As I stared at the screen, my heart began to race. The dim glow of the nightlight revealed Emily peacefully asleep, but the unsettling feeling that had been haunting me for days gripped my chest as my eyes moved to the other side of the bed. There, beside Emily, was a dark, shadowy figure, its outline barely visible against the pale sheets. I tried to rationalize it—perhaps it was an odd play of shadows, or my tired eyes playing tricks on me—but deep down, I knew I couldn’t dismiss it that easily.
My breath caught in my throat as I watched the figure shift slightly, as if adjusting its position. Emily stirred but did not wake, nestling closer to the edge of the bed. The shadow remained still, an unsettling presence that seemed both there and not. I blinked, hoping the image would dissolve, but nothing changed. The fear that I had pushed aside for days now flooded back, stronger than ever.
I wanted to run into Emily’s room, to snatch her away from whatever presence lurked there, but a part of me was frozen in fear, tethered to the spot by the dread of what I might actually find. The rational part of my brain screamed at me to wake Daniel, to show him the footage, but I hesitated. Would he believe me if he didn’t see it for himself?
