Here’s a continuation of the story in the same emotional, suspenseful style:
And then I froze.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
Emily was asleep on her side, her blanket tucked beneath her chin. The night light cast a soft golden glow across the room. Everything looked exactly as it should.
I was about to close the app when I noticed something strange.
The blanket.
It moved.
Not the gentle rise and fall of breathing.
A slow pull.
As if someone else were tugging it.
My heart began to race.
I leaned closer to the screen.
Emily shifted in her sleep and rolled toward the edge of the bed.
Toward the wall.
Making room.
The way a child might when someone climbs in beside them.
A chill ran through me.
I watched for several seconds.
Then a minute.
Nothing appeared.
No intruder.
No shadow.
No movement except Emily.
I almost laughed at myself.
Then Emily spoke.
Not loudly.
Just a sleepy whisper.
« You’re late tonight. »
The glass of water slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor.
My daughter was talking to someone.
Someone who wasn’t there.
Or at least, someone I couldn’t see.
My hands shook as I rushed down the hallway.
I threw open her bedroom door.
Emily startled awake.
The room was empty.
Completely empty.
« Mom? »
Her voice was groggy.
« What happened? »
I sat beside her bed, trying to slow my breathing.
« Who were you talking to? »
Emily rubbed her eyes.
Then she looked confused.
« The lady. »
The words hit me like a punch.
« What lady? »
« The one who sleeps next to me. »
For a moment, I couldn’t speak.
« Emily… »
My voice cracked.
« There is no lady. »
Emily looked at me sadly.
The way children sometimes look at adults when they know something the adults don’t.
« Yes, there is. »
I barely slept the rest of the night.
The next morning, after Daniel left for the hospital, I reviewed every second of the camera footage.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Finally, I noticed something.
At 1:57 a.m., three minutes before Emily spoke, she suddenly moved from the center of the mattress toward the edge.
The indentation beside her appeared gradually.
Not deeply.
Just enough to suggest weight.
As though another person had settled onto the bed.
My stomach turned.
I paused the footage.
Zoomed in.
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