365 Horrifying Horror Writing Prompts
Here are 365 Horrifying Horror Writing Prompts to inspire your writing every day of the year. Darkness falls. Shadows lengthen. The hair on the back of your neck prickles as the last rays of light fade away. Something stirs in the darkness. You can feel unseen eyes watching, evil lurking just out of sight—the night beckons, hungry for new terrors to unleash.
Within these pages await 365 prompts to inspire bone-chilling tales filled with the creepy, twisted, and macabre. Let your imagination wander into dark and haunted places, conjure nightmarish creatures from terrifying depths, and explore the disturbing boundaries of human depravity.
Summon vengeful spirits, stalk feral beasts through moonlit woods, or open forbidden doors that should stay locked. But beware, these prompts may awaken fears you never knew existed as you walk the line between spine-tingling thrills and nightmare-inducing horror.
With so many prompts, the possibilities for crafting your own horror stories are endless. You may never sleep soundly again after lingering in realms of psychological suspense, paranormal unease, and visceral horror. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. The terror is about to begin…
Open the door, leave the light off, and prepare to confront your deepest fears. Once you immerse yourself in these 365 prompts, any shred of comfort or safety will be shattered. There is no escaping the darkness that awaits within these pages. Let the horror commence…
- You glimpse what looks like your neighbor transforming into a hairy beast under the full moon through your window at night.
- A vampire lures you into his gothic mansion under the pretense of a date. You’re trapped inside overnight.
- You notice your reflection’s eyes glowing in the dark whenever you glance away from the mirror. Fangs slide from your mouth when you smile.
- A mysterious stranger with hypnotic eyes seduces you at a nightclub. You wake up with bite marks on your neck.
- You find a secret passage in your basement leading to an underground lair filled with sleeping coffins.
- A feral werewolf stalks the woods surrounding your cabin on the night of the full moon. You’re trapped inside.
- You discover an ancient book with rituals for summoning demons. Shadowy figures emerge from your closet after you read an incantation aloud.
- A decrepit old manor deep in the woods is said to be inhabited by vampires. You decide to investigate at night and become trapped inside.
- A dating app match invited you over for a “nightcap.” You wake up disoriented with bandages on your neck.
- A creepy stranger at a carnival offers to tell your fortune. He predicts you’ll become a powerful vampire under the next full moon.
- A scientists performs experiments splicing human and animal DNA. Escaped beast-men now hunt locals at night.
- A tunnel in your basement leads to a vast underground metropolis populated by creatures of the night.
- On a guided tour, you get lost in the ancient catacombs beneath the city. You hear inhuman howls in the labyrinth of tunnels.
- A blood bank is robbed of all its plasma bags. The technician was found drained of blood.
- You wake up to find bite marks and fur all over your body after a lunar eclipse. Your reflection is more beast than human.
- A creepy stranger at a nightclub disappears with your friend. You find your friend unconscious behind the club, neck bandaged.
- You glimpse what appears to be your neighbor transforming into a wolf under the moonlight through your window at night.
- A dating app match invited you to their gothic mansion in the woods for a romantic evening. You’re unable to leave as the sun sets.
- Howls echo outside your rural cabin on the night of the full moon. Inhuman, glowing eyes stare back from the treeline.
- A tunnel in your basement leads to a vast subterranean city of the undead. You accidentally become trapped overnight.
- On a campus ghost tour, you get lost in an off-limits section said to be stalked by a vampire. Escaping after nightfall will be nearly impossible.
- An ancient ritual book instructs you how to open a portal to a hellish dimension. You read the incantation aloud as a test.
- A creepy carnival worker warns you to avoid the house of mirrors. You glimpse beastly figures staring back from the glass.
- A strange infection transforms residents into ravenous zombies after nightfall. You’re stranded downtown past sunset.
- Local blood bank technicians are found drained of blood with mysterious neck punctures. A wave of vampirism overwhelms your town.
- A tunnel in your basement leads to a vast underground metropolis populated by creatures of the night. You become trapped after sundown.
- On the night of a lunar eclipse, you get lost hiking and stumble upon what appears to be a meeting place for warped beasts.
- A dating app match invites you to their mansion deep in the woods for a steamy night. You arrive to find coffins lining the great hall.
- You wake up in the middle of the night to see your neighbor staring back at you through the window with glowing eyes and elongated fangs.
- A strange infection transforms residents into feral beasts when enraged. Quarantine protocols trap you downtown after nightfall.
- Howls and shrieks echo from the old asylum at night. You sneak inside to investigate and become trapped with the creatures that dwell within.
- A tunnel in the cemetery leads to a secret gathering place for ghouls and vampires beneath the city. You stumble upon their nightly meeting.
- A creepy stranger warns that a demonic beast hunts the woods during the blood moon. You’re forced to take shelter in a nearby cave.
- On your hotel balcony, you spot a figure across the street make an inhuman leap to the rooftop. A creature is stalking the city.
- A dating app match invited you back to their place. You wake up disoriented with bite marks all over your neck.
- An ancient ritual book instructs you how to open a portal to another dimension. You recite the incantation as a test, and a clawed hand reaches through.
- You get lost on a ghost tour of the old city catacombs. Howls echo from the labyrinth of tunnels as the sun sets above.
- A creepy carnival worker warns you to avoid the house of mirrors at night. You glimpse your beastly reflection staring back.
- A mad scientist performs experiments splicing human and beast DNA. You help one of his tortured experiments escape.
