“Do you know what day it was yesterday? It was our wedding anniversary.”

Horror films, thoughts of clowns, looking down beside you to find you’ve been in the company of a spider for who knows how long… There are a number of obvious things that can send shivers down your spine. But sometimes, it’s something far more subtle – sometimes even a simple phrase – that can strike fear into our hearts, and that’s just what the Japanese Twitterverse is trying to accomplish with the hashtag #短い文章で怖がらせたら勝ち選手権, which basically translates to “Make Me Scared With A Short Phrase Championships”. Here are some that we felt best captured terrors experienced beyond cultural and geographical boundaries.

▼ “Do you know what day it was yesterday? It was our wedding anniversary.”

Never forget the wedding anniversary. Ever.

▼ “Mom: I tidied up your room~!”

https://twitter.com/Red_man000/status/841317222031093760

Unless you have a hidden chamber under lock and key for your secret goods, this is never a good thing to hear.

▼ “Doctor: Oops.”

https://twitter.com/clocktower_cats/status/841285602154704896

Even worse when it’s followed by silence.

▼ “The popular anime will be made into a live-action film.”

https://twitter.com/NightCoreAmvCha/status/841318421153239040

I guess it could be a good thing. But probably not.

▼ “Teacher: Alright everyone, form into groups!”

https://twitter.com/kamiyan__paio2/status/841339468439146496

No. NO. Anything but group work! Anything!

▼ “Tomorrow is Monday.”

https://twitter.com/RunaUT3/status/841254895827136513

Sounds like someone’s got a case of the Mondays.

▼ “Job hunting.”

Job hunting in Japan – called shuushoku katsudō and often shortened to shuukatsu – can be a nightmarish time for all who experience it.

▼ “I have to talk to you about something.”

Nothing can conjure up as many and as horrible thoughts in a split second as hearing this simple little phrase.

▼ Oh, The Police…

https://twitter.com/Tadaditadadum/status/841412938653036544

The creepy stalkerish-ness of this song can be felt even beyond language barriers.

Have anything to add? Give us your best shot, readers!

Source: Twitter via Curazy
Featured image: Pakutaso/Tsurutama