The unknown is often the scariest. Maybe it's the strange noises that can't be explained.
For me, in 'the scary house story', the scariest elements would be the psychological aspects. The sense of isolation in that house, cut off from the outside world. And then, the build - up of fear as each strange event occurs. For example, when you first hear a faint whisper and you're not sure if it's your imagination or something real. As you start to investigate, the fear grows. And if there are signs of a past tragedy in the house, like old photos of a family that disappeared mysteriously, that would really ramp up the scariness.
The strange noises are really scary. Just the idea that something in the house is making these unexplained sounds in the middle of the night is terrifying.
For me, it's the feeling of being watched. In these stories, when people enter an abandoned house, they often feel like there are eyes on them. Another scary part is the history of the place. If there were tragic events like murders or suicides, it makes the place seem haunted. And the silence, broken only by strange noises, is really terrifying.
Perhaps the sudden jump scares. For example, when a ghostly figure appears out of nowhere in a dark corridor of the house.
Well, the scariest elements could be the strange noises coming from different rooms. You know, like creaking floors and doors slamming on their own. Also, the feeling of being watched all the time, as if there are unseen eyes following you everywhere in that house.
I think the scariest part of 'A Night at the Delaney House' is when the characters start to experience time distortion or memory lapses. They might not be sure if what they are seeing is real or just a trick of their mind. This uncertainty, combined with the spooky atmosphere of the old house, is truly terrifying. For example, they could be walking down a hallway and suddenly find themselves back at the start without realizing how they got there, and all the while there are strange noises and a sense of dread building up.
Relatability can also be a key factor. If a scary story touches on common fears like the fear of death, the dark, or being alone, it can be scarier. For instance, stories about being home alone at night and hearing strange noises play on our real - life fears. We can easily put ourselves in the shoes of the characters, and that makes the horror more palpable. It makes the scariest scary story one that really gets under our skin.
The feeling of being powerless against whatever is in the water is quite scary. You're just a person with a fishing rod, and if there's a huge and powerful force in the water, you're at its mercy. And when there are elements that seem to defy logic, like hearing whispers from the water that seem to be calling your name, it adds to the overall scariness of the fishing story.
The unknown is one of the scariest elements. We don't really know what happened around dolmens in the past, so it's easy to imagine all sorts of spooky things. For example, they could be places where ancient rituals took place, and that sense of mystery makes it scary.
The feeling of being watched. When you hear a knock, you might get the sense that there is someone or something out there observing you, just waiting for you to open the door. This can be extremely unsettling. For example, if you look out and see nothing, but then feel a presence, it plays on our primal fears of the unknown.