- On the night of a lunar eclipse, you witness what appears to be your neighbor transforming into a fanged beast under the blood moon.
- While exploring the old cemetery, you discover a tunnel that leads to a secret underground meeting place for vampires and ghouls.
- A dating app match invites you to their secluded manor deep in the woods for a romantic evening. You arrive to find it’s overrun with werewolves.
- Howls echo outside your rural cabin on the night of the full moon. Glowing eyes stare back from the darkness. The wolves have your scent.
- A strange infection transforms people into rabid beasts when enraged. You’re trapped downtown past nightfall as residents begin to turn.
- Local blood banks are robbed of all plasma. Overnight, the city is overrun by a wave of vampirism.
- You wake up after a night you can’t remember covered in bites and fur. Howls echo outside under the full moon.
- You stumble upon what appears to be a gathering place for warped creatures deep in the woods at night. They spot you observing their ritual.
- While exploring the old asylum, you become trapped inside overnight. Feral shrieks and howls echo through the abandoned cellblocks after sunset.
- A dating app match invites you to their gothic mansion in the woods for a romantic evening. You arrive to find coffins lining the great hall.
- You wake up to find your bed swarming with spiders. Their glowing red eyes stare back as they crawl towards you.
- While exploring a cave, you stumble upon a giant egg sac filled with thousands of fist-sized spider eggs about to hatch.
- You discover an old journal describing rituals to summon shadow demons. You read an incantation aloud as a test. Clawed hands reach from the darkness.
- You wake up paralyzed as a shadowy ghostly figure looms over your bed, staring directly into your eyes.
- Your reflection in the mirror becomes possessed, snarling and threatening you with a demonic voice telling you all the ways it plans to mutilate your body.
- You get trapped overnight at an insect research facility. Mutated super-sized ants and roaches swarm through the halls, sensing fresh prey.
- While camping, you wake to find yourself cocooned inside a giant spider web. The creature that spun it approaches from the trees, hungry for its trapped prey.
- You stumble upon an abandoned mansion infested with rabid rats. They quickly surround you, squealing and baring their bloodied teeth.
- On a dare, you play a chant from an old book said to summon a vengeful spirit. You glance up to see the ghostly girl from the story standing behind you in the mirror.
- You discover your attic is infested with hundreds of spiders. Their webs coat every inch. At night you hear them skittering in the walls, ceiling, and vents.
- You get bitten by a strange insect while exploring a remote island jungle. Soon you develop odd cravings, inhuman strength, and a thirst for flesh.
- Home alone at night, you hear skittering and clacking sounds from the dark basement. Giant insectoid shadows creep up the stairs towards you.
- You accidentally step on an ant hill during a hike. They swarm up your legs, stinging and biting relentlessly as you scream in agony.
- Near an abandoned mine, you glimpse what looks like a giant spider dragging a human body back to its lair. But when you follow it, there’s no trace.
- You wake paralyzed at night with a creepy crawly sensation. Peering into the darkness, you see hundreds of spiders emerge from under your bed and covers.
- You discover a hidden chamber under your house containing grisly remains wrapped in webbing. At night you hear skittering in the walls and vents.
- Home alone, you hear scratching and fluttering coming from the chimney. A colony of bats suddenly floods into the living room, swarming around you.
- You find an old shack filled with strange cocoons and webbing that seems to pulse with life. Shadowy shapes shift inside them.
- You accidentally unleash a cursed swarm of locusts while reading an ancient text. They voraciously devour every living thing in their path.
- On a camping trip, you wake up to find yourself strapped down in the massive web of a building-sized spider. Its shadow looms over you as it descends from the trees.
- You get trapped in a cave filled with giant cocoons twice your size. They begin to split open, birthing horrific winged creatures.
- You find an old dollhouse intricately decorated with dead insects in miniature scenes. At night you think you glimpse them moving inside it.
- You discover an oddly-shaped cocoon pulsing with life attached to your house. It splits open at night, birthing a terrifying creature.
- You accidentally bring a cockroach home from a trip. It escapes and breeds, soon infesting your entire home with ravenous mutant roaches.
- You wake up buried alive with just a faint glow stick, cell phone with no signal, and a handwritten note that says “Nobody will find you here.”
- Your baby monitor picks up the sound of a maniacal voice whispering “I’m inside your house” when you’re home alone.
- You find a hidden trap door under a rug in your basement. It leads to a soundproof underground room stained with blood.
- Your front door security camera captures a masked man crawling out from under your bed while you sleep just inches away.
- You glimpse people with blurry, staticky faces standing silently in your peripheral vision. When you turn, no one is there.
- Your young daughter keeps talking about her new “imaginary friend” who visits her bedroom closet at night. You hear faint whispers from inside when home alone.
- You wake up to find yourself strapped to an operating table in an abandoned hospital surrounded by disturbing medical tools. No one is around.
- You find an old Polaroid of yourself sleeping on the porch steps of your childhood home. You lived alone and the photo was taken at night through the front door.
- You glimpse grinning corpses propped up around the dinner table when you walk through the dark house at night. But when you turn on the lights, the bodies vanish.
- You notice a bloody, clawed handprint appear on the bathroom mirror after you shower. It drips down the glass, leaving a red trail.
- You wake up in a pitch black room chained to a cold metal chair. A child’s voice says, “It’s time to play the hunting game.”
- You find an old unmarked VHS tape with “Watch Me” scribbled on it. It shows grainy night vision footage of a shadowy figure watching you sleep.
