One: The old house creaked. I turned, and a shadowy figure stared from the corner. Another: Alone in the forest, a whisper said my name. I ran, but it followed in the wind.
They are appealing because they create immediate horror. In just two lines, they can set a spooky scene and leave the reader with a sense of unease. It's like a quick jolt of fear.
Their simplicity. Just one line can create a sense of mystery and fear. For example, 'The old doll's eyes followed her across the room.' It gives you a quick jolt of horror without a lot of explanation.
Consider this one - line story: 'My phone rang at 3 am, and the caller ID was my dead mother.' It's scary because 3 am is often considered a 'witching hour' in many superstitions. And getting a call from a deceased loved one is a very unnerving concept. It makes you wonder if there is something beyond death trying to communicate, or if it's something more sinister.
There might be a story of a cursed object. A girl found an old locket in an antique store. After she put it on, she started having nightmares of a shadowy figure. Everywhere she went, she felt a cold presence. She finally threw the locket into a river, and the nightmares stopped.
One common theme could be the unknown. Many of the stories likely play on the fear of not knowing what is lurking in the shadows or what will happen next. For example, a story might have a character in a strange place and they hear noises but don't know what's making them.