Come talk to me.

This just happened tonight. I was sitting at the dining table, finishing up my history homework, when I heard a knock at the front door. It was weird because it was pretty late, and I wasn’t expecting anyone. I got up, walked over, and opened the door.

Nobody was there.

At first, I thought it was some kid playing a prank, but just as I was about to shut the door, I heard it. A whisper. A breathy voice right behind me.

“Come talk to me.”

I spun around so fast I almost lost my balance. But no one was there. Just the empty hallway leading to the kitchen.

I tried to shake it off and went back to my seat, but my heart was racing. A few minutes later, the landline rang. That was odd too—because we didn’t even use the landline anymore. I picked up, and the same whispery voice, colder this time, said:

“Come talk to me.”

I slammed the phone down. Now I was really freaked out.

I grabbed my cell and called my older brother, Jake. He was out with his friends, probably playing basketball. “Jake, can you come home? Bring some friends.”

He could tell I was nervous. “Yeah, we’ll be there in five.”

When he got home, he had five guys with him—Chris, Danny, Tyler, Mark, and Sean. Most of them went to Jake’s room, but Danny and Sean stayed in the kitchen with me. We were talking, laughing a little, and I was just starting to feel better when Danny suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

“Did you hear that?”

Sean and I looked at him. “Hear what?”

Danny’s face went pale. “Someone said… ‘Come talk to me.’”

I felt sick. I told them what had happened earlier. Sean, being the tough one, rolled his eyes. “It’s probably your imagination.” And he walked off to join the others.

Danny stayed. “That wasn’t your imagination,” he said quietly.

I needed air. “Let’s take Duke out.” (That’s my dog.)

Danny and I walked outside, keeping close to the streetlights. Everything felt too quiet. Too still.

Then the bushes rustled.

We stopped. My heart was pounding.

Then, from inside the darkness of the leaves, we heard it.

That same raspy whisper.

“Come talk to me.”

Danny grabbed my arm, stepping between me and the bushes. “Who’s there?” he called.

Nothing. Just wind.

Then his face changed. He went stiff, like he’d seen something.

“What?” I whispered.

His voice shook. “I saw a face. In the bush.”

I didn’t look. I just started walking fast. Duke was growling low in his throat. We made it to the small park at the end of the street, trying to act normal, trying to breathe.

That’s when we saw him.

A man standing under the streetlamp.

He was wearing all black. His skin was pale like chalk, and his hair was messy and dark. His hands were in his pockets, and his head was tilted just slightly to the side.

I didn’t recognize him.

Danny whispered, “Have you seen him before?”

I shook my head.

The man slowly turned his face toward us. His lips barely moved.

“Come talk to me.”

I blinked.

He was gone.

Danny and I ran. Duke barked like crazy as we sprinted back home, not stopping until we were inside with the door locked.

Danny checked the time. Only twenty minutes had passed since we left.

He looked at me. “What if he wasn’t outside?”

I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

Danny’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“What if he was never outside? What if… he’s inside?”

And now, as I write this, Danny is sitting next to me. We haven’t spoken about it since.

But every now and then, we both hear it.

A whisper. Somewhere close.

“Come talk to me.”