- You glimpse people you know with jet black eyes and fanged smiles beckoning you to come closer out of the corner of your eye. But when you look directly they seem totally normal.
- You come home to find the power cut and the words “I’m already inside” painted in blood on every mirror.
- You wake up to find yourself floating over your own sleeping body. Something else now inhabits your physical form and is living your life.
- You start finding creepy/threatening notes written in red ink on your bathroom mirror when home alone. The writing matches your handwriting perfectly.
- You glimpse grinning corpses of your loved ones sitting around the dinner table out of the corner of your eye. But when you look directly, the bodies vanish.
- You come home to find your front door wide open and bloody child-sized footprints leading from your bedroom to the hallway closet before disappearing.
- You wake up to the sound of screaming coming from inside your own body, but you are paralyzed and cannot move or make a sound.
- You notice a puddle of fresh blood pooling under your bed at night. But by morning, it has mysteriously vanished leaving no trace.
- You start hearing faint cries for help behind your bedroom wall at night. The next morning, you find bloody scratch marks inside the wall.
- You glimpse people with your face but with soulless black eyes staring at you from around corners and darkened doorways whenever you’re home alone.
- Your young son keeps wanting to play a “staring game” where he gazes deeply into your eyes without blinking for uncomfortably long amounts of time.
- You wake up to find your bedroom window open and child-sized, clawed footprints burned into your ceiling above your bed.
- You glimpse faceless people wearing your clothes pointing up at your bedroom ceiling at night. Bloody words appear above your bed spelling out a death threat.
- Your new puppy stares wide-eyed at your basement door while growling at an unseen entity. You start hearing faint whispers and scratching sounds from behind the door.
- You glimpse a shadowy, humanoid creature with long limbs and jagged teeth prowling on all fours around your bedroom at night when you wake up. But when you turn on the light, it’s gone.
- Your young niece keeps asking you to play a staring game, promising that something amazing will happen if you don’t blink for one full minute while gazing into her eyes.
- You wake up to find yourself strapped to an operating table in a morgue. The chilling sound of a bone saw powering up echoes from the darkness.
- A little girl in antique clothes appears weeping in the corner of your bedroom at night, warning you never to sleep again.
- Your baby monitor camera pans by itself to show a dark figure hunched over your child’s crib before the screen goes black.
- You wake up to find yourself bone thin and trapped inside a coffin-sized cage hanging from the ceiling of an empty room.
- You glimpse a doppelgänger of yourself staring back from inside the bathroom mirror whenever you look away.
- Your doorbell camera captures a hyper-realistic puppet-like version of you entering your house at night while you sleep.
- You glimpse an empty baby stroller rocking itself back and forth outside your front door when home alone at night.
- You start finding cryptic notes written in what appears to be blood hidden around your house saying things like, “I’m already inside” and “Let me in.”
- You wake up to find yourself suspended high above your bed with shadowy hands gripping your arms and legs to hold you in place.
- Your home phone rings in the middle of the night. You hear only high-pitched static, yet your caller ID displays your name and number.
- You come home to find all the lights on, puddles of muddy footprints around the house, and the faint smell of rotting meat coming from the vents.
- You notice a puddle of fresh blood pooling under your bed each night. One night you glimpse a small, clawed hand briefly grasp the bedframe before disappearing back under into darkness.
- You glimpse a shadowy doppelgänger mimicking your movements when you look in the bathroom mirror at night. If you stop moving, it grins back with a mouthful of pointed teeth.
- You wake up unable to move and see a dark figure crouched on your chest staring back with reflective, animal-like eyes.
- Your front door security camera footage shows people that look just like you entering your house at night while you sleep. By morning, there’s no sign of intruders inside.
- You glimpse an empty baby cradle rocking itself in the darkness of your living room when home alone at night. But when you turn on the light, it vanishes.
- Your young niece keeps asking if she can “play” with your pet hamster. Sometimes you hear faint squeaking coming from inside her room.
- You wake to find yourself strapped to a chair in a dark, empty warehouse. A child’s voice echoes, “Let’s see how long you can keep your eyes open during our little game…”
- You glimpse a shadowy hooded figure standing silently in your peripheral vision. When you turn to look directly, it screams inches from your face before vanishing.
- You notice a puddle of fresh blood pooling around your bathroom sink each night. One night you glimpse a clawed, rotting hand clutching the faucet before disappearing down the drain.
- Your front doorbell camera shows an old woman standing motionless on your porch steps, staring directly into the camera lens without blinking while holding an unlit candle. She seems blurry, staticky, and translucent.
- You wake up unable to move and see a shadowy humanoid creature crawling on your ceiling. It slowly creeps down the walls upside-down toward your paralyzed body smiling with a mouthful of needle-like teeth.
- You wake up in a dark room strapped to a stretcher. A faceless surgeon slowly approaches you holding a gleaming scalpel.
- You glimpse grinning, corpse-like versions of your loved ones beckoning you closer with clawed hands out of the corner of your eye.
- You notice a puddle of blood seeping from beneath your closet door at night. Something seems to be slowly scratching its way out.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in on a pale hand reaching into your infant’s crib during the night. You rush in to find the crib empty.
- You glimpse people you know with milky white eyes and stitched-together body parts shambling toward you, arms outstretched, when you look away.
- You wake up chained to a filthy tiled wall in a shadowy basement. Scratch marks cover the walls and the faint sound of whimpering echoes from the darkness.
