A lot of horror stories or thrillers are set in a particularly scary location, such as an old house or an abandoned mental institution. However, anywhere can be scary. Here are some things that make a place scary.

• The people or creatures (or spirits) living there
• Not being able to leave there. This could be a locked room, a house in the mountains in a big storm, a ship, a cave, etc.
• Natural dangers, like disease, weather, killer animals, etc.

A story only needs one element of danger, but often has more than one. For instance, Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton, is about people stuck on an island with killer dinosaurs. That’s not a horror story but it is high tension. Stephen King’s The Shining takes places in a remote haunted hotel in the winter.

Story Prompt: October 16, 2023

Write a story about a scary place. Make it unique.

Haunted houses are pretty common, so try somewhere else. A pharmacy? A subway car? A coffee shop? It’s up to you.

You can send me a link to your story if you’ve posted it somewhere or send it to me at info@greenwalledtreehouse.com. You can also submit your story here for a chance to have it published on the site next week.

Good luck and happy writing! Come back next Monday for another story prompt.