I fell asleep on the sofa in the afternoon; I’d hardly slept for days. When I woke up it was dark. There were no lights on in the flat. I lifted up my phone to check the time, but the battery was dead.
My head was groggy and my neck was stiff. But I knew something wasn’t right; there was some light coming from somewhere.
I heard the front door creak.
I jumped to my feet, and almost fell over – my fucking ankle.
I got into the hall, trying to ignore the pain. The light was coming from the corridor outside. The front door was wide open.
I shot a look from side-to-side, from the kitchen to the bedroom. Was someone here? Had they left? Had I really left the fucking door unlocked this time? Had it fallen open?
I couldn’t see anyone. And I couldn’t see any new carnage.
That just left the bathroom to check. I took a deep breath and hopped over. I grabbed on to the doorframe and looked inside.
It was empty too.
I looked down the hall and out the front door. I could hear muffled noises from somewhere.
“Hello?” I asked. No one answered.
I limped further, right up to the doorway. I stuck my head around and looked down the corridor. I still couldn’t see anyone. The light was motion sensitive; someone must’ve come in or out the building in the last few minutes.
I hopped out. I looked up the stairs, looking for someone, anyone. There was the faint sound of people somewhere higher up in the building.
The door slammed shut behind me. Before I could reach for the handle, I heard the click of the lock.
“No. No. No!” I banged on the door. Hopelessly twisted the handle. It wouldn’t budge.
Through the panes of frozen glass; I watched a figure slowly stand and show their face. For a silent moment, I stared into the eyes of a little girl. Her head was bent up from the neck as she tried to make herself taller. I could see dark long hair, but the rest of her features were blurred.
“Let me in!” I pleaded. I banged on the windows, on the frame.
She watched me until I stopped. Then she turned away and walked down the hall.
“Who are you?” I shouted. “What are you doing?” I kicked the door and regretted it. I shrieked in pain and stumbled back against the wall opposite.
I slid to the floor and put my head between my legs. I started to cry.
The motion sensitive light went out, leaving me in the dark.
Coming Home will appear in New Ghost Stories Volume Three, which will arrive in 2021. You can check out previous volumes of New Ghost Stories here. And you can download free New Ghost Stories here.
Don’t forget to check out the New Ghost Stories Podcast.