It's Not Okay

The clock struck midnight, and Emily’s fingers trembled as she typed her resignation letter. Her desk lamp flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls of her tiny apartment. The oppressive silence was punctuated only by the occasional creak of the floorboards, as if someone—or something—was shifting weight just out of sight.

"Just one more line," she whispered, her breath visible in the suddenly chilly air. "I can't stay in that cursed place any longer."

A faint whisper echoed through the room, barely audible yet chilling her to the bone. "It's okay, Emily."

Her blood ran cold. She spun around, eyes darting across the empty room. She was alone. She had to be alone.

Heart pounding, she turned back to her laptop, her hands shaking so violently she could barely hit the keys. The words on the screen blurred together, her vision clouded by mounting panic. Her mind raced back to the office, to the day she found the ancient, dust-covered book hidden behind a false panel in the break room. She hadn't meant to read the strange incantations aloud, but curiosity had overpowered caution. Since then, everything had gone wrong. Her colleagues had started avoiding her, and a dark presence seemed to follow her every move.

Another whisper, closer this time. "It's okay, Emily."

She jumped, knocking over her coffee mug. The dark liquid spilled across her desk, seeping into the cracks like an ominous stain. Emily grabbed her phone, her fingers flying to dial her best friend, Laura. Laura always knew how to make things better, how to make her feel safe.

"Please pick up," she muttered, glancing nervously around the room. The phone rang once, twice, then Laura's voice filled her ear.

"Hey, Em! What's up?"

"L-Laura, something’s wrong. I think... I think it's here," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Emily, calm down," Laura replied, her tone soothing. "It's okay."

Emily's heart skipped a beat. The words echoed through the phone, reverberating in her mind. "No," she breathed, "it’s not okay. Nothing’s okay."

Suddenly, Laura’s voice changed, deepening into a sinister growl. "It’s okay, Emily. Just let go."

Emily screamed, dropping the phone. The shadows in her apartment seemed to swell and writhe, creeping closer with every heartbeat. She backed away, her eyes wide with terror, until her back hit the wall. The whispers grew louder, a cacophony of sinister voices chanting, "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."

As the darkness enveloped her, Emily's last coherent thought was a desperate plea for escape. But the voices drowned her out, pulling her into an abyss where nothing was okay, and never would be again.