The five elements of a horror story are suspense, fear, gore, tension, and shock. suspense is when the reader is kept in suspense about what is going to happen. Fear is when the reader is scared about what is going to happen. Gore is when the reader is disgusted by the violence and bloodshed. Tension is when the reader is on the edge of their seat, waiting for something to happen. Shock is when the reader is shocked by the ending of the story.