- Your front door security camera shows a hyper-realistic version of you prowling around the porch on all fours at night, unnaturally contorting its body to fit.
- You notice a puddle of blood pooling beneath your bed each night. One night you glimpse a snarling, clawed hand grasp the bed frame before disappearing back under.
- You wake up to find yourself buried alive in a small wooden box. Dirt sifts through the cracks as you begin to claw your way out.
- You glimpse demonic versions of your family seated around the dinner table, forked tongues wriggling from their grinning mouths whenever you look away.
- You notice empty baby carriages and children’s toys rocking or spinning on their own in the darkness whenever home alone. But they vanish when you turn on the lights.
- Shadowy doppelgängers of you stand motionless in doorways and mirrors whenever you look away, screaming when you make eye contact.
- Your young daughter keeps whispering that her new “imaginary friends” visit her in her closet at night and want to meet you.
- You wake up unable to move with a hunched figure sitting on your chest staring back with soulless black eyes and grinning razor-sharp teeth.
- You notice clawed handprints and blood streaks on the bathroom mirror after taking a shower, as if something was trapped behind the glass trying to get out.
- You glimpse people you know with pale skin, black eyes and stitched-together body parts shambling toward you when looking away. They plead for help before vanishing.
- You hear high-pitched crying and clawing sounds coming from behind your bedroom wall at night, along with faint whispers pleading “let me out.”
- You wake up chained to the moldy tiled floor of a shadowy subterranean room. Glowing red eyes stare back from the darkness.
- You notice your reflection blinks or moves on its own whenever you glance away from the mirror. It smiles with a mouthful of needles when your eyes meet.
- You glimpse corpses of your loved ones with sunken features seated around the dinner table whenever you look away. They beckon you closer with skeletal hands.
- You wake up in the woods, barefoot with your ankles and wrists bound together. You hear faint hunting horns and hounds barking in the distance.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and moving on its own under the gap of your closet door at night. The doorknob slowly begins to rattle.
- You glimpse your doppelgänger going about your daily routine whenever you look away. It stares back with soulless black eyes when your gazes meet.
- You wake up to find yourself strapped down in an abandoned, decrepit hospital room. A faceless figure in a long coat slowly approaches holding a rusted scalpel.
- You notice clawed, rotting hands grasping from inside your bedroom closet whenever you look away. They retreat back inside when your eyes are on them.
- You glimpse a shadowy creature with elongated limbs and off-kilter body movements prowling around your bedroom just outside your field of vision at night whenever you’re home alone.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to a metal chair with IVs pumping unknown fluids into your body. Faceless people in suits watch through a two-way mirror.
- Your young daughter keeps talking and singing nursery rhymes to “the people who visit her closet” late at night when she thinks you’re asleep.
- You notice your reflection rapidly ages, decays, and becomes skeletal whenever you glance away from the bathroom mirror at night.
- You glimpse doppelgängers of your loved ones with sunken features shuffling toward you pleading for help when looking away. They scream when your eyes meet.
- You wake up unable to move and see a hunched figure sitting on your chest with its face obscured by tangled black hair. It slowly raises a rusted blade toward your throat.
- Your baby monitor cameras pans by itself to show a shadowy figure looming over the crib, rocking your infant’s empty cradle before the screen goes black.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and creeping along on its own, just outside your peripheral vision whenever you’re home alone at night.
- You glimpse a pale little girl in a tattered nightgown standing motionless in your peripheral vision. She screams and points at you when your eyes meet.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to an operating table as a figure in surgical garb approaches you slowly wielding a long, gleaming saw.
- Your front doorbell camera shows a blurry, shambling figure that looks just like you prowling around the porch late at night, contorting its body unnaturally.
- You notice handprints and faces pressing against your bedroom window from outside at night when you’re home alone. But when you blink, they vanish.
- You glimpse your loved ones seated around the dinner table with elongated smiles filled with jagged teeth whenever you look away. They beckon you closer.
- You wake up in a small, enclosed space. You push against the satin lining and realize you’ve been buried alive inside a coffin.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in on its own at night to show a spindly hand reaching into your infant’s crib over the edge of the railing.
- You notice your reflection rapidly decays into a grinning corpse whenever you glance away from the mirror. Maggots wriggle from its empty eye sockets when your eyes meet.
- You wake up and all the mirrors in your home are covered with sheets. You live alone. Muffled crying echoes from behind the covered glass.
- You glimpse shadowy, hunched figures crouched in your peripheral vision. They skitter just out of sight whenever you turn to look directly.
- Your front doorbell camera shows you arriving home hours before you actually returned. The footage shows you glancing up at the camera and grinning with solid black eyes.
- You notice clawed handprints appear on foggy bathroom mirrors after you shower. They slowly drag down the glass leaving trails of blood before vanishing completely.
- You glimpse doppelgängers of loved ones standing motionless, staring at you from dark corners and doorways whenever you’re home alone. They scream when your eyes meet.
- You wake up to find yourself alone in a sterile white room strapped to a metal chair. A faceless figure in a lab coat slowly approaches holding a power saw.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in and pans by itself at night to show a spindly hand reaching over the edge of the crib, rocking your infant’s empty cradle.
- You notice your shadow standing independently and watching you from across the room whenever you glance away. It creeps closer when your back is turned.
- You wake up to find yourself chained to a cold metal table in a shadowy basement. Glowing red eyes stare hungrily at you from the dark corners.
