My mom invited us all over to spend the night, as there was a murder in the neighborhood and she didn’t feel safe. When I got off the bus, I was walking down the street and decided to take a loop and walk up the back driveway.
Walking up, I noticed on the shed of the neighbor who was killed, there were slashes on the wood and most parts were ripped off. I didn’t really think much of it, it could’ve just been weathered down with time. I continued my way up and was going to loop back up the deck stairs to get to the front door, but the back door was open. Why would it be open?
There was a strange and ominous feeling that shrouded my entire body. There were no lights on in the basement and it wasn’t like the door was wide open - just a tiny bit for someone to squeeze through. I couldn’t bring myself to go and close it. It felt like my body just wouldn’t move, regardless that my mind was screaming for me to go check things out.
Eventually, I made my way up the deck stairs and saw my mom working on some of her plants. Upon asking her if she knew the basement door was unlocked and open, my sister and sibling came running out to greet me. It felt like it had been ages since I have seen them and quickly got caught up and distracted in the moment.
Time went on, we were getting a little drunk and taking walks down memory lane. Eventually, it got pretty late in the night and I knew I had to make it back to my apartment for work the next morning. I crawled into the bed of the spare room and lightly dozed off until a phone number called me, maybe an hour or two after going to bed. The person was saying they were someone I knew and that they regretted not ever taking me out before it was too late.
I hung up the phone on them and opened my door to check in on everyone else. My mom was sound asleep in her bed and my siblings were in the back room, on their phones but looking ready to put them down at any moment. For some reason, I decided I needed a glass of wine to help me knock out for the night. As I began to make my way downstairs, I noticed the sliding glass doors that led to our deck were completely open and I could hear someone sawing into the wood of the deck. But, I could not see the figure. I grabbed the metal bar that was supposed to be used to keep the doors safely shut.
While walking outside, I could see the person notice me and run around towards the back. I chased them and right before I was about to strike, the man turned and it was someone I had matched with on a dating app in the past. Terrified, he told me he was paid to do this by someone he didn’t know. I kept asking why he would mark our deck with these strange, deep cuts and he refused to answer. Threatening to call the police, he kept whispering “I’m so sorry that we will never get to know each other.”
Eventually he left and I decided I should do a sweep of the house. Bar still in hand, I started first with the upstairs and made my way down. When I finally got to the kitchen, the basement door slowly began to open and all I could see was darkness. “Come out,” I demanded in the scariest voice I could muster.
“Are you sure about that, love?” Was immediately thrown back my way.
My bones felt cold and stiff. Eventually, a calm and smiling stranger came out with just a book in his hand. “Chapter one, establish fear,” he read to me, slowly walking towards me.
I continued to back up into the dining room, dropping the bar in fear and he lunged at me. Thankfully, I was able to dive behind one of the chairs and we struggled for a bit until he stopped, smiled at me again, and said “I’ll need to continue reading. Thank you for your time and I will see you very, very shortly.”
Horrified, I ran upstairs to wake everyone and alert them of the impending danger. My siblings, who were once on their phones, could now no longer find them. We searched everywhere in hopes we could call the cops, but no phone was there to be seen. How many people are in this house?
I quickly told everyone to gather in the master room while I went back downstairs. The man was in the kitchen, reading his book aloud. “Chapter five, leave as many marks on the bodies as you possibly can,” he said, while sharpening a large knife. As soon as I could, I darted back up the stairs and could hear his footsteps trailing behind me.
With everyone in the master room, I was begging my family to help me barricade the door, while using my entire force to hold it shut as he continued to knock softly and slowly, gradually picking up his strength and laughing.
My family wouldn’t move. They didn’t believe me.
Then, a sharp knife cut through the door directly in my hand. It was then that my family noticed the severity of the situation and began to cry, yet still remained stationary. Pleading with them to help me, my Mom looked directly into my eyes and asked “Why did you let this man into my home?”
The door started to break down and the man behind said “It’s a shame nobody will ever get to know you ever again.”