The Quiet After the Request

April 13, 2026

by Jaden

1 min read

Story Premise 1 min read (172 words)

"Has anyone ever experienced strange sounds in their home? The clatter of dishes from an empty kitchen, or the distinct sense of a voice speaking just behind you? I have lived with these things for some time. At first, I would yell into the silence, telling the noise to stop. My words were sharp and […]"

Has anyone ever experienced strange sounds in their home? The clatter of dishes from an empty kitchen, or the distinct sense of a voice speaking just behind you? I have lived with these things for some time.

At first, I would yell into the silence, telling the noise to stop. My words were sharp and frustrated. One evening, tired and weary, I tried a different approach. I simply asked, politely, for a little peace. The house fell completely silent. This new quiet was somehow worse than the noise. A deep dread filled me, a certainty that I was not alone in the room, that I was being carefully observed.

Now, about my watch. I was reading in the living room, and I distinctly remember placing my watch on the arm of the sofa. I went to the kitchen to make some tea, talking to my mother on the wall phone as the water boiled. A few minutes later, I heard a faint ticking sound. It was not coming from the kitchen clock.

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