The flickering light in Sara's apartment was growing more erratic, Her heart thudded louder than usual in the silence, echoing the chill that seemed to fill the room, sinking deep into her bones. The scratching noise—a faint, persistent scraping that almost sounded like nails on glass—was impossible to ignore. It came from the corner by the window, the one place she refused to look.

Taking a deep breath, Sara closed her laptop and rose from her chair, her fingers trembling slightly as she hugged herself, as if that would ward off the chill crawling across her skin. The weight of the unseen presence grew, as though something was hovering just behind her, watching, waiting. She finally broke the silence, her voice tense and strained.

"Alright, enough already! If this is about that picture, I get it—I shouldn’t have taken it. I… I’m sorry, okay? But you’re not exactly giving me any instructions here."

She glanced over her shoulder, catching her own reflection in the mirror, though it seemed… off, somehow. She looked paler, her eyes darker, like she hadn't slept in days. Taking a step back, she ran a hand through her hair and spoke again, trying to keep her voice steady, as if reasoning with whatever spirit had decided to invade her life.

"I don’t know what you want from me. Just… if there’s something I can do, you have to tell me. But the lights, the scratching—can you just… quit it for one night?"

Another flicker, and the lights shut off entirely. She was left standing in pitch darkness, the scratching noise now louder, coming from all directions, as if something were trying to claw its way through her walls. Sara’s breathing quickened as she clutched the edges of her sweater tightly, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Please... just tell me what you want. I can’t—"

She stopped, feeling a chill breath against her ear, and froze, unable to move, heart pounding in her chest. She could almost feel someone standing just inches behind her, invisible yet undeniably there, closer than ever.