Construction

In this world where everybody and everything always seems to be in motion, perfect stillness draws the eye. Take a moment to look around you when you are in a place with other people. Notice how many of them are in subtle, or not-so-subtle motion. They walk, they fidget, they talk... they are always in unconscious motion.

Practice being extremely still. Learn to breath shallowly, and make your movements as small and as smooth as possible. Learn to see with your whole eye, using your peripheral vision so you can observe the world without it knowing it is being observed. When you have achieved some measure of control, try this experiment (with friends nearby to help you out if things go badly.)

Find a public place, like a diner or a park, and stand in a visible place. Become very, very still. Make your breathing shallow, concentrate on quelling all those unconscious moves. With an unthreatening expression on your face, pick a direction and gaze steadily at nothing, blinking slowly when you have to, and open your awareness of your peripheral vision. After a while, you will begin to notice people looking at you curiously. For some, you will become the topic of conversation. A good Samaritan may even ask you if you are all right. (How you respond is up to you.)

The contrast of someone standing perfectly still draws the attention of others. At first they will be uncomfortable looking at you, and will look away and try not to stare. After a while they may become more bold in their reactions, perhaps even trying to get a rise out of you. Your behavior is alien, and they will begin to try and categorize you. Are you real? Are you sick or on drugs? Is that really a person?

In most haunted houses, you can count on someone rushing at you. In fact, on a subconscious level, we are well equipped to deal with someone rushing at us... our brains are programmed to either run or fight. Screaming, of course, is optional. But because we are "wired" to deal with this form of threat, it holds no lasting impression for your victim. Once the threat abates, they can easily forget about it and move on to the next scene. On the other hand, you can be sure that the people in the diner or the park will be talking about you and the odd behavior they saw for a lot longer than if a madman had gone screaming by. They can understand and explain a madman...

Stillness is unnatural. The unnatural is hard for our minds to pigeonhole and deal with. Since people can't categorize your behavior, their own imagination will take over trying to put a reason to it. A person's imagination holds more "chill potential" than almost anything else you can name. Unnatural stillness causes the victim to dwell on your behavior, and the tension builds. You can use this tension to amplify the effect of subsequent ghouls and scares they encounter. You can use this tension to ensure that your victims remember you with chills, long after they leave the haunted house.

But like a recipe, this one ingredient is best when mixed in with others. Combined with Stares and the right kind of Movement, Stillness is a powerful amplifier of fear.