I slipped the blue pendant over my head before leaving the apartment that morning, thinking it was just a piece of jewelry. It was light, cool against my skin, and… normal. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.
Today was different—I had an early leave from work. My body ached a little bit less than usual, but I figured a short day would help me catch up on some sleep. I packed up my bag, waved at Marcus, and left the warehouse around noon. The sun was high, warm but not too bright, and the streets were quieter than usual.
Before heading home, I made a small detour to the basketball court. Maybe I just wanted to see it again, or maybe I was hoping the guys from last night would be practicing. The court was empty. No bouncing balls, no shouts or laughter—just the broken lights flickering weakly in the afternoon sun. I waved at the empty space, almost laughing at myself for expecting someone to be there.
The stillness didn't bother me, though. I turned and walked home, feeling the warmth of the pendant against my chest. It was kind of comforting in a strange way.
When I got inside, the apartment smelled like dinner. Mom had cooked, and the aroma of grilled chicken and vegetables filled the small space. Liam and Noah were stretched on the couch, bickering over a video game, while Grace was trying to teach herself a magic trick she'd seen on TV.
"Hey!" I said, dropping my bag by the door. "What's up, troublemakers?"
"Ethan!" Grace squealed, running over to hug me. "Show me a trick like yesterday!"
I smiled and lifted her up, spinning her around carefully. For a little while, the apartment was full of laughter, shouts, and playful arguments. Mom called us to the table for dinner, and we all sat together. The conversation was light, the food delicious, and for a moment, I forgot about work, the pendant, and everything else.
After dinner, I helped clean up a little and then headed to my room. The exhaustion of the day hit me hard. My eyelids felt awfully heavy, my back ached, and the world narrowed down to my bed. I fell asleep almost instantly… but in my tiredness, I forgot to open the pendant, to really look at it, or even think about it.
Hours later, I woke up, dry-mouthed and parched. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It was pitch dark outside. My head felt fuzzy, like my brain hadn't fully switched back on. I got out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, my feet dragging over the carpet.
The hallway stretched ahead, pale and quiet. I flicked the light switch on but nothing happened. I sighed and walked carefully, trying not to stub my toes on anything.
That's when I saw her.
A lady, standing halfway down the hall. Pale, almost transparent, like she was made of smoke. Her hair fell in waves around her face, and her dress shimmered faintly in the dark. She didn't move, didn't blink… she just stared.
"Wh… who's there?" I stuttered, my voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't answer. Her eyes seemed to pierce straight through me. My chest tightened, and my hands shook. I couldn't move. For a moment, I felt frozen, caught between curiosity and pure, unthinking fear.
Then, like a reflex, I turned on my heel and ran back to my bedroom,closing the door behind me. My heart raced. I pressed my back against the door, trying to calm down.
It's stress… tension… you're just overworked, I told myself. It's nothing. Just your mind playing tricks.
I climbed back into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. My body wanted rest, but my mind wouldn't stop. I replayed the image of the lady over and over, her eyes, her glow, the way she hadn't moved or said a word but everything seemed vague.
Eventually, exhaustion won again. My eyes closed, but sleep was heavy with overthinking. The pendant lay around my neck, quiet and still… for now.
And I couldn't shake the feeling that something was waiting, just outside the light of my room.