- You wake up in a dimly lit room strapped to a gurney. You hear faint whimpering and smell rotting flesh. A door creaks open and shuffling footsteps approach.
- You glimpse doppelgängers of loved ones with pale skin and soulless black eyes standing in doorways whenever you’re home alone. They scream when your eyes meet.
- You notice clawed handprints appear on foggy bathroom mirrors after you shower. They slowly drag down the glass, leaving trails of blood before fading away.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in and pans by itself at night to show a spindly hand reaching over the crib, rocking your infant’s empty cradle.
- You wake up unable to move. A shadowy figure sits on your chest staring back with glowing red eyes and rows of razor-sharp teeth grinning.
- You glimpse blurry, shambling figures just out of sight whenever you’re home alone. They stand motionless staring when you look directly.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and creeping along the walls just outside your peripheral vision whenever you’re alone at night.
- Your young son keeps whispering that “the thing in the closet” talks to him at night and wants to meet you after bedtime.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to a metal chair. A faceless figure in a lab coat slowly approaches wielding a power saw.
- You glimpse grinning corpses seated around the dinner table whenever you look away. They beckon you closer with skeletal hands before vanishing.
- Your reflection rapidly decays into a mangled corpse whenever you glance away from the mirror. It screams when your eyes meet.
- You notice handprints and pleading faces press against your bedroom window from outside whenever you look away. They vanish when stared at.
- You wake up unable to move and see a shadowy figure sitting on your chest staring back with glowing red eyes. It slowly raises a long, gleaming blade.
- Your front doorbell camera shows you arriving home hours before you actually returned. Your doppelgänger glances up at the camera, grinning with soulless black eyes.
- You glimpse a pale little girl in a tattered nightgown standing silently whenever you look away. She points at you and screams when your eyes meet.
- You notice clawed, rotting hands grasp from inside your closet whenever you look away. They slowly retreat back into darkness when stared at.
- You wake up chained to a moldy tiled wall in a shadowy basement. Glowing red eyes stare hungrily at you from the darkness.
- Your young daughter keeps whispering she sees “other mommies and daddies” that visit her bedroom closet at night.
- You glimpse your loved ones seated around the dinner table with elongated smiles filled with jagged teeth whenever you look away.
- You notice your shadow standing independently across the room whenever you glance away. It creeps closer when your back is turned.
- Your reflection turns and stares back with solid black eyes and a wide unnatural smile whenever you look away from the mirror.
- You wake up unable to move with a hunched figure sitting on your chest. It stares back with glowing red eyes as it slowly raises a rusted blade.
- Your front door security camera shows a blurry, shambling figure that looks just like you prowling around on all fours late at night.
- You glimpse pale ghostly figures standing silently whenever you look away. They reach toward you screaming when you make eye contact.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and creeping along the walls just outside your peripheral vision when home alone.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to an operating table as a figure in surgical garb approaches wielding a gleaming bone saw.
- Your young son keeps whispering that “the thing under my bed” talks to him at night and wants to meet you after you tuck him in.
- You glimpse doppelgängers of loved ones standing motionless and staring at you from dark corners whenever you’re home alone.
- You notice handprints appear on foggy bathroom mirrors after you shower. They slowly drag down the glass leaving trails of blood before fading away.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in and pans by itself at night to show a spindly hand rocking your infant’s empty cradle.
- You wake up unable to move and see a shadowy figure crouched on your chest. It stares back with glowing eyes as it slowly lifts a gleaming scalpel.
- Your young niece keeps whispering about her new “imaginary friends” that visit her bedroom closet late at night when she thinks you’re asleep.
- You glimpse pale ghostly children staring silently whenever you look away. They reach toward you screaming when your eyes meet.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and creeping along the walls just outside your peripheral vision when you’re alone at night.
- Your reflection turns and stares back with milky white eyes and an unnaturally wide smile whenever you glance away from the mirror.
- You wake up chained to a rusted metal chair in a dim concrete room. Heavy footsteps approach from the darkness.
- Your front door security camera shows you shambling up to the porch on all fours late at night. Your doppelgänger glances up at the camera and grins.
- You glimpse your loved ones seated around the dinner table with blank stares whenever you look away. They reach toward you silently when your eyes meet.
- You notice empty rocking chairs, strollers, and children’s toys slowly moving on their own in the darkness whenever you’re home alone.
- You wake up unable to move and see a hunched shadowy figure sitting on your chest, slowly raising a gleaming blade toward your throat.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in and pans by itself at night to show a spindly hand reaching over the crib railing, rocking your infant’s empty cradle.
- You glimpse pale ghostly faces staring from the darkness whenever you look away. They scream and vanish when your eyes meet.
- You notice your shadow standing independently across the room whenever you glance away. It skitters behind you when you turn to look.
- Your reflection turns and snarls back with gleaming pointed teeth whenever you look away from the mirror. It bangs against the glass when your eyes meet.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to a metal table as a faceless figure in a lab coat approaches holding a serrated blade.
- Your young daughter keeps whispering about “other mommies and daddies with red eyes” that visit her bedroom closet at night.
- You glimpse empty rocking chairs, strollers, and toys slowly moving on their own in the darkness whenever you’re home alone.
- You notice pleading faces and hands banging against your bedroom window from outside whenever you look away. They vanish when stared at.
- Your front doorbell camera shows you prowling around the porch late at night. Your doppelgänger crawls on all fours glancing up at the camera.
