This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/IslandGirl8412 on 2024-09-06 00:38:25+00:00.

The sound made me jump, a drop of red wine splashing out of my glass and onto the fabric of the couch. Shit. I dabbed at the spot with my sleeve, wondering if I had imagined the knock. After all, I wasn’t expecting a visitor, and the distant rumble of thunder suggested the storm was moving closer. Perhaps the wind had picked something up and tossed it against the side of the house.

Tap, tap, tap.

No, I hadn’t imagined it—someone was at the door. I tossed aside the book I was reading and placed my wine glass on the coffee table. As I approached the front door, I stole a quick glance at the wall clock in the hallway. Quarter past nine. Out the frosted panes of the front window, I could see three silhouetted forms huddled together on the front porch. I hesitated for a moment, and then realized that one was smaller than the others. My feeling of trepidation vanished. It was a family.

I turned the deadbolt and peered out at the three rain-soaked strangers outside. My gaze first fell on the small boy who stood with his head down, staring intently at his shoes. The father wore an oversized raincoat with the collar turned up and though his lips were turned upwards in a smile, it gave the impression of being neither friendly nor happy. His wife spoke first.

“Terribly sorry to bother you, but our car broke down.” The woman gestured down the road, her soft voice barely carrying over the sound of the wind. “Can we use your phone?”

I hesitated at the thought of letting strangers into my home, and for a moment considered grabbing my phone from its charger rather than offering the landline in the kitchen. But then I noticed that the little boy was shivering, and I knew I couldn’t leave these people out in the cold.

“Of course,” I held the door open wider and moved aside, but the family didn’t move towards the entrance. I realized that they were likely as nervous at entering a stranger’s home as I was letting them in, but I was getting chilly now and wanted to curl back up on the couch with my book. The faster it took to get things sorted, the better. I forced a reassuring smile and gestured inside. “You can come in, the phones in the kitchen. It’s one of those ones with the cords, I know it seems weird, but I like the nostalgia of it.”

I watched as they suddenly moved through the entrance, their movements strangely stiff. Of course, they had been standing out in the cold, and were probably freezing. I turned my back to them, noticing as I closed the door that there was no car in sight. “How far did you have to—” As I spun back towards the hall, my blood froze. The family was gone. An icy claw of fear pierced my heart and for a moment I stood alone, listening to silence, telling myself not to be silly. They had just continued into the house to use the phone. I noticed a set of muddy footprints headed down the hall just as a clatter came from the kitchen. I forced a breath and the lights flickered again. It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn’t prepared for a storm. Once these people were gone, I would pull out some candles in case the power went out.

I was about to walk down the hallway when I noticed something odd. There was only one set of footprints headed in the direction of the kitchen. I stepped back towards the front entrance and saw the others — one set of prints headed in the direction of the living room, and more headed up the stairs. What the hell? I thought about grabbing a weapon, then shook the thought away as I remembered that there was a child here. I wasn’t in danger; these people were just assholes. I made my way to the kitchen, following the footprints, but stopped in my tracks at the doorway. The kitchen was empty.

There was a roar of wind that shook the house, and the room was thrown into darkness so abruptly that my surprise caused me to stumble backwards. I grabbed onto the side of the doorframe just as a flash of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the hallway so briefly that my mind barely had time to register the presence of another person beside me before the hallway was bathed in blackness again. I gasped

“Who’s there?”

Straining my eyes, I looked into the darkness, and a second flash of lightning confirmed what I already somehow knew: no one was there. A floorboard creaked above me. Still holding onto the doorframe, I pulled myself into the kitchen and felt my way through the dark room, grasping blindly at unfamiliar surfaces. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, and I used the quick burst of light to help me find my way towards the drawer that I knew held candles and matches.

My hands were shaking as I lit the first candle. From somewhere inside the house I heard a moan that sounded almost inhuman. I listened in horror, trying to make sense of the sound. Was it one of the children? The house was quiet again and I registered a familiar shape across the kitchen. The phone. I jumped across the kitchen to grab the receiver, a lifeline to the world outside. I lifted it to my ear and almost laughed in relief when I heard the ringtone. I had never loved this old phone more. I dialed 911 and almost sobbed in relief when I heard the dispatcher’s voice on the other end.

“Hello, what is your emergency?”

“Please help me. There are strangers in my house.”

There was a strange hollow clicking on the other end, then a familiar moan broke through the small speaker, growing in volume. I dropped the phone, almost crying out in terror myself. The receiver fell towards the ground, but it was stopped by the long cord before it touched the ground. Even though it hung inches from the floor, I could hear the moaning grow louder.

I ran.

I clutched the candle in my hand, the flame threatening to go out as I dashed through the hallway, my thoughts fragmented. I had to get out of here. To the car. Where were my keys? Jacket pocket. Grab my jacket, get out, drive. Drive where? Police station, hotel, anywhere.

I was so blinded with terror that I didn’t see the figure in front of the door until it was right in front of me. I gasped in surprise, realizing it was the little boy. His head was bowed, just as it had been when he stood on the front porch, and as he slowly lifted it, I saw, in the dim candlelight only darkness where his eyes should be, and a mouth wide open in a silent scream. I screamed and ran backwards, falling onto the stairs. The boy started to move stiffly towards me, and I pulled myself up, taking the stairs two at a time. I could see the empty bedroom at the top of the stairway, and launched myself into it, throwing the door closed with a slam that seemed to make the house shake. I twisted the small lock beneath the handle, glad to have one extra barrier between myself and this insane family.

The candlelight flickered and a sob escaped my throat as I heard footsteps stop in front of the door.

Tap, tap, tap.

I had a sudden flashback of the knock that had led me to this moment, and another sob wracked my body. I knew that even if they couldn’t get in, I would have to leave the room eventually, so I looked frantically around the room for a weapon, anything to defend myself. The only thing I could think to grab was my laptop but picking it up I knew it wouldn’t be much use as a weapon. I went to the small window and looked down. If I broke the glass, I might be able to squeeze through the opening. But a fall from this height might kill me.

Thud! Thud! Thud! This time it was not knuckles rapping against the wood, but a fist that shook the whole door.

I’ve stopped crying now. The power has come back on, but it hasn’t dulled my terror. There have been more noises: scratching at the door, wailing coming from somewhere else inside the house. Sometimes they knock and other times I think they’ll break down the door. It might only be a matter of time until they do. But that isn’t my main concern. I’m scared because I saw the lights of a police cruiser pull in front of the house.

And the lights flickered when they knocked on the front door.