**The storm had knocked out the power hours ago, leaving me and my younger sister, Emily, huddled in the candlelit living room. The wind howled through the trees, and the old house groaned like a living thing.**

****

**Then came the knock.**

****

**A slow, deliberate rapping at the front door. Three taps. A pause. Then three more.**

****

**I held my breath, exchanging a terrified glance with Emily. No one should be out in this storm.**

****

**I crept to the door and peeked through the peephole. Nothing. Just the black void of the stormy night.**

****

**Another knock—this time from the back door.**

****

**Emily whimpered. I grabbed the flashlight, its beam weak and flickering. We had to hide.**

****

**We sprinted upstairs, barricading ourselves in my bedroom. My hands trembled as I fumbled for my phone. No signal.**

****

**Then came the whispering.**

****

**Low, indecipherable murmurs just outside the door. The handle rattled.**

****

**I pushed against the door with all my strength. “Go away!” I screamed.**

****

**The whispering stopped. But then—the lights flickered back on.**

****

**For a moment, relief washed over me. Until I saw Emily’s face twist in horror.**

****

**I turned slowly.**

****

**Reflected in the mirror was a tall, shadowy figure standing right behind me.**

****

**The lights flickered again.**

****

**Darkness.**

****

**I screamed, lunging for the flashlight. The beam cut through the blackness—empty space. The figure was gone.**

****

**Heart pounding, I grabbed Emily’s hand. We ran downstairs, throwing open the fuse box. If we could keep the lights on, maybe—just maybe—it would stay away.**

****

**Flick. Flick. Flick. The bulbs fought to stay alive.**

****

**The whispers returned.**

****

**The shadows stretched unnaturally, crawling toward us. I slammed the fuse switch up.**

****

**Light!**

****

**The whispering stopped. The shadows retreated.**

****

**The house stood silent.**

****

**With the final flickering of the lights, I took a deep breath, knowing I had done everything I could to save us.**