Dear Newest Residents,
Please consider this my warning to you.
Most people don’t leave this house… alive.
You will be driven into complete madness until you take your own life, or the life of someone else living with you.
I always begin with this letter, but no one ever listens.
Next, I’ll start with small things.
Windows will open and close at will, especially when you’re asleep at night. You’ll wake to a sudden chill, maybe blame your partner for not closing it before bed.
Your car keys will move. You’ll have to search the entire house from top to bottom. Swearing you left them on the key hook by the door, you’ll remember it vividly.
A baby crying every night around midnight, just a faint cry off in the distance. Enough for you to wonder if there really is a baby crying, or if you’re imagining it.
That baby once lived here too.
After that, I’ll move on to bigger things.
For you, I think, it will be sudden waves of crippling sadness when you enter certain rooms. You’ll be completely overcome with depression so deep, you don’t think you’ll ever be able to pull yourself out.
Then come the nightmares. I’ll creep into your mind when you sleep at night. Lucid fever dreams will torture your thoughts in the dark, but they’re just dreams… or are they?
Finally, you’ll come downstairs one day, and the raw, coppery smell will hit you. Blood. A crimson wave cascading down the walls. A slick, viscous surface spilling onto the floors. A thin crust forming around the edges, like a festering scab waiting to be picked.
You’ll spend all day cleaning it, but when you come down the next day, it will be there again.
You’ll be driven to the brink, and then, just as suddenly as it started, it will stop. But only long enough for you to think it’s all over… before it starts again.
Nobody will believe you… until they become my next victim.
Author’s Note:
This story was written for the Tales From Beyond: The Haunted Letter Challenge, an unofficial Vocal challenge.
You can find the full details here:
About the Creator
Sandy Gillman
I’m a mum to a toddler, just trying to get through the day. I like to write about the ups and downs of parenting. I’m not afraid to tell it like it is. I hope you’ll find something here to laugh, relate to, and maybe even learn from.
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Comments (16)
Thank you for your entry, Sandy.
Oo, this is definitely worthy of the Halloween season. Spooky and chilling, but at least the house tells them right out. Good job!
Chilling
I think the residents ought to start believing. 😁 "You’ll be driven to the brink, and then, just as suddenly as it started, it will stop. But only long enough for you to think it’s all over… before it starts again." As if one round of terror isn't enough. One will surely go mad if they survive the first time. Best of luck to you, Sandy, in this challenge! 💜
Just listen to what the letter says… but we never will, and then we become another victim
A very strong start. At 8:05am. This has driven me wide awake. My day turned upside down. Now here I am several hours later, getting back to this lol. I am also ill with a cold. '...Or the life of someone else living with you' yep that will do it. I ain't going to this house. Wait. I am already in it. I am doomed. A baby crying. That is the worst. Depression. Damn. I thought it wasn't going to get scarier than the baby. But this one. Oh man! Down the walls? I love the way you framed this disturbing visuals. Okay that's it. This was terrifying. I don't even know what to do with myself right now. I will keep an eye out for the winners, but I don't see how you won't be on the list 🤗❤️🖤
This is the first time I've ever read from the perspective of the house! Brilliant! Good luck in the challenge!
Very detailed horror that the homeowners will experience. That is some welcome!!!!
So glad to see an entry from you, Sandy. Thank you for joining in!
Written in true horror style. The baby crying is the worst scariest parts. Good luck
Very good!! Hope you win!😉💗💕
The imagery in this piece is striking, especially the scene with the blood cascading down the walls. It’s vivid without being gratuitous, showing real command over sensory tension.
Ooooo, so spooooky! Fun read! 💀🤍
Love this, Sandy! Deliciously creepy! Love how it feels personal and inescapable. That slow escalation is what really gets under the skin. ✨
Oh my, that sure was terrifying! Loved your take on this challenge!
Oh i just hope this is not a true event. Else i can't even imagine the chill and fear that person must go through if this house incidents are real. Quite scary the way u told it sandy. If iam alone in my room. I wouldn't dare ir rather would want to read this alone. My god top notch storytelling girl. @sandy gillman