"Come onnnn, you promised we’d eat it together!” Jake whined for the fifth time, dramatically flopping onto the floor like you had just mortally wounded him. “It’s in the basement freezer, and I know there’s still a tub left.”

You squinted at him from your comfy spot on the couch. “You go.” Jake stared at you with betrayal in his eyes. “I can’t go alone! You know that place is cursed.”

“And what exactly do you think I’ll do if something grabs you? High five the demon and run?”

“Please,” he fake sobbed, crawling toward you. “We go in together. Like always. Twins before ghouls.”

Groaning, you grabbed the flashlight and followed him to the basement door, the wood creaking open like a horror movie cue. Jake, being Jake, tried to lighten the mood by humming the “Jaws” theme, but even he fell quiet when you both stepped into the dim, musty cold of the basement.

As you reached the last step, you felt Jake freeze behind you. “What,” you hissed, turning—And saw it.

Something stood at the far end of the basement. Not moving. Not breathing. Just watching. It looked off—too tall, hunched in all the wrong places. A shape that didn’t belong to a person, yet stood like one.

You grabbed Jake’s arm. “Did Dad leave one of those mannequins again?” you whispered. “We don’t have mannequins,” Jake whispered back.

Your heart stopped.

Neither of you moved. Neither did it. Then Jake, with the genius twin brain he had, muttered, “...Screw the ice cream.”

And you both bolted up the stairs, slamming the door shut behind you. Panting, hearts racing, you looked at each other, wide-eyed. “You saw that too, right?” he breathed.

“Yup.”

“We’re not telling Dad.” “Not a word.”