They complained about a presence watching them

March 1, 2025

by Sonny

3 min read

Story Premise 3 min read (522 words)

"Lisa and David had always wanted a peaceful cabin in the woods, so when they found an old lodge near Hollow Pines, they knew it was perfect. The place had been empty for years, needing repairs, but they poured all their savings into making it their dream home. The lodge had an unusual design—part of […]"

Lisa and David had always wanted a peaceful cabin in the woods, so when they found an old lodge near Hollow Pines, they knew it was perfect. The place had been empty for years, needing repairs, but they poured all their savings into making it their dream home.

The lodge had an unusual design—part of it looked much older than the rest. They didn’t think much of it at first. But as the days passed, they noticed the eerie silence. No birds, no rustling leaves, just an unnatural stillness that made the air feel heavy.

The repair workers often misplaced their tools, only to find them in odd places. They complained about a presence watching them. David brushed it off, but Lisa couldn’t ignore the creeping unease.

The most unsettling part was the locked door at the end of the hallway. It wasn’t bolted, just… wouldn’t budge. Their friend Ben, ever the curious one, climbed a ladder to peek through the dusty attic window. He saw old furniture and boxes pushed against the door, as if someone had sealed it from the inside.

One evening, determined to get inside, they forced the door open. The air was thick, stale, carrying the scent of something long forgotten. They split up to explore. In a dusty drawer, Lisa found something chilling—her grandmother’s locket. The very same one she had lost years ago, now resting in a house she had never been in before.

After that, the shadows grew darker. Shapes moved where there were no lights. At night, Lisa woke to the sound of footsteps outside their room, but the hallway was always empty. David told her she was imagining things.

Then came the dreams. She dreamt of someone standing over her, whispering in a language she didn’t know. She woke feeling drained, her clothes slightly moved, her body ice-cold. Each day, she felt weaker, as if something was taking a part of her.

The final straw came when Lisa woke to the door creaking open. Slow, deliberate steps crossed the floor. She reached for David, but he wouldn’t stir. A cold hand gripped her ankle, dragging her downward. She tried to scream, but a weight pressed against her chest, holding her down. A low, hollow voice chuckled in the darkness.

The next thing she knew, it was morning. David acted as if nothing had happened. But her skin burned with scratches, her locket was missing again.

She told David everything. He didn’t believe her. Said she was just having nightmares. That was the day she left. Her friend Claire took her in, while Ben dug into the lodge’s history. What he found made her blood run cold.

Years ago, the lodge belonged to a hermit and his family. One winter, they vanished without a trace. A single entry remained in an old journal—“It won’t let us leave.”

David stayed one more week before he left, too. He never spoke of what he saw, but Lisa knew. Something had finally shown itself to him.

The cabin remains empty to this day.

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