The Shadow That Followed: Part 3

Mia wasn’t superstitious. Ghost stories were just that—stories.

So when she found an apartment in the city for half the usual rent, she didn’t hesitate. The landlord barely spoke as he handed her the keys. His hands trembled slightly, his eyes dark with something she couldn’t quite place.

"Be careful at night," he murmured.

She almost laughed. "Yeah, okay."

The place was small but cozy. The previous tenant had left behind a few things—a dusty lamp, an old chair, and a large mirror near the entrance.

Mia didn’t like mirrors.

Something about the way they reflected things—sometimes a little too slowly, sometimes not quite right—made her uneasy.

She made a mental note to get rid of it.

The First Night

Mia woke up at exactly 3:07 AM.

A sound had pulled her from sleep—a slow, dragging noise across the floor.

Scrape… scrape… scrape.

She lay frozen in bed, heart pounding. Was someone in the apartment?

She reached for her phone. Dead battery.

Holding her breath, she turned on the bedside lamp. The room was empty.

But when she looked toward the mirror…

The reflection of her bed was empty.

She was sitting in it. She was right there. But in the mirror—nothing.

Her stomach twisted. "What the hell…"

A faint whisper drifted through the room.

"Run."

Mia’s breath hitched. The voice had come from the mirror.

She bolted out of bed, flicking on every light in the apartment.

The mirror was normal again. It reflected her now, wide-eyed and pale.

She let out a shaky laugh. "Just my imagination."

But as she turned away, she didn’t see her reflection watching her go—with a twisted, unnatural grin.

The Second Night

Mia kept the lights on as she slept.

At 3:07 AM, they flickered off.

Her eyes snapped open. The room was dark, too dark—as if the shadows had thickened, swallowing all the light.

And then—

Scrape… scrape… scrape.

The sound was closer. Right outside her bedroom door.

A chill crawled up her spine.

Slowly, she reached for the lamp. The second she touched it, the whisper came again—closer this time.

"Don’t turn around."

Mia’s blood ran cold.

Her breathing was ragged. Something was in the room with her.

She fought against every instinct screaming at her and flicked on the light.

The room was empty.

But the mirror—

The mirror showed something standing right behind her.

A tall, shadowed figure with no face. No eyes. Just darkness.

Mia spun around.

Nothing.

She turned back to the mirror. The figure was grinning now.

The lights went out.

The last thing she heard was scraping footsteps moving toward her.

And then—

Silence.

The Morning After

The landlord sighed as he locked Apartment 6C.

Another tenant gone.

He glanced at the mirror near the entrance.

Mia was inside now.

And she was smiling.

Part 4 coming soon… 😈