- You wake up unable to move and see a shadowy figure sitting on your chest. It stares back with glowing red eyes as it wriggles a long, forked tongue.
- You wake up in a dark basement chained to the wall. Faint screams echo from the shadows as heavy footsteps approach.
- Your reflection smiles back with rows of jagged teeth whenever you glance away from the mirror. Bloody claws smear the glass from inside.
- You notice your doppelgänger going about your daily routine whenever you look away. It stares back with soulless black eyes when your gazes meet.
- You glimpse grinning corpses seated around the dinner table whenever you look away. They reach toward you with skeletal hands before vanishing.
- Your front door cam shows you returning home hours before you actually did. Your blurry doppelgänger looks up and smiles with empty black eyes.
- You wake up unable to move. A hunched figure sits on your chest and stares back with glowing red eyes as it wriggles a long, forked tongue.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in by itself at night to show a spindly hand reaching over the crib, rocking your infant’s empty cradle.
- You notice your reflection rapidly decays into a skeletal corpse whenever you glance away from the mirror. Maggots pour from its empty eye sockets.
- You glimpse your loved ones seated around the dinner table with elongated smiles filled with jagged teeth whenever you look away.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to a metal chair. A faceless figure in a lab coat approaches wielding a gleaming power saw.
- Your young son keeps whispering about “the thing in his closet” that talks to him at night and wants to meet you after bedtime.
- You notice clawed, rotting hands grasp from inside your closet whenever you look away. They slowly retreat into darkness when stared at.
- You glimpse your smiling friends with milky white eyes and stitched-together body parts shambling toward you when looking away.
- You wake up unable to move. A shadowy figure crouches on your chest and grins back with rows of needle-like teeth as it lifts a serrated blade.
- Your reflection turns and snarls at you behind the glass whenever you glance away from the mirror. Bloody claws smear down the surface from inside.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and creeping along the walls just outside your peripheral vision whenever you’re home alone.
- You glimpse pale ghostly children standing silently whenever you look away. They scream and vanish when your eyes meet theirs.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to an operating table as a figure in surgical garb approaches wielding a gleaming bone saw.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in by itself at night to show a spindly hand rocking your infant’s empty cradle back and forth.
- You notice empty rocking chairs, strollers, and toys moving slowly on their own in the darkness whenever you’re home alone.
- Your reflection turns and smiles back with solid black eyes and a wide, unnatural grin whenever you look away from the mirror.
- You wake up in a shadowy room restrained to a gurney. You hear whimpering from the darkness as shuffling footsteps approach.
- Your young niece keeps whispering about her “new friends” that visit her bedroom closet late at night when she thinks you’re asleep.
- You glimpse soulless black eyes staring back from around corners and darkened doorways whenever you’re home alone.
- You notice your shadow standing independently across the room whenever you glance away. It creeps closer when your back is turned.
- You wake up unable to move and see a hunched figure perched on your chest, slowly raising a gleaming blade toward your throat.
- Your front door camera shows you prowling around the porch late at night on all fours. Your doppelgänger glances up at the camera and grins.
- You glimpse ghostly faces staring back from the darkness whenever you look away. They scream and vanish when your eyes meet.
- You notice your doppelgänger going about your daily routine whenever you look away. It stares back with glowing red eyes when your gazes meet.
- Your reflection turns and snarls, clawing at the glass whenever you glance away from the mirror. Its flesh rapidly decays before your eyes.
- You wake up in a sterile white room strapped to a metal chair. A shadowy figure slowly approaches you wielding a long, gleaming surgical blade.
- You glimpse rotting versions of your loved ones shambling toward you with arms outstretched whenever you look away. They vanish when stared at.
- Your young daughter keeps whispering about “other mommies and daddies with black eyes” that visit her bedroom closet at night.
- You notice your shadow detaching itself and creeping along the walls just outside your peripheral vision when you’re home alone.
- You wake up unable to move and see a dark figure perched on your chest, staring back with red glowing eyes as it lifts a needle toward your eye.
- Your front door cam shows you arriving home hours before you actually did. Your grinning doppelgänger looks up at the camera with bleeding black eyes.
- You glimpse your rotting loved ones seated around the dinner table whenever you look away. They reach toward you with skeletal hands.
- Your reflection turns and smiles back with jagged blackened teeth whenever you glance away from the mirror. Clawed hands smear down the glass from inside.
- You notice pleading faces and hands bang against your bedroom window from outside whenever you look away. They quickly vanish when stared at.
- You wake up in a damp basement chained to a moldy brick wall. Glowing red eyes stare hungrily at you from the darkness.
- Your young son keeps whispering that “the thing under my bed” talks to him at night and wants to meet you after you tuck him in.
- You glimpse shadowy figures standing silently whenever you look away. They reach toward you screaming when your eyes meet.
- You notice your doppelgänger going about your daily routine whenever you look away. It stares back with soulless black eyes and grins.
- You wake up unable to move and see a hunched figure perched on your chest, slowly dragging a rusty blade across your throat as you bleed out.
- Your baby monitor camera zooms in by itself at night to show a spindly hand rocking your infant’s empty, blood-stained cradle.
- You glimpse your loved ones seated around the dinner table with jagged smiles whenever you look away. They beckon you closer with clawed hands.
- Your reflection turns and snarls, clawing at the glass whenever you glance away. Its sunken eyes begin rapidly bleeding black.
- You notice empty rocking chairs, strollers, and children’s toys moving on their own in the darkness whenever you’re home alone.
