The Whisper in the Dark

For a long time, nothing strange happened in my home—just the usual creaks and shifting shadows. But one night, something different occurred.

It was around 2 AM when I got up to use the bathroom. The hallway outside my bedroom was completely dark, but I didn’t bother turning on the lights since I knew the way. The bathroom was just a few steps down the hall.

As I reached the doorway, a deep voice came from the living room. It was calm but firm, as if speaking directly to me. “Almost finished here,” it said.

The voice sounded like it belonged to a man, and I had the strange feeling he wasn’t alone. But there were no lights, no sounds of movement—just the voice. I hesitated for a moment but convinced myself I must have imagined it.

Once in the bathroom, I locked the door and turned on the light. I stayed there for a moment, telling myself it was nothing. After finishing, I turned off the light and stepped back into the dark hallway.

The voice spoke again. “Almost finished here.”

My chest tightened. I hurried back to my room, locked the door, and left a small light on for the rest of the night.

I never figured out who—or what—was “almost finished.”