The Shadow That Followed

Lena had never believed in ghosts. She rolled her eyes at horror movies and laughed at the idea of haunted houses. That changed the night she moved into her new apartment.

It was a small place, cheap for the area, and surprisingly well-maintained. The landlord, an elderly man with deep wrinkles and tired eyes, handed her the keys without much conversation. "Be careful at night," he muttered as he left.

Lena didn't think much of it. She spent the first evening unpacking, humming to herself as she set up her bed. It wasn’t until she turned off the lights that she noticed it—the shadow in the corner of the room.

At first, she thought it was just a trick of the dim light. But as she stared, her breath caught in her throat. The shadow wasn’t cast by anything. It was just there, darker than the rest of the room, standing in the corner like a figure watching her.

She quickly turned on the lamp. The shadow was gone.

Shaking her head, she laughed at herself. "Just my imagination," she whispered, crawling into bed.

But as she drifted off to sleep, she heard something—a slow, dragging sound against the floor.

Scrape… scrape… scrape.

Her heart pounded. She turned on the light again. The room was empty. The door was still locked.

“Maybe I’m just tired,” she told herself. But deep down, something felt wrong.

The Following Nights

Each night, the shadow returned. It would appear in the corner, standing still, silent. No matter how quickly she turned the lights on, it was always one step closer to her bed.

By the fourth night, Lena could barely sleep. She kept the lamp on all night, but somehow, she'd wake up to find the room dark again. And each time, the shadow was closer.

Scrape… scrape… scrape.

One night, she woke up feeling something breathing on her neck.

She didn't dare turn around.

The Last Night

Lena had had enough. She packed a bag and decided to sleep at a friend’s place. But as she reached for the doorknob, she froze.

Her reflection in the mirror beside the door was wrong.

In the dim light, she could see herself standing there… but her reflection was smiling.

Lena wasn’t.

The reflection lifted a hand and pointed behind her.

Lena turned slowly.

The shadow was inches away.

It had no face, no features. Just a dark, hollow nothingness. And then… it moved.

Lena screamed as the lights went out.

The last thing she heard was a whisper, right by her ear:

"You let me in."

The Morning After

The landlord sighed as he locked the apartment door. Another tenant, gone.

He glanced at the mirror near the entrance.

Lena's reflection was still there.

And she was still smiling.

Did that send shivers down your spine? 😈 Let me know if you want more!