- You wake up in a sterile white room, restrained to an operating table as a figure in surgical garb approaches wielding a bloody chainsaw.
- Your young daughter keeps whispering she sees “other mommies and daddies” with glowing red eyes that visit her bedroom closet late at night.
- You wake up levitating above your bed. An unseen force holds you in place as you helplessly float higher toward the ceiling.
- You glimpse shadowy spirits standing silently whenever you look away. They scream when you make eye contact before vanishing.
- The ghost of a murder victim appears in your bedroom pleading for help in solving their unsolved case before vanishing.
- You notice objects moving on their own and furniture rearranging itself in the darkness whenever you leave a room in your haunted house.
- You hear singing, laughing, and children’s voices whispering your name although you live alone in your isolated rural home.
- Your baby monitor camera pans by itself at night to reveal a ghostly figure standing over the crib, staring down at your sleeping infant.
- You glimpse the spirits of dead loved ones seated around the dinner table whenever you look away. They vanish when you stare.
- Your reflection in the mirror becomes possessed and starts talking to you on its own, threatening to steal your soul.
- You wake up to find yourself floating above ancient rune markings etched on your bedroom floor as ghostly figures chant around you.
- You notice your shadow moving on its own and detaching itself from your feet, taking on a life of its own.
- Strange singing and whimpers echo from within the walls and vents in your new home that only you can hear.
- You glimpse shadowy, featureless figures standing silently in your peripheral vision. When you turn, they vanish.
- Your baby monitor picks up two ghostly figures standing over your crib whispering unintelligibly to your infant.
- Items start vanishing from your home only to reappear in bizarre places with no explanation. Poltergeist activity escalates.
- You wake up unable to move and see a shadowy ghostly figure sitting on your chest, staring directly into your eyes.
- The ghost of your deceased relative appears to deliver an urgent warning about your future before vanishing.
- You hear scratching, knocking sounds from inside your walls and floors that seem to follow you from room to room.
- Strange glowing mists manifest in your home and coalesce into ghostly humanoid forms before vanishing.
- You glimpse spirits of the dead seated silently around your dinner table whenever you look away. They reach toward you screaming.
- You wake up to find yourself floating above your bed as a shadowy ghostly figure looms over you.
- The power goes out and you spot ghostly civil war soldiers marching through your living room before vanishing.
- You glimpse the spirits of dead children playing in your yard whenever you look away. They vanish laughing when spotted.
- Your reflection becomes possessed and starts talking to you through the mirror with a distorted demonic voice.
- You notice handprints and faces materializing in mirrors and windows before fading away when stared at.
- Strange symbols, words, and messages start appearing on steamy bathroom mirrors when you shower.
- You glimpse shadowy spirits standing silently down the hallway whenever you look away. They vanish screaming when spotted.
- You hear a child’s giggling echoing through your home although you live alone. Footsteps run behind you.
- The ghost of your dead relative appears in your dreams to give an urgent warning about your future.
- You wake up to find yourself levitating over your bed as a ghostly figure looms over you.
- Your baby monitor camera moves by itself to show the shadowy figures of two children standing over the crib whispering.
- You hear singing, laughter, and playing coming from inside your walls although you live alone.
- Objects start levitating and flying across the room on their own, barely missing your head.
- You glimpse the spirits of dead loved ones silently seated around your dinner table whenever you look away.
- Strange symbols and messages appear on foggy bathroom mirrors after you shower as if written by an unseen presence.
- You notice your shadow moving independently of you and shifting into ghostly shapes on its own.
- You hear scratching sounds, knocking, and pitter-pattering footsteps following you from room to room in your isolated rural home.
- The power goes out and you glimpse ghostly figures dancing in your living room before vanishing.
- Your reflection becomes possessed and starts talking back to you through the mirror in a distorted voice.
- You wake up paralyzed in bed with a shadowy ghostly figure looming over you, staring directly into your eyes.
- Handprints, faces, and pleading messages start materializing on steamy bathroom mirrors after you shower.
- You hear whispering voices, singing, and laughter echoing from inside your walls although you live alone.
- Strange glowing mists manifest in your home, taking on ghostly humanoid shapes before vanishing.
- You glimpse the spirits of deceased loved ones silently seated around the dinner table whenever you look away.
- Your reflection becomes possessed and starts threatening you through the mirror in a sinister voice.
- You wake up levitating over your bed as ghostly figures stand below, staring up and chanting.
- The ghost of a murder victim appears pleading for you to bring their killer to justice before vanishing.
- You notice your shadow moving independently and detaching itself from your feet, taking on a life of its own.
- Strange symbols, words, and messages appear on foggy bathroom mirrors after you shower as if written by a ghostly presence.
- You hear giggling, playing, and pitter-pattering footsteps of ghostly children following you throughout your isolated home.
- You glimpse shadowy spirits standing silently down your hallway whenever you look away. They vanish screaming when you spot them.
- You wake up with bite marks all over your body after a night you can’t remember. Howling echoes outside your window.
- While exploring the woods, you stumble upon an abandoned cabin overrun with unnatural webbing that seems to throb and grow before your eyes.
- You get trapped overnight at an insect research lab. You soon hear clicking and fluttering in the vents as mutated test subjects escape and search for prey.
- You play a chant from an old book said to summon spirits. Behind you in the mirror, the tormented ghost of the book’s author appears screaming.
- You find yourself strapped down in the massive web of a giant spider. It descends from the trees above, fangs dripping venom as it prepares to feast.
