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A couple key ideas in a horror:
Seclusion: Assuming there are few survivors, make sure they cannot simply walk a mile to New York City. Not having the ability to simply run into a well populated area is key in a good horror synopsis.
Mystery: Make sure none of the survivors from the town knows absolutely everything. This will give too much of the story away all at once. The worst thing you could do what be to have this main character stumble into these survivors and have one of them explain who the creatures are, why they are here and how they can be stopped. Instead, have the survivors explain the day that it all started, making sure to keep them as confused as the main character is. KNowing something is going to kill you is scary...not know why or where it came from or anythign about it is scarier.
Drama: A good way to get attention is to remove a key player. A child or a person that character that you've grown through the first chapters. When someone the reader is getting know dies, it feels more real. As opposed to a nameless joe getting his head torn off. If the reader knows more about who just died, they will feel more into the book.
Location: Establishing location can be tedious, especially in a book that requires detailed locations such as this. Unfortunately, moving the characters from location to location, even if it is just from room to room, keep interest, and adds different tones. Along with this point, moving from the darkness to a well lit area will even be refreshing to readers who are simply imagining this. Likewise, moving the reader into a dark area will also make their skin crawl.
Sound: In a book, it is hard to distinguish sound. But, as well know from movies, the hard deep breath of a ghoul coming down the hall (not seen) can be as freightening as seening the ghoul itself. Sometimes even more so. So again, although this may be tedious, describing sounds, textures, colors and smells as well as you would the sight of it all will bring a more vivid picture to the reader.
Hope any of this helps. If this all takes of, send me a copy.
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