Chapter Text
The house was too quiet.
That was the first thing Katelyn noticed as she stepped inside, kicking off her shoes and tossing her bag onto the couch. Usually, the place felt alive—music blasting, her brother yelling at his games, someone always laughing.
But tonight?
Nothing.
“Hello?” she called out, her voice echoing slightly.
No response.
Katelyn frowned, pulling her phone from her pocket. One missed text from her friend group chat.
Zane: Party at Aaron’s. You coming?
She rolled her eyes. “Of course they’d all ditch me,” she muttered.
Her phone buzzed suddenly in her hand.
Unknown Caller.
Katelyn hesitated. Then smirked. “Probably one of them messing with me.”
She answered.
“Hello?”
There was a pause. Static. Then—
“Do you like scary movies?”
Katelyn blinked. “…Wow. Really? That’s what you’re going with?”
A low chuckle came through the speaker. “Answer the question.”
She leaned against the kitchen counter, amused. “Depends. Are we talking actually scary or just bad acting and cheap jumpscares?”
“Oh, I think you’d know the difference.”
“Okay, mystery caller,” she said, grabbing a soda from the fridge. “What do you like?”
“I like movies where the characters make mistakes.”
Katelyn snorted. “So… all of them?”
“Some mistakes are worse than others.”
Something in his tone made her pause.
“…Alright, you’re starting to sound creepy for real,” she said, though she tried to keep it light. “Who is this? Garroth? Zane? You guys suck at voice changers.”
Another chuckle. Slower this time.
“You’re home alone, aren’t you?”
Her smile faded just a little.
“…Yeah. And?”
“I think that makes this more fun.”
Katelyn straightened. “Okay, not funny anymore. Seriously, who is this?”
“Let’s play a game instead.”
“No thanks.”
“If you hang up,” the voice said calmly, “I’ll be disappointed.”
Her grip tightened on the phone.
“Why would I care about that?”
“Because you wouldn’t want anything bad to happen… would you?”
The house suddenly felt colder.
Katelyn forced a laugh. “You’re trying way too hard, dude. I’m hanging up.”
“Before you do,” he said, “look outside.”
Her stomach dropped.
“…What?”
“Go on.”
For a second, she didn’t move. Then, slowly, she turned toward the window above the sink.
Darkness.
Just her reflection staring back.
“I don’t see anything,” she said, her voice quieter now.
“Are you sure?”
A flicker.
Movement.
Katelyn’s breath hitched as she leaned closer.
There—by the trees at the edge of the yard.
A figure.
Tall. Still.
Watching.
She stumbled back from the window. “Okay, not funny! Who is that?!”
“I told you,” the voice said softly. “I like scary movies.”
Her heart was racing now. “I’m calling the police.”
“You could,” he replied. “But by the time they get there…”
A pause.
“…it’ll already be over.”
The line went dead.
“Hello?!”
Silence.
Katelyn stared at her phone, her hands shaking. Then she looked back toward the window.
The figure was gone.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “Okay, okay, okay…”
She moved quickly now, locking the back door, then the front. Her breathing came fast, uneven. This had to be a prank. It had to be.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another call.
Unknown.
She didn’t want to answer.
But she did.
“…What do you want?” she demanded.
“Why didn’t you ask the right question?”
Katelyn swallowed. “What?”
“In scary movies,” he said, “the smart ones ask questions.”
“I don’t care about your stupid game!”
“You should,” he replied. “Because it decides what happens next.”
A creak sounded somewhere upstairs.
Katelyn froze.
“…My brother’s not home,” she said slowly.
“I know.”
The creak again.
Closer.
Her eyes darted toward the staircase.
“…You’re lying,” she whispered.
“Am I?”
A soft thud echoed from above.
Katelyn backed away, her pulse pounding in her ears. “Get out of my house,” she said, her voice breaking. “Right now!”
“Make me.”
The line went dead again.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then—
A shadow moved at the top of the stairs.
Katelyn gasped, turning to run for the front door—
—but something was already there.
Standing in the doorway.
Masked.
Still.
Watching.
Her scream cut through the silence—
—and then everything went dark.