A spooky story idea is a haunted doll. This doll was found in an attic of an old house. It has a cracked porcelain face and empty eyes. Whoever brings the doll into their home experiences nightmares where the doll comes to life. In the dreams, the doll moves around the house, leaving little footprints on the dusty floors and whispering the name of the person who owns it.
A haunted house is a classic idea. There could be strange noises at night, like creaking floors and whispers. Doors might open and close on their own. Another idea is a cursed object. Maybe a doll that seems to have a life of its own and causes misfortune to those who possess it. Or a spooky forest where people get lost and encounter shadowy figures that seem to follow them.
Set the story in an abandoned asylum. Start by detailing the long, echoing hallways with peeling wallpaper and rusted gurneys scattered about. The fluorescent lights above flicker erratically, casting strange shadows on the walls. The main character is exploring this place, perhaps as part of a dare or because they are a journalist looking for a story. But as they venture deeper into the asylum, they start to feel as if they are being watched, and they hear the faint sound of screams that seem to be coming from the very walls around them.
Sure. A scientist had an idea to open a portal to another dimension. He built a complex machine with flashing lights and humming generators. When he activated it, a cold wind blew through his lab. Out of the portal came shadowy figures. His idea of exploring the unknown had brought terrors from another world into his own. He tried to shut it down, but the figures were getting closer and closer, and the machine seemed to have a mind of its own.
A house that was the site of a grisly murder in the past could be a great spooky story idea. The new owners start to notice strange things. Doors open and close on their own, and there are cold spots in certain rooms. They also hear faint screams at night. It turns out the spirit of the murder victim is still trapped in the house, reliving the horror of their death.
An old, abandoned asylum. Inside, the patients' cells are still filled with their belongings, and there are strange scratches on the walls. The protagonist hears the faint sounds of screams and maniacal laughter echoing through the corridors. It gets even scarier when they find a hidden basement with surgical equipment and signs of inhumane experiments.
Walking through the cemetery, I heard a soft cry. I turned to see a little girl in a white dress. When she looked up, her eyes were black holes that seemed to suck the life out of me.
A witch's curse. Maybe a family is cursed by a witch from centuries ago. Every generation experiences a strange illness or misfortune. For example, the children might have nightmares that seem all too real and start seeing a dark figure in their rooms at night.
Sure. It could be about a haunted school. One night, a 4th - grader named Tim stays late at school to look for his lost book. He hears strange noises from the empty classrooms. When he looks in, he sees the chalk writing on the board by itself, spelling out 'leave now'.
A haunted old mansion. There are creaking floorboards, dusty rooms filled with cobwebs, and portraits on the walls whose eyes seem to follow you. The attic is full of old trunks and strange noises come from it at night.