Closer Than You Think

Emma was scrolling through her phone late one cold and lonely night when she suddenly received an unusual text message from an unknown number. The message read:
"I’m closer than you think. Don’t turn around."

At first, Emma thought it was a prank. Maybe one of her friends was trying to scare her. She chuckled nervously and ignored the message. But then, just moments later, the phone buzzed again. This time, it was accompanied by a chilling photo a grainy, blurry image of her own bedroom, taken from outside her window. Her heart jumped into her throat. How could someone be outside her house? She lived on the third floor of an apartment building. There was no way anyone could be standing there.

Emma quickly locked her phone and looked cautiously around the room. Everything appeared normal, and there was no sign of anyone outside. She tried to convince herself that it was some kind of sick joke, or maybe a hacker playing games. But despite her attempts to calm down, an icy wave of fear slowly crept into her chest.

Just as she was about to put her phone down, a third message appeared on the screen:
"You can’t hide. I see you."

Her breath caught in her throat. She felt a sudden icy draft behind her, like a cold breeze sweeping through the room. It was as if someone had opened a door somewhere nearby. Slowly, almost unwillingly, Emma turned around but the hallway was empty. The air felt heavy and thick, suffocating in its silence.

Suddenly, the lights flickered violently and then went out, plunging her entire apartment into complete darkness. Panic surged through Emma’s body. Her hands trembled as she fumbled for her phone to turn on the flashlight. The small screen lit up the dark room just enough for her to see. The phone buzzed again, breaking the tense silence. Another message appeared:
"Look under the bed."

Emma’s pulse raced faster than ever. Every horror movie she had ever watched screamed at her not to obey that command. But a strange force, some mysterious compulsion, forced her to kneel and peek beneath the bed. She held her breath as she slid her hand under the dusty mattress.

Then, she gasped. There, just inches from her fingers, was a small, pale hand. It was not the hand of a child something was terribly wrong. The skin was almost translucent, and the veins underneath glowed faintly in the darkness, like tiny blue rivers beneath a ghostly surface. Emma’s heart hammered in her chest, and she tried to pull back quickly.

Before she could, a whisper echoed into her ear, soft and chilling:
"I’ve been waiting for you."

The phone slipped from her grasp and clattered loudly to the floor. The lights flickered back on, but Emma was frozen in place, paralyzed by terror. She slowly backed toward the door, desperate to escape, but it slammed shut violently with a heavy *thud*, locking her in. The sound reverberated through the room, sealing her fate.

The phone buzzed once again, and this time the message was different more menacing than before:
"You’re not alone anymore."

Emma screamed at the top of her lungs, but the silence that followed was deafening. No one came to help. The only sound was her own ragged breathing. She looked toward the door one last time and saw a dark shadow moving just beyond it closer and closer, slowly creeping toward her.

Her mind raced with panic, trying to understand what was happening, but no answers came. The shadow grew larger, its presence filling the room with cold dread. She stumbled backward, her back hitting the wall. There was nowhere left to run.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Her breath formed tiny clouds in front of her face as the shadow reached the door handle. The doorknob turned slowly, and with a screeching sound, the door began to open.

Emma’s scream died in her throat as the figure stepped inside. It was impossible to see clearly just a tall, dark silhouette with glowing eyes that pierced through the dim light. Its presence was suffocating, and the air itself seemed to tremble.

Then, the phone vibrated violently on the floor, and a final message appeared:
"Now, the real game begins."

Emma’s mind shattered with terror as the door slammed shut behind the figure, plunging her back into darkness this time, deeper and more terrifying than before. The last thing she heard was a low, guttural whisper, just inches from her ear:
"You will never escape."

Thank you for reading!❤️