StoryTree
you are here

The House Remembers Its Tenants

horror◐ Mature
5 contributors · 3 paragraphs deep

Mara pulled the blanket over her head. "Old houses do that," she whispered. "Go to sleep." Daniel tried. But the pacing matched his own heartbeat, and when he held his breath, it slowed down too. Like whatever it was could feel him listening.

Daniel finally slept. He dreamed of all the people who'd lived here, lined up and pacing, and at the front of the line was an empty space shaped like two people. He woke at dawn to find Mara standing over him, eyes open, swaying gently back and forth. "It's our turn to keep time," she said, not in her own voice.

↔ version 1 of 2 of this paragraph — hover its sides to flip. The card below is what happens next.

What happens next?

2 ways forward
Vote share across the top 2 branches
A possible continuation

Daniel shook her hard and Mara blinked awake, herself again, terrified. They grabbed the car keys and didn't even take the mattress. As they backed out of the drive, every window of the house filled with pale watching faces, and one empty pane near the top, still waiting to be filled.

TE
Tomas Eklund
6 votes · future 1 of 2