Avoid Going Under the Bed.

Hey, wanna hear something really creepy? I mean, not just spooky like a Halloween mask or a haunted house with fake ghosts. I mean something that will make you double-check under your bed tonight. And I promise I’ll tell it like a friend, not like one of those boring ghost stories your cousin reads with a flashlight. Okay?
So grab a blanket, get comfy—but not too comfy. Because this story? It might make you sleep with the lights on.

The Dare That Started It All
There were four of us that summer: me, my best friend Josh, his little sister Mia, and a new kid named Tyler who had just moved into the creepy yellow house at the end of our street.
Tyler was weird in a cool way. He talked about urban legends like Bloody Mary and the Elevator Game and had these creepy books and old video games. You know, the kind of stuff that made your spine tingle. He always had this old backpack full of junk—candles, mirrors, salt, string, and a notebook full of things he called “rules for staying safe.”
One day, after we’d all had too many popsicles and too much time on our hands, Tyler said, “Wanna play a game?”
We all gave a nod. Of course we did.
He smiled, but it wasn’t a nice smile. “It’s called Don’t Look Under the Bed.”

How the Game Worked
Here were the rules:
Hold off until 3:03 a.m. Turn off all the lights in the house.
Light a single candle in your room.
Say the words: “If you're not there, don’t show. If you are, let it go.”
Then go to bed.
But whatever you do, don’t look under the bed. not before sunrise. Simple, right?
We chuckled. It sounded ridiculous. Like one of those TikTok trends that’s just made to go viral. But then Tyler added, “If you do look… something might see you back.”
That promptly silenced us. Josh said, “Is this real?”
Tyler nodded. “It’s only a game… unless it isn’t.”
Playing the Game
Naturally, we had to give it a shot. Josh’s parents were out for the night, and we were having a sleepover in the basement. We followed Tyler's "ritual stuff" rules like a treasure map when he brought his backpack. Candle? Check. Lights off? Check. Creepy rhyme? Check.
We all said it in unison. "Don't show up if you are not there." If you are, let it go."

After that, we settled into our sleeping bags. Josh was on the couch. Tyler took the floor near the stairs. I was by the bookshelf. And Mia, who insisted she wasn’t scared, chose the far corner—right by the dusty old bed we never used.
We giggled for a while. Whispered about what could happen. But eventually, we drifted off.
That’s when the weird stuff started.
The Whisper
When I awoke, I felt something brush my ear. At first, I thought it was a spider or maybe a bug. But then I heard it—soft and raspy.
“Are you there?”
With my heart racing, I shot up. Everyone else seemed asleep. The candle was out. It was freezing in the room. I pulled my sleeping bag tighter and stared into the shadows. Nothing changed. No whisper. No voice.

Until I looked toward Mia.
She was sitting up—eyes wide open—staring at the bed.
I mumbled, "Mia?" She didn’t answer.
I crawled toward her slowly. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out. When I got close enough, I heard her whispering the rhyme.
“If you're not there, don’t show. If you are, let it go…”
Over and over again. Faster each time.
Then suddenly, she stopped. She turned to me and said, “Something’s under the bed.”

The Something
Tyler woke up then, like he knew something was wrong. He looked around, eyes sharp, like a soldier on a mission.
“What happened?” He inquired. I told him. He didn't blink at all. He just reached into his backpack, grabbed some salt, and started pouring a circle around the bed. He muttered something under his breath. This time, something else in a different language, not the rhyme. Josh was awake now too, panicking. “What’s going on?! Is this part of the game?!”
Tyler did not respond. He just whispered, “Nobody look under the bed. No matter what.”
That’s when we heard the scratching.
Not loud. Just soft, steady, scratch… scratch… like claws on wood. Coming from under the bed.
Mia started to cry. I grasped her hand. Tyler tossed us a flashlight but didn’t turn it on.
“Light makes it angry,” he said.
“What is it?” Josh asked.
Tyler looked him dead in the eye. “Something that doesn’t want to be seen.”

Josh Looked
We lasted maybe twenty minutes before Josh broke. Now the scratching was more rapid and louder, as if it were trying to claw its way out. And then it changed.
It started talking.
“Jooooosh…” it whispered, like it knew him.
That was enough. Josh jumped up, shouting, “I can’t take it anymore!”
He dropped to the floor, reached under the bed—and looked.
We all screamed.
There was a sound then, like air being sucked out of the room. I was able to see it for a brief moment as the candle lit itself. Long arms. No face. Twisted fingers in black. Stretched way too far. Josh, also? Gone.

Just like that.
What Happened After
We didn’t sleep the rest of the night. Tyler kept whispering chants and pouring salt. Mia wouldn’t stop crying. Me? I just stared at the space where Josh had been.
It appeared as though nothing had happened when morning arrived. The bed was empty. No scratches. No flame. And no Josh.
His parents thought he’d run away.
But we knew better.
We never mentioned it again. Tyler moved away two weeks later. Mia started sleeping in her parents’ room. And me?
I never play games like that anymore.
But sometimes, when it’s late… and the lights are out… I hear it.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.

One Last Thing
Don’t look under the bed.
regardless of how curious you are. Because once you see it?
It sees you too.

It also never forgets. So… you still sleeping with the lights off tonight?
Because I’m not.