The Shadow Behind

Olivia sat at her small desk, her laptop screen casting a pale glow on her tired face. The apartment was silent, unnervingly so, as if even the walls were holding their breath. Her phone buzzed, breaking the stillness. She glanced at it and frowned.

The message was from an unknown number: “I see you.”

Shaking her head, she dismissed it as a prank and went back to her work. After a while, she decided to call it a night. As she walked toward her bedroom, her reflection in the hallway mirror seemed to linger a second too long. She didn’t notice.

The bedroom was pitch black when she turned off the lights. She settled into bed, the soft glow of her phone on the nightstand her only companion. Sleep eluded her. Her mind replayed the message, trying to rationalize it.

Her phone buzzed again.

“Don’t turn around.”

A chill ran down her spine. She sat up slowly, gripping the blanket as her eyes darted around the room. Her breathing quickened. Mustering her courage, she glanced over her shoulder. Nothing was there.

She laughed nervously, trying to brush it off, but unease crept in.

Unable to sleep, she got up and went to the bathroom. The faucet creaked as she splashed cold water on her face. Looking up at the mirror, she noticed the flickering light above, throwing distorted shadows across the room.

Grabbing a towel, she turned away, and her reflection… didn’t. It stood frozen, staring at her with hollow, dark eyes.

When she turned back, the reflection matched her movements again. She whispered to herself, “It’s just exhaustion… just my imagination.”

Back in bed, Olivia lay staring at the ceiling. The apartment felt heavier, the silence more oppressive. Then she heard it: soft, rhythmic tapping, faint at first. It was coming from the hallway.

The tapping grew louder, deliberate, as if something was approaching. Her phone buzzed with a new message.

“It’s in the room.”

Her heart pounded as she scanned the dark corners of her bedroom. The air felt icy, and she froze when she saw her mirror again. In its reflection, something stood behind her.

It was dark, shapeless, and watching her. She spun around, but nothing was there. The reflection, however, remained unchanged. The whispers began then, faint and distorted, surrounding her.

Desperate to escape, she grabbed her phone and ran into the living room. She switched on every light in her path, her hand trembling. As she leaned against the kitchen counter to catch her breath, her phone buzzed again.

“Don’t look in the mirror.”

Her head turned toward the mirror on the wall. There, the dark figure stood beside her, closer now, leaning in with an unnaturally wide grin. Her breath hitched. Slowly, she raised her phone, intending to capture the reflection.

The camera clicked.

She looked at the photo, her heart pounding. The image showed her standing alone, no figure in sight. Relief washed over her—until she glanced back at the mirror. The figure was still there, smiling wider.

It stepped closer in the reflection. Her own body remained frozen.

A distorted voice whispered, “Do you see me now?”

Her scream died in her throat.

Fighting panic, she bolted toward the front door, fumbling with the lock. No matter how hard she twisted, it wouldn’t budge. Her phone buzzed again.

“You can’t leave.”

Her eyes darted around the room as the lights flickered and went out, plunging her into darkness. The soft sound of footsteps approached from behind her, each step deliberate and heavy.

She backed against the door, trembling, as the shadow emerged from the dark. Its hollow eyes locked onto hers, its elongated face splitting into a grotesque grin.

The voice, softer now but more chilling, whispered, “I never left. I’ve always been here.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, muttering under her breath. “You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real.”

When the sun finally rose, its light bathed the apartment in a false sense of safety. Olivia sat on the floor, trembling, her phone still clutched in her hands. The room was quiet, empty, and she began to believe it was all over.

Her phone buzzed one last time. A photo message appeared. It showed her, lying in bed from the night before, with the shadowy figure standing over her.

The final message followed: “See you tonight.”

The end.