting for the school bus. The kidnapper took her to an abandoned house. The girl was very scared but managed to leave a trail of her hair clips. Eventually, the police followed the trail and rescued her.
Another common element is the struggle for survival. The kidnapped characters often have to find ways to escape or signal for help. They might use whatever resources are available to them, like the girl using her hair clips or the woman using her lipstick to get help.
One of the terrifying ones is the Elizabeth Smart case. She was abducted from her bedroom at a young age. Her captors held her captive for months, forcing her to change her appearance and move around frequently. It was a nightmare for her family until she was finally rescued.