- You discover your basement is infested with thousands of venomous spiders. At night you can hear them creeping through the walls and vents all around you.
- While camping, you wake to find yourself wrapped tightly in webbing inside a giant cocoon. You feel the creature that spun it approaching.
- You accidentally unleash a cursed swarm of locusts while reading an ancient text out loud as a joke. But the joke is on you as they voraciously consume all life in their path.
- You get trapped in a massive spider’s lair. All around you are pulsing egg sacs ready to burst and release thousands of flesh-eating spiderlings.
- Wandering through an abandoned shack, you stumble into a web-filled room. Inside the webbing you glimpse human shapes shifting and struggling to break free.
- You play a chant said to summon spirits as a dare. Behind you, the mirror becomes a portal and a clawed hand reaches through grabbing at your throat.
- You discover your son’s bedroom is infested by thousands of tiny spiders. At night you hear them creeping through the vents and walls all around you.
- While exploring a remote island jungle, you are bitten by a strange insect. Soon you are overwhelmed by a ravenous hunger for living flesh.
- An odd cocoon attached to your home splits open, birthing a terrifying spider-like creature with glistening fangs. It stalks you at night.
- You accidentally bring home a mutated cockroach from a trip. It breeds, unleashing an infestation of voracious mutant roaches.
- Home alone at night, you hear skittering coming from the chimney. You glimpse an inverted giant spider crawling down the flue towards you.
- You play a chant from an old book said to summon spirits as a joke. Behind you, the tormented ghost of the book’s author appears howling.
- You discover your basement is infested with cocoons that seem to throb and pulse with life. At night they finally split open, birthing horrific creatures.
- While camping, you wake wrapped tightly in webbing inside a massive cocoon. You feel the giant spider that spun it approaching for its helpless prey.
- You get trapped overnight in an insect research facility. Mutated test subjects swarm through the halls, sensing fresh meat.
- An abandoned cabin you explore is overrun with strange webbing that seems to grow before your eyes, coating everything like a living organism.
- You accidentally bring home a parasitic insect from a trip. At night it lays eggs under your skin. You feel the hatchlings wriggling beneath the surface.
- You play a chant said to summon spirits as a joke. Behind you, the enraged ghost it conjures begins strangling you with icy spectral hands.
- While hiking, you stumble into a giant web stretching between trees. At its center waits the massive spider that spun it, mandibles clicking with anticipation.
- You glimpse what looks like a giant spider dragging a human-sized cocoon into its lair. But when you work up the nerve to investigate, there is no trace.
- Home alone at night, you hear scratching coming from the fireplace. You glimpse a human hand reach down the chimney, trying to unlock the flue.
- You discover your attic is infested with pulsating cocoons that throb with unnatural life. At night they finally burst open, birthing nightmarish creatures.
- You play a chant said to summon spirits on a dare. Behind you in the mirror, a clawed hand reaches through the glass trying to grab you.
- You hear skittering and fluttering coming from your walls and vents at night. Peering closer, you glimpse swarms of spiders massing in the shadows.
- You explore a remote cave filled with massive, pulsating cocoons. As you touch one, it splits open, birthing a winged horror.
- You accidentally unleash a cursed plague of locusts while reading an ancient text aloud. They voraciously consume every living thing in their path.
- Home alone, your power goes out. You hear skittering coming from the basement. In the darkness, you glimpse yellow insectoid eyes approaching.
- You discover your son’s room is infested with spiders. At night you hear them through the vents and walls, creeping closer when he sleeps.
- Near an abandoned shack you find a human rib cage wrapped in web. Following the trail, it leads to the giant spider’s lair. But you arrive to find it freshly abandoned.
- You explore an abandoned research lab where they bred insects. You accidentally release the mutant specimens which search for living prey.
- Playing a chant said to summon spirits, you jokingly invite them to manifest. Behind you, a ghostly hand reaches through the mirror trying to drag you to the other side.
- You wake paralyzed in bed to see a shadowy ghostly figure standing over you, staring directly into your eyes.
- You find a hidden chamber pulsing with unnatural organic cocoons. At night they finally split open, unleashing the horrors growing inside.
- Home alone, you hear scratching coming from the chimney as spiders swarm down the flue into the fireplace towards you.
- You play a chant said to summon spirits as a prank. Behind you, the tortured ghost it conjures begins trying to possess your body.
- You discover your son’s closet is infested with pulsating, throbbing cocoons. At night they finally split open, birthing ravenous spiderlings.
- Exploring a remote jungle, you stumble upon an ancient temple filled with giant cocoons. You hear shrieking and scratching coming from inside them as they begin to rupture.
The final pages turn and the last prompt beckons. Another chilling journey into terror draws to a close. But the horrors conjured within these pages will haunt you, lingering in the shadowy recesses of your mind. Though you may close the book, the unease will remain as you lie awake pondering the darkness that lurks within human nature, the malevolence that stalks the unknown, and the fear of what is to come.
While you may feel relief at having navigated the full spectrum of horrors within these 365 prompts, the experience will leave its mark. You’ve glimpsed the sinister possibilities that await when imagination crosses into darkness. But until next time, keep the lights on and don’t look behind you, for the things that go bump in the night are never far away. The terror ends for now, but other prompts await whenever you dare to confront the shadows once more.
If you are interested in other writing prompts, we have many on our site. Also, if you want to share what you’ve written please leave us a comments.
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