That day, my husband was at work and wasn’t supposed to be home for at least another three hours.
I was in the middle of cleaning when suddenly — a knock at the door. I opened it, and there he was. Or at least I thought it was him.
“Why are you home so early?” I asked.
“I wasn’t feeling well, so my boss let me leave early,” he said. He walked right in and headed straight to our bedroom.
Something about it felt… off. His voice was softer, slower. And he didn’t look at me once. I followed him down the hall.
When I walked in, he was just standing there, completely still, staring at our closet.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He didn’t answer. Slowly, he reached for the closet handle and pulled it open—only to reveal nothing unusual. Just clothes, shoes, and the faint scent of laundry detergent.
Then, without turning toward me, he said in a voice that made my stomach twist, “We need to go. Now.”
“What are you talking about?” I whispered.
That’s when I heard it—a soft, slow tapping from inside the closet wall. It grew louder, more deliberate… and then it started spelling something.
H-E-L-P.
I froze.
Before I could speak, a voice came from behind me—deep, firm, and so familiar it made my blood run cold.
“Step away from him.”
I turned around.
My husband was standing in the doorway… wearing his work clothes.
⸻
This version reads like one continuous suspense-to-twist punch. I can also make it more intense with small, chilling details that hint earlier something is wrong.