Startled by a nocturnal rap on my front door, I reflexively checked my security camera. But to my relief, no outsiders lurked in the vicinity.
I shrugged off the mysterious intrusion, realizing there was no cause for alarm--after all, phantoms don't warrant a 2 AM emergency response. Still, I thought it best to secure the door, just in case.
After a few minutes of uneasy silence, another knock echoed through the hallway. And this time, someone was definitely at my door. I cautiously opened the entrance and peered outside, hoping to find nothing more than an unassuming lost visitor.
But when I opened the door, a chill descended upon me. An ominous figure stood transfixed on my doorstep, shrouded in a blanket of darkness. Its gaze pierced through me as if it could read my mind; and with an unsettling whisper, it uttered two words: "Follow me."
Too terrified to resist, I followed the figure into the depths of a nightmare. Its malevolence was palpable; its air, inescapable. The seductive pull of terror imparted an undeniable allure as my feet stumbled over one another, eager for more.
Suddenly we stopped at a fork in the road--one path leading to safety, the other, insanity. I shuddered at my options before finally uttering a single word: "No."
The "thing", I'm calling it, slowly lifted its head and smiled. Its eyes flared, revealing a knowingness beyond this world; then it turned around and disappeared into the night.
I was left alone on my doorstep--breathing heavily from what felt like an eternal dream. I didn't know what had just transpired, but I knew one thing for certain: never again would I answer a 2 AM knock.