They are effective because they quickly set a spooky mood. In just two sentences, they can introduce a disturbing idea like 'I walked into the forest. Every step I took, I felt eyes watching me from the trees.'
A 'two sentwnce horror story' I know is 'I found a diary in the attic. The last entry read, 'They're coming for me, and now they know I'm here.' It made me feel so uneasy.
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.
They are concise. For example, 'The phone rang in the dead of night. It was my voice on the other end asking for help.' In just two sentences, it creates a sense of dread. They often rely on the unexpected. Like 'I found a door in my basement that wasn't there before. When I opened it, a cold hand grabbed mine.' It takes a normal situation and twists it into something terrifying.
I think 'The clock stopped at midnight. Then I heard footsteps.' is quite scary. It gives this feeling of something ominous starting right at a spooky time.
Some two - sentence horror stories are truly spine - chilling. For example, 'I woke up to a noise in the kitchen. When I got there, all the knives were floating.' The simplicity of the setting and the unexpected, supernatural element make it effective. Another one could be 'She heard a baby crying in the attic. She doesn't have a baby.' It plays on our primal fears of the unknown and the unexpected in a very short space, creating a sense of unease and horror.