I woke up suddenly from a nightmare

March 1, 2025

by Elwin

2 min read

Story Premise 2 min read (257 words)

"It happened early one morning, just before the sun came up. I had been sleeping at my dad’s house, looking after things while he was out of town. I woke up suddenly from a nightmare, breathing hard, my skin damp with sweat. That’s when I saw it. It stood in the corner of the room, […]"

It happened early one morning, just before the sun came up. I had been sleeping at my dad’s house, looking after things while he was out of town.

I woke up suddenly from a nightmare, breathing hard, my skin damp with sweat. That’s when I saw it.

It stood in the corner of the room, perfectly still. It didn’t make a sound, didn’t move. Just watched.

It was tall, thin, and blacker than the shadows around it. The edges of its body weren’t solid—more like smoke slowly fading into the air. I had seen glimpses of it before, just flashes in the corner of my eye, but never like this. Never so close.

For minutes, I couldn’t move. I just stared.

A small light blinked on every so often from the security system, casting a faint glow around the room. But no matter how many times it flashed, the thing in the corner never lit up. It was like the darkness itself refused to let go of it.

The house was silent. The dog didn’t wake up. No one else was there.

I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. It was real. It was right in front of me.

I don’t know how long I sat there, frozen. Eventually, I grabbed some sage and burned it around the room, hoping it would leave. But deep down, I know it’s still out there. Watching. Waiting.

And next time, it might not just stand in the corner.

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