It was late.
Very late.
The kind of silence that makes every small sound louder.
He was lying in bed.
Scrolling on his phone.
Trying to fall asleep.
Nothing unusual.
Just another night.
The lights were off.
The room was dark.
Only the glow from his phone lighting his face.
He was about to sleepā¦
When he heard it.
A sound.
Very light.
Almost nothing.
He froze.
Waited.
Silence again.
He frowned.
āProbably nothing,ā he whispered.
Old buildings make sounds.
Wood moves.
Pipes shift.
Normal things.
He went back to his phone.
A few seconds passed.
Then again.
That sound.
This time clearer.
A softā¦ movement.
From under the bed.
His chest tightened.
He didnāt move.
Just listened.
Silence.
Then nothing.
His mind started trying to explain it.
Maybe something fell.
Maybe something rolled.
Maybeā
No.
It came from under the bed.
That thought stayed.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
He slowly sat up.
His heart beating faster now.
āDonāt be stupid,ā he said quietly.
But his body didnāt listen.
Because something inside himā¦
Felt wrong.
He turned on the flashlight on his phone.
The light felt weak.
Small.
Not enough.
He leaned forward slightly.
Looking at the edge of the bed.
The darkness underneath looked deeper than it should.
Too dark.
He swallowed.
āJust check,ā he whispered.
āThen itās over.ā
Slowlyā¦
He moved.
One hand holding the phone.
The other gripping the edge of the bed.
He leaned down.
The light moved closer.
Closerā¦
Closerā¦
Thenā
Nothing.
Empty.
Just the floor.
His body relaxed instantly.
A nervous laugh escaped him.
āSee? Nothing.ā
He sat back up.
Heart still beating fastā¦
But calming down.
He turned off the flashlight.
Lay back down.
Tried to relax.
Tried to forget it.
Thenā¦
His phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
His stomach dropped.
He opened it slowly.
One sentence.
āI told you not to look.ā
His entire body froze.
His breath stopped.
Slowlyā¦
Very slowlyā¦
He turned his head.
Toward the side of the bed.
Where his hand had beenā¦
Just seconds ago.
Hanging slightly over the edge.
And thatās when he realizedā¦
If something was under the bedā¦
It didnāt need to stay there.
