The sense of the unknown and the feeling of dread they create. In 'Ben Drowned', the way the game world starts to blend with the real world in a very abnormal and spooky way gives you a sense of unease. You don't know what will happen next or how far the horror will spread, and that's what makes these stories so appealing to those who like a good scare.
One really scary creepypasta story is 'Jeff the Killer'. It's about a young boy who goes through a traumatic event that turns him into a deranged killer with a pale face and a permanent smile carved into it. He hunts people at night, whispering 'Go to sleep' before attacking.
Sure. 'The Russian Sleep Experiment' is quite terrifying. It tells about a group of test subjects who are kept awake for days in a military experiment, and they gradually turn into something inhumane. Then there's 'Smile Dog'. The picture of a dog with a wide, creepy smile is said to drive people insane if they look at it for too long.
Sure. 'The Russian Sleep Experiment' is quite terrifying. It tells about a group of test subjects who are kept awake for an extended period in a Soviet experiment, and the horrifying things that start to happen to them as a result. Also, 'Ted the Caver' where a man and his friends explore a cave and encounter some very strange and scary things down there.
The 'Jeff the Killer' story is also quite well - known. Jeff was a normal boy until something made him go insane. He carved a smile into his face and started killing people at night. There are accounts that claim to be real experiences of encountering someone like Jeff in the dead of night, with his white, featureless face and that creepy smile.
They often lack the typical horror elements like excessive gore or sudden jump scares. For example, they might focus on mystery or a unique concept that is more thought - provoking than terrifying.
One of the best is 'The Werewolf of Fever Swamp'. It's about a boy who moves to a new town near a swamp. Strange things start to happen, like animals being found torn apart. He soon discovers a werewolf is lurking in the swamp. The descriptions of the werewolf are really creepy, with its glowing eyes and the howls that echo through the night.
The unknown. In these stories, there are often elements that are not fully explained. For example, in 'The Slenderman', his origin and true nature are left ambiguous. This makes our minds fill in the blanks with the most terrifying possibilities.
They're popular because they tap into our primal fears. Things like the fear of the unknown, being alone in the dark, or facing something abnormal. For example, 'Slenderman' represents the unknown and the fear of something that can't be easily understood.