“Katie, there’s nothing behind you,” said Jill with a sigh.  Ever since the Browns had moved to their new house, their daughter, Katie, had been acting strangely. She jumped at every small noise and even the slightest movement made her uneasy. “But, Mommy,” Katie said. “I heard something behind me. When I turned around, I saw a black figure, which was following me.” “It’s just your shadow, sweetie. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” “But”- “Katie. You shouldn’t be scared of everything you see and hear. You can’t be scared every time there’s a thunderstorm, every time the wind blows, and be frightened of your own shadow.” “Mommy, what if I get nightmares?” asked Katie, as her mother put her to bed that night. “Just ring this bell and Daddy or I will come here. Ok?” Katie nodded. “Good night, Katie. Sweet dreams,” said Jill, as she switched off the lights. Katie couldn’t sleep that night. She kept tossing and turning. She had a dream, in which she could hear strange whispers all around her. Katie woke up with a start and was relieved when she found out that it was only a dream. But after a while, she felt like she could hear those strange whispers she had heard in her dream. “Maybe Mommy was right. I’m just imagining things,” Katie thought, trying to comfort herself. But she kept hearing those whispers, though she tried not to think about it. She decided to call her parents and rang the bell next to her. She waited for a few minutes, but nobody came. She rang it again, but still, nobody came. “It’s probably not working,” Katie said to herself, and by now, she was shaking like a leaf. She started imagining all sorts of possibilities, and all the while, she could hear the strange whispers. The whispers seemed to get louder and louder, with every passing moment. Suddenly, she heard a voice whispering, ‘I’m coming for you.’ Katie started shivering all over. ‘Today is your last night,’ the voice hissed. Katie broke into a cold sweat. She pulled the blanket over her head and tried to block out the whispers with her pillow. Suddenly, she heard the door to her room open. ‘Kaaa…tieee…,’ whispered the voice. Katie pulled her blanket closer. She could now hear the whispers right next to her bed. She could feel her blanket being slowly pulled away from her. She saw a black figure, similar to the one she had seen that morning. It came closer to her, and Katie was petrified. ***** After a few days, at the Browns’ house... “I’m afraid they’re all dead,” said the doctor. “And why do you say so?” asked the police inspector. “It’s not any poison. There aren’t any wounds on them, either. I don’t know. Their death seems so… mysterious,” said the doctor, shaking his head. From a corner, the black shadow snickered quietly.  Everybody who came to live in that house shared the same fate.     Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!