The Old House by the Sea

February 13, 2026

by Annie

1 min read

Story Premise 1 min read (150 words)

"My family and I traveled to a coastal town in Mexico for a holiday. There were my two sons, my older brother, and his wife. We arrived at their small cottage, a place they rarely visited, so it had been closed up for many months. We spent the first hour dusting and sweeping before we […]"

My family and I traveled to a coastal town in Mexico for a holiday. There were my two sons, my older brother, and his wife. We arrived at their small cottage, a place they rarely visited, so it had been closed up for many months.

We spent the first hour dusting and sweeping before we could even unpack. That evening, we ate at a small cafe by the water. When we returned to the cottage, we were all so tired from the long day that we fell asleep quickly.

In the deepest part of the night, I awoke to a gentle pressure on my shoulder, as if a hand rested there. I sat up and looked at my brother and his wife, thinking one of them might have bumped me in their sleep, but they were both still. I lay back down, and a moment later, I felt it again.

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