scary two line horror stories

I opened the basement door. A hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed my ankle.

The element of surprise. For example, 'I sat on the park bench. The empty bench beside me whispered my name.' Just a simple, unexpected twist in the second line can be very effective.

These stories are scary as they create a contrast. For example, 'I lay down to be tucked in. A cold hand reached from under the covers.' The normal act of getting tucked in is juxtaposed with a very abnormal and frightening event. Our minds are not expecting something bad in that situation, so it catches us off - guard and scares us more easily.

I heard a knock at the door. I opened it, but no one was there, yet the knocking continued.

Well, one possible 'scary two - line story' could be 'I heard a knock on the door at midnight. When I opened it, no one was there but I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.' Another could be 'The old house was empty. As I walked in, I saw a shadow that moved on its own.' And a third one might be 'She walked through the graveyard. Suddenly, a whisper called her name from an unmarked grave.'

One example could be 'I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, no one was there but I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.'

They are effective by creating immediate tension. For example, 'The phone rang at midnight. A raspy voice said 'I'm coming'.", "Answer2":": 'Scary two line stories' work well because they rely on the reader's imagination. In a story like 'The moon was full. A howl that wasn't from a dog echoed.', the reader has to fill in the blanks about what might be making that howl. It's this sense of mystery that makes them effective.

One could be 'The old house stood alone. Strange noises came from within.'

It depends. Some people might find them super creepy, while others might not be that affected.

Walking in the forest, I felt watched. I looked up, and a pair of red eyes stared from the trees. It was no animal. There was an intelligence in those eyes that sent a shiver down my spine. I tried to run, but my feet felt like they were stuck in the mud. As I struggled, I could hear the thing getting closer, branches snapping under its weight. I knew that whatever it was, it was coming for me, and there was little I could do to escape.