Lisa's heart still pounded as she stood at her doorstep, recalling the dark shape she'd glimpsed in the lake, its ghostly presence lingering in her mind. With a shiver, she pushed the thought aside and stepped inside, hoping for a few moments of peace. But that sense of dread lingered, like a shadow she couldn't shake off.
Later that evening, Liam texted her: "Can we talk? I'm feeling… weird."
They met at her place, where the familiar sight of him standing on her doorstep used to bring her comfort. Tonight, though, it was different. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the lamp by the door flickered, buzzing faintly as if Liam had brought some strange energy with him. Lisa felt a chill settle over her, but she forced a smile.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound normal. "Come in."
He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know what's wrong, Lisa. Ever since… you know, since you brought me back, things have felt off."
She nodded, motioning for him to sit down. "Tell me everything," she said, the guilt gnawing at her as she watched the distress in his eyes.
They sat in silence for a moment, and Lisa could sense his unease. Liam opened his mouth to speak, but just then, her phone lit up with an odd static screen before going black. She frowned, tapping it, but it wouldn't respond. Across the room, the TV screen flickered to life on its own, casting an eerie glow. The volume spiked, then faded, before settling on a low, unintelligible hum.
"Is this… some kind of prank?" Liam's voice was strained, his eyes wide.
"No." Lisa's voice barely rose above a whisper. She moved to the TV, trying to turn it off, but it stubbornly stayed on, the screen filled with static. She stole a glance at Liam, who was staring at his own hands, clenching and unclenching them as if they were foreign to him.
"Liam, I need to tell you something," she said finally, swallowing the knot in her throat. "I… I think I made a mistake when I brought you back."
His eyes snapped to hers. "What kind of mistake?"
Before she could answer, the lights overhead flickered violently. The air felt charged, like a storm was brewing indoors. The digital clock on her wall began to flash erratically, numbers twisting and shifting in ways that shouldn't have been possible.
"It's like everything breaks when I'm near it," he muttered, staring at his hands again, a haunted look in his eyes. "Even this morning… my phone shut off completely when I picked it up. And at work, the lights went out as soon as I walked in."
Lisa's heart sank. She hadn't just risked his life by bringing him back—she had somehow altered him. "Liam, I think… I think it's because of the ritual. I must've done something wrong."
"You think?" he said, a hint of humor in his voice, though his eyes remained dark. He tried to smile, but it faltered. "Maybe I'm cursed, Lisa. Maybe I wasn't supposed to come back."
The room fell silent as her guilt thickened, settling over her like a weighted blanket. She reached out to touch his hand, but the moment their skin met, a spark—a small, sharp jolt—jumped between them. They both pulled back, startled.
"What was that?" he asked, his voice shaky.
"I don't know," she whispered, her mind racing. "But Liam, I'll find a way to fix this. I promise."
He shook his head, looking down at his hands again. "Maybe some things shouldn't be fixed," he murmured. "Maybe… I should've stayed where I was." His words hung in the air, sharp and painful, and Lisa's chest tightened. She had hoped for romance, for a chance to relive their lost moments together, but all she seemed to have brought him was torment.
In a desperate attempt to lighten the mood, she forced a laugh. "Oh come on, it's not that bad. I mean, sure, you might have… extra energy now, but that just makes things more exciting, right?"
He stared at her, his face a mix of confusion and exhaustion, and after a beat, he let out a reluctant chuckle. "Exciting. Right. Like I'm some kind of haunted phone charger."
A laugh bubbled up in her, unexpected and welcome. They laughed together, the sound a strange comfort in the dim room. But when the laughter faded, reality sank back in, the silence filling with unanswered questions.
"I don't know what's going to happen next," Liam admitted, his voice soft. "But if this keeps up…" He trailed off, staring at the flickering light above them.
Lisa felt her heart ache at his words, a mixture of fear and affection knotting together. She wanted to reach out, to reassure him, but the static between them—the mysterious glitch in their connection—made her hesitate.
"Just… stay close, alright?" she said, forcing the words out before her fears could stop her. "Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out together. No matter how strange things get."
He nodded, but his expression was distant. "Thanks, Lisa," he murmured. "For trying."
The hum of the television, the flickering lights, and the quiet unease in the air felt like a third presence between them, an invisible force haunting their every word. And as the tension grew, Lisa couldn't help but feel that whatever she'd brought back wasn't finished yet—that the worst was still lurking, waiting for its moment to strike.