It was a quiet night, the kind where the silence wraps around you like a heavy blanket. I sat curled up on the couch, a half-finished book resting in my lap, the dim light from a nearby lamp casting long shadows across the room. The clock ticked rhythmically, and outside, the wind whispered through the trees. Just then, I heard it—a soft but insistent knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t expecting anyone.
I glanced at the clock; it was past ten. Who could it be? I rose slowly, my feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor, and approached the door. My mind raced with possibilities. Maybe it was a neighbor, or perhaps someone had the wrong address. I hesitated, feeling a strange chill creep up my spine. The knock came again, louder this time, more urgent.
Taking a deep breath, I peered through the peephole, but all I could see was darkness. My heart raced as I swung the door open, revealing an empty porch illuminated by the faint glow of the streetlight. The night stretched out before me, eerily still. I stepped outside, scanning the area, but there was no one in sight. I was about to close the door when I heard it—a whisper, barely audible, coming from the shadows.
“Help me…”
The voice was weak, filled with desperation. It sent a jolt of fear through me, and instinctively, I stepped back inside, slamming the door shut. My pulse quickened, and I locked the door, leaning against it, trying to calm myself. I told myself it was just a figment of my imagination, a trick of the night.
But then, the knocking started again, this time accompanied by a low, guttural sound that chilled me to the bone. It was as if something was trying to claw its way in. Panic surged through me, and I backed away from the door, my mind racing. I grabbed my phone, but the screen was black—no signal.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the room was plunged into darkness. I fumbled for a flashlight, my hands trembling as I switched it on. The beam cut through the gloom, landing on the door just as it began to shake. I could hear the whisper again, louder, more insistent. “Let me in…”
Fear gripped me as I realized I wasn’t alone. I backed away, my heart pounding in my ears, and that’s when I saw it—a shadow creeping along the wall, elongating and distorting as it moved closer. It was dark, featureless, but I could feel its hunger, its need.
I turned to run, but the air thickened, making it hard to breathe. The shadow coiled around me, wrapping me in an icy grip. I screamed, but no sound came out. The last thing I saw was the door swinging open, and a figure stepping through, its face obscured by shadow.
Just before everything went black, I realized it was all just a nightmare—a dream. But as I awoke, drenched in sweat, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the darkness was still there, waiting.