“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