The bathroom was suffocating, the air thick with the sharp tang of fear and the dampness from the overflowing bathtub. Ellie’s figure loomed in the water, her pale skin glistening, her hair hanging in wet strands over her face. Her presence, though familiar, was wrong—her movements too jerky, her gaze too piercing. Beth stood protectively near the kids, Danny and Kassie clinging to her as they cowered on the cold tiled floor. And you? You were frozen, rooted in place as your mind tried to catch up with what was happening.

Danny’s voice trembled, breaking the tension. “Mom?” His voice was small, the word barely more than a whisper.

Ellie’s head snapped up, her lips curling into a grotesque smile that didn’t reach her eyes. The voice that came from her wasn’t hers—it was deep, guttural, and laced with malice. “Mommy’s with the maggots now.”

Your breath hitched, a shiver running down your spine. Every part of your brain screamed at you to feel afraid, to recoil in horror like the others. But instead, a heat flushed your cheeks, your body betraying you as you couldn’t help but find something in her twisted confidence... attractive. It wasn’t right—none of this was right—but the way she owned the moment, the command in her voice, sent your thoughts spiraling into places they absolutely shouldn’t be.

Ellie—or whatever was inside her—turned her head slightly, her dead eyes locking onto you. “And what about you, sweet thing?” Her voice dripped with mockery, but there was something else there, something almost teasing. “Cat got your tongue?”