Home Sweet Home

Olivia stood in the middle of the empty living room, inhaling the scent of old wood and new beginnings. The house was theirs. After years of living in a cramped city apartment, they finally had space. A whole house with a backyard, a basement, and rooms to grow into.

Ryan popped the cork on a bottle of wine and poured two full glasses, his grin widening as they linked their arms together. “To our first night in our first home!”

She laughed, as they settled onto the dusty floor. They sat cross-legged amid unopened boxes, the dim glow of a single lamp casting long shadows against the bare walls. Olivia leaned against Ryan’s shoulder, exhaling in contentment.

“This is perfect.”

They spent the evening dreaming about renovations, paint colors, and summer nights in the backyard. By the time they stumbled to bed, just a mattress on the floor, Olivia’s head was light with wine and happiness.

That night, the house settled around them, creaking as if stretching after a long slumber.

Olivia woke to a faint scratching sound. She blinked, staring at the dark outline of the wall closest to her side of the bed.

Scratch. Scratch.

Probably mice, she thought sleepily. Or the old pipes shifting.

Or the wind. Or the wine.

She turned over and fell back asleep.

Morning light streamed through the blinds as Olivia shuffled into the kitchen, still groggy. Ryan stood by the basement door, his brow furrowed.

“I could’ve sworn I locked this,” he muttered.

Olivia leaned against the counter, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Maybe you forgot?”

Ryan hesitated, then shrugged. “Yeah… maybe.” But he still double-checked the lock before heading upstairs to unpack.

By late afternoon, the house was in chaos with half-empty boxes and random furniture scattered about. Olivia stepped into the hallway just as a loud crash echoed through the house.

She sprinted back to the living room. A picture frame lay shattered on the floor.

Ryan hurried in behind her. “What was that?”

Olivia looked up. The nail was still embedded in the wall, untouched.

Ryan crouched, frowning at the broken glass. “Guess we didn’t hang it right.”

They exchanged a glance. Olivia let out a small laugh, pushing away the unease creeping up her spine. “Maybe the house is just as excited as we are.”

But the uneasy feeling lingered.

Over the next few nights, more things felt off.

Objects moved slightly when they left the room. Olivia swore the kitchen chairs weren’t like that before. The security camera caught distorted figures near the front door, blurry shapes shifting in and out of frame, neither human nor animal.

And then one night, Olivia woke to wind on her face.

She sat up, disoriented. She looked over to Ryan’s side of the bed, but he was gone. She went to look for him in the kitchen and found the front door wide open. The air outside was unnaturally still, but the door swung lightly as if swaying in a breeze.

A full shiver went down her spine as she placed her hands on the door to close it.

But a movement in the yard stopped her quickly.

Ryan stood barefoot on the lawn, his back to the house, whispering under his breath.

“Ryan?” Her voice trembled.

He didn’t move.

As she stepped onto the porch, his murmuring became clearer.

Over and over a hoarse whisper, “We shouldn’t be here.”

A cold wave of fear crashed over her.

She hesitated, knowing you were never supposed to wake a sleepwalker.

“Screw that,” she whispered. “Ryan!”

His eyes flickered open, unfocused. Then, recognition hit him. He turned to her confused. “Why am I outside?”

Her hands trembled as she took his arm. “You were sleepwalking.”

Ryan shook his head as if clearing a fog. “I don’t sleepwalk.”

But the way he said it sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

She guided him inside and locked the door. Neither of them spoke as they lay in bed, but Olivia could feel his concern.

She didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

The knocking started a few nights later.

Soft. Rhythmic. Inside the walls.

Olivia shot up, gripping Ryan’s arm. “Tell me you hear that.”

Ryan was already awake, staring at the wall. Knock. Knock. Knock.

They scrambled out of bed. Ryan grabbed a flashlight, and they made their way to the attic, the one place they hadn’t unpacked yet.

Dust coated the wood floor.

The air felt heavy and thick as they stepped in, but Olivia shivered.

Ryan stopped suddenly.

A door.

It was small, barely big enough for a child to crawl through.

Ryan hesitated, then pushed it open.

Inside was a tiny, dust-covered room. A lone wooden box sat in the center.

Olivia knelt and pried it open.

Inside were yellowed newspaper clippings.

‘Fire Destroys Family Home. Four Dead, One Missing.’

Her stomach twisted. “This is the house next door,” she whispered.

Ryan exhaled sharply, gripping the box tighter. The air in the attic felt suffocating.

They shut the small door and left, neither of them speaking as they climbed back down. Olivia could feel it in her bones.

Something was wrong with this place.

The night Ryan vanished, Olivia felt it before she even knew he was gone.

She stretched, setting her empty wine glass in the sink.

“I think I’m gonna head to…” she started, but stopped at the doorway of his office.

It was empty.

“Ryan?”

Silence.

Her breath came quicker.

Maybe he was outside again.

She reached the front door and froze.

A distant voice called desperately, “Olivia… help!”

Terror flowed through her body as she threw open the door.

Nothing.

Then she heard it again, further away, “Olivia… help!” It was coming from the trees beyond the yard.

The walking trail.

Her heart pounded. She grabbed her phone and flicked on the flashlight, sprinting down the trail, the unfamiliar trees leading her further and further into the darkness.

The voice continued like a warped echo.

“Ryan!” she screamed.

She ran and ran, but all she could hear was her own ragged breathing.

She stopped to catch her breath, and desperately spun around trying to figure out which direction to go. 

 She felt a breeze on her ear and a gravelly voice directly behind her whispered “You shouldn’t be here.”

She screamed and fell to the ground.

Everything went black.

Olivia jolted awake, heart pounding, gasping for air.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds and she was nestled in her favorite sheets. The familiar scent of coffee filled the room.

She was in their apartment.

It was all just a dream.

Her pulse was still racing as she looked around. Everything was perfectly in place.

Footsteps approached and Ryan appeared in the doorway, grinning widely.

“I have amazing news,” he said. “They accepted our offer! We got the house!”

Olivia’s stomach twisted as the blood drained from her face.

A cold breeze sent a chill down her spine as she heard a gravelly voice whisper, “You shouldn’t be there”.