To Taiwanese singer-actress Rainie Yang, it could mean more than just a stranger outside her door.

Perhaps it's something supernatural?

That's what goes through the mind of the 26-year-old actress - and it's all because of her new movie, The Child's Eye, which opens here on Oct 14.

In the 3-D horror flick, Yang plays a young woman who goes to Thailand with her boyfriend (Shawn Yue) and four friends for a holiday.

Caught in the political uprising and subsequent airport closure, the six are forced to stay in an old, spooky hotel.

However, her friends disappear one by one. She believes a vengeful female ghost is responsible.

Her only help in getting her friends back is a dog which barks when it sees the ghost.

Which explains Yang's newfound fear revolving around barking dogs.

She told FiRST over the phone from Taiwan: "I believe dogs are sensitive to the supernatural, and my mum and I fret when Yumi barks because she's not the barky type.

"We'll open the door and check if there are any burglars, but there wouldn't be anybody there.

"We are the only family living on that level, so no one else can reach our floor. My mum and I will then take turns to scold Yumi."

Sometimes, her pooch would also stare at a particular part of the apartment even though nobody is there.

Yang admitted that it worries her but takes comfort that she's at home and not in an unfamiliar place.

For someone who claims to be spooked easily and watches only "horror movies that aren't scary", why did she agree to take on The Child's Eye. It is written, produced and directed by Hong Kong horror maestros Oxide and Danny Pang.

Her management company selects the roles for her, she clarified.

"I was very, very scared that I'd bump into a spirit during filming," Yang said.

"I went through an internal struggle. Naturally, I felt like running away from my fears when I was forced to confront them. But I have to face them because it's my job so I gritted my teeth and flew to Thailand to film the movie."

Although she didn't go to temples to pray for safety beforehand, her family and fans handed her at least 10 talismans and amulets, which she brought along.

Ironically, Yang revealed she was terrified when she watched the Pang brothers' 2002 horror classic, The Eye, years ago.

She said: "There are three scenes that I still remember - the one in the lift, another in the tram and the last in the calligraphy classroom."

The last scene spooked her the most.

"After watching the movie, I was afraid when I did my homework. I was also afraid to get into the lift alone and had to ask my mum to get into the lift with me."

Yang added that she watched The Eye again when the cast and crew of The Child's Eye went to the Pangs' home for a barbeque and it was screened.

Even though she already knew what the scary parts were, she was still freaked out by the movie.

And when she watched the 3-D version at the Venice Film Festival early last month, she admitted to screaming at many parts.

The scariest was the scene where a severed hand lunges at the audience, she said.

She also dared not go near Hong Kong actress Jo Koo, who plays the ghost, when the latter completed her make-up for filming.

"I felt very uncomfortable when I saw her...It was very scary because the ghastly make-up wasn't just on her face but on her body as well," Yang said.

"She's a veteran and I've seen her in movies. It was weird to reconcile the pretty person I see on screen with the 'ghost'...But she was very happy taking photos with everyone on set."

Nevertheless, there's something Yang fears more than ghosts.

Rodents.

"Even rabbits with short ears, which makes them look like rats, scare me too" she said.

"I'm afraid that rats will attack me." But we hear ghosts attack people too. Isn't that scarier?

"Yes, but I fear them less, maybe because like what happened in the movie, I think I can reason with spirits and they will let me off," Yang rationalised.

"You cannot reason with rats on the other hand."

This article was first published in The New Paper.