The sky turned as dark as the eerie path in an endless cave as I walked briskly up the pathway of my new house. I finally reached the door and the strong, cold wind howled in my ears and tore away the last of autumn's golden leaves. I took a deep breath, opened the door and cautiously stepped inside. I was greeted by a grand entrance hall and the greatest flight of stairs I've ever seen! I decided to take a tour around this magnificent mansion. "Am I dead or am I alive?" I'd whisper, absolutely stunned. I opened the door of my new bedroom. I felt a buzz of excitement erupt in me. There was a portrait that hung over the king size bed. It was of a girl with long, wavy ginger hair. she wore a navy ball gown and her eyes shone like sapphires. I unpacked my bags, got into my PJs and read a chapter of my book.
“You can’t!” I screeched, griping the thick grass beneath my paws.
“The whole forest will belong to the Pack of Shadows!” the dark wolf exclaimed enthusiastically, his fur flickering like shadows, “No wolf will stop us!”
I have to do something! I couldn’t let it end like this! Not with the alpha in this state! Not with the pack split in four!
“Out of my way pup!” he tossed me aside like a tiny mouse.
“No!” I leaped at him, biting and clawing with all my strength.
“This is pointless! You cannot defeat me she-wolf!” I felt him bite me and fling me away again. I was too tired to move now, after traveling this far without resting, I can no longer breathe enough to live.
I’m over; this is the end of the Pack of Ice! I lay winded and defeated, awaiting death’s arrival patiently.
1. Leaving holes in the backstory.
As learned from Marty Chan, the human imagination is not only the most beautiful place in the world, it can also be the most horrific. If a person leaves some space empty (ex: "Tara disappeared after the encounter and was never heard from again....") , your mind will immediately fill it in, your imagination coming up with the most grisly scenario possible....
2. Waiting a REALLY long time for the killer/ monster to show up.
The person becomes bored and even slightly drowsy, which makes them more vulnerable to fear. If the antagonist pops up about halfway through (especially out of nowhere, and at night) they'll jump up as though just awaken from a nightmare. A little humor will definitely help if you're planning on doing this.
As learned from Marty Chan, the human imagination is not only the most beautiful place in the world, it can also be the most horrific. If a person leaves some space empty (ex: "Tara disappeared after the encounter and was never heard from again....") , your mind will immediately fill it in, your imagination coming up with the most grisly scenario possible....
2. Waiting a REALLY long time for the killer/ monster to show up.
The person becomes bored and even slightly drowsy, which makes them more vulnerable to fear. If the antagonist pops up about halfway through (especially out of nowhere, and at night) they'll jump up as though just awaken from a nightmare. A little humor will definitely help if you're planning on doing this.