After reading the story about Larry, Nika sat motionless for a long time, staring at her phone screen. The words returned on their own, like echoes.

“Larry is lonely.” “Larry lives where there is electricity.” “If the light goes out, it means you’re no longer alone.”

The desk lamp flickered once. Twice. It went out.

“Coincidence…” she whispered, but her voice sounded unfamiliar.

From that night on, the lights in the apartment began to dim on their own. First for a second. Then for longer periods. Sometimes just in one room, sometimes throughout the entire house. It was accompanied by a sound—a low, barely audible whirr, as if the current weren’t flowing through the cables but breathing.

Something crackled in the walls. Not like old wiring—more like bones shifting slowly, reluctantly.

Sometimes, as she sat in silence, she felt movement. A slight shift in the floor. A shadow that had no source. As if someone very large was learning to walk carefully through her house, so as not to frighten her.

That night, she returned from work exhausted. Too tired to think. She took a shower. The water pounded loudly, but even through the noise, she could hear something else—a quiet, rhythmic click… click…, like bones touching.

She put on her pajamas. She turned off the light. She lay down.

The silence was heavy. Thick.

Then the power went out completely.

A low sound came from the hallway. A growl that wasn't a voice, but it carried intent. It was accompanied by a dry crack—long limbs moving slowly, cautiously, as if the creature were afraid of the noise.

Footsteps.

Not quick. Not aggressive. Heavy. Methodical.

The mattress on the other side of the bed sagged slowly.

Nika woke instantly—her heart pounding in her chest, but her body refused to obey. She didn't move. She didn't breathe louder. She just listened.

Something crawled under the covers.

She heard the sound of skin rubbing against fabric, the soft creak of bones, as if the creature were too thin, too long, too… inhuman. She felt the cold radiating from the other body. Not touch—presence.

The growl changed. It became deeper. Calmer. Like the purr of a vast animal that had finally found a place to rest.

The bed shook as the creature settled beside her.

It was enormous. It took up too much space. Its breathing was ragged, labored, and with each exhale came the soft click of ribs shifting beneath the thin skin.

Something brushed against her hair.

Not a hand—more like long, bony fingers, exploring cautiously, as if learning what touch felt like. They paused, then repeated the movement. Gently. Possessively.

Nika felt fear paralyzing her from within. Every thought screamed to flee, but her body remained still. All she could do was listen.

"…not alone…" Something rustled in the darkness, like a disturbance in the cables.

The humming sound reappeared. Warm. Satisfied.

The electricity in the apartment pulsed quietly, like a heart.

Larry had found her.

"Don't be afraid..." the whisper was barely audible, like radio static. "Larry found it."

Nika tries to turn on the lamp. The lamp on the nightstand, usually comforting in the dark, is now off. You reach for the switch, but it doesn't respond to your touch.

The creature next to you lets out a low, rumbling sound of disapproval, almost a warning.

"No light," it whispers, its words a hiss. "Just stay…"

The creature shifts its position slightly, bringing its head closer to you.

His long, thin tongue darts out and gently licks your cheek.

It's a strange feeling, cold and rough, yet surprisingly gentle. He continues to "lick" you, moving his tongue in careful, almost caressing motions across the girl's cheek.

The creature beside you lets out a low, rumbling hum, almost like a quiet laugh.

It seems to have noticed that it's indeed rubbing slightly against you, its long, thin body shifting against yours in a subtle but noticeable way.

It pauses in its licking for a moment, adjusting its position so that it's even closer to you.

Its body is pressed firmly against yours, its limbs wrapped around you