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.
One kind could be the supernatural horror stories, like those involving ghosts, vampires or witches. These play on our fear of the unknown and the things that go beyond our normal understanding of the world.
One type is supernatural horror stories. These often involve ghosts, demons, or otherworldly entities. For example, 'The Haunting of Hill House' is a well - known supernatural horror story. Another type is psychological horror stories. They play with the mind, like in 'Psycho' where the psychological state of the characters and the suspense created through their mental turmoil is the main source of horror.