Lena slammed the book shut.
The whisper vanished.
She stood frozen in the center of the ruined house, heart pounding like a war drum. The air felt heavier now, like the house was holding its breath. She backed away from the table, her boots crunching on broken glass and brittle leaves.
Outside, the forest had changed.
The trees leaned in closer. The light had dimmed, though the sun hadn't yet set. Shadows stretched unnaturally long across the ground, and the wind had stopped entirely.
She ran.
Branches clawed at her jacket as she tore through the woods, not daring to look back. When she burst through the tree line and saw the cabin, she didn't stop until she was inside, slamming the door behind her.
David looked up from the kitchen, startled. "Lena? What happened?"
She shook her head, breathless. "I - I found something. In the woods. An old house."
David frowned. "There's nothing out there but trees."
"I'm telling you, it's real. And there was this book - "
"A book?"
She hesitated. "It felt… wrong."
David studied her face. "You're pale. Sit down. I'll make some tea."
That night, Lena couldn't sleep. Milo paced the windowsill, tail twitching. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the whisper again - closer now, clearer. It wasn't speaking English. It wasn't speaking anything she knew. But somehow, she understood.
"Free me."
At 2:13 a.m., the lights flickered. Milo hissed and bolted under the bed. Lena sat up, heart racing.
The whisper was inside the house.
She crept down the hallway, every floorboard groaning under her weight. The living room was dark, except for the faint glow of the fireplace embers. She turned toward the window.
A figure stood just beyond the glass.
Tall. Shadowed. Watching.
She screamed.
David came running, shotgun in hand. "What is it?!"
She pointed at the window, but the figure was gone.
"I swear, it was there. Someone was watching me."
David checked outside. Nothing. No footprints. No sign of anyone.
But Lena knew what she saw.
And she knew it had followed her home.