Whispers from the Shadow.

The whispers started at midnight, soft at first, then louder, like dry leaves scraping across the floor. Claire froze in bed, clutching her blankets. She'd locked the door. No one was inside.

But something was.

A shadow slid from beneath the wardrobe, stretching tall, eyes gleaming red in the darkness. It grinned, its mouth wide, teeth sharp as broken glass.

"You shouldn’t have opened the box," it hissed, voice like a blade on bone.

Claire’s heart raced. She tried to scream but her throat tightened.

The last thing she felt was its cold breath on her skin.

Then a silence.