It had been a long, exhausting day at school, and Emily was grateful to finally be heading home. As she stepped off the bus and walked toward her house, something felt... off. The air was thick, like the humidity before a storm, but there were no clouds in the sky. Her home stood the same as always, yet an unsettling chill ran down her spine as she turned the doorknob and stepped inside.
"I'm home!" she called out, dropping her bag by the door.
Her mother peeked out from the kitchen, wearing an unnerving, wide smile. "Welcome home, sweetheart. How was school?"
Emily hesitated. Her mother's voice was slightly distorted, like a recording played a few decibels too low. "It was fine... where's Dad and Jason?"
"Oh, they're here," her mother replied, tilting her head slightly, as if confused by the question.
Emily turned to see her father sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. Her little brother, Jason, sat on the floor, playing with his toys in absolute silence. Something about the scene gnawed at her. It was all too... still.
She shook off the discomfort and forced herself to act normal. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.
She made her way to her room, tossing her jacket onto the chair. As she did, her gaze fell to her wrist, where a delicate bracelet shimmered under the dim lighting. Her friend Mia had given it to her earlier that morning.
“Promise me you won’t take it off,” Mia had whispered, her voice trembling. Her hands had been ice-cold when she fastened the bracelet onto Emily’s wrist.
Emily had laughed it off, thinking Mia was just being dramatic. But then, in the next period, Mia had gone completely pale—her eyes wide with terror. The teacher had to call the nurse, but Emily had been distracted by the beautiful bracelet on her wrist, its tiny silver charms glistening as though they were breathing.
Now, as she stared at it, unease crawled up her spine. She tried to take it off, but the clasp wouldn’t budge. She pulled harder. Still, nothing.
A knock at her bedroom door made her jump. "Emily, it's tea time!" her mother’s voice chimed.
She took a deep breath and went downstairs, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. The dining table was perfectly set, plates gleaming under the warm chandelier light. Her father and brother were already seated, their expressions eerily blank.
Her mother placed a plate in front of her. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Her breath hitched.
"Mom... you know I'm allergic to peanuts."
Her mother’s smile widened. "Oh, sweetheart, don’t be silly. This is your favorite. Eat up."
Her father and Jason turned to her in unison, their heads tilting at the exact same angle. Emily’s pulse pounded in her ears. She stumbled back, knocking her chair over.
She had to get out. Now.
Dashing toward the front door, she yanked it open—only to freeze.
Her house was no longer in her neighborhood.
Instead, a vast void stretched before her, an endless expanse of dark swirling mist. Shadows shifted and twitched within the fog, whispering in voices she couldn't comprehend.
She turned back to her family. Their eyes were pitch black, their mouths stretching into gaping, unnatural grins.
"You can’t leave," her mother cooed.
Emily stumbled backward, her body trembling. The bracelet burned against her skin. She clawed at it desperately, her nails scraping against the silver. "Mia... what did you do to me?!"
A soft giggle echoed from the hallway.
Mia stood there, her expression blank, her lips curled into a knowing smirk. "I told you not to take it off."
Emily screamed as the world around her twisted. Her family's faces began to melt, their skin peeling away like wax under a flame, revealing writhing masses of shadows beneath. Their fingers elongated, reaching for her, whispering her name in voices that no longer sounded human.
The last thing she saw before everything went black was Mia's cold, smiling face as she whispered, "Welcome home, Emily. You belong here now."