#spooky short story

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A Crude Awakening - A Spooky Short Story

I wake up to a sharp pain in my neck. A woozy, tingling sensation overtakes me, disseminating through my bloodstream. I think nothing of it until I go to touch my neck to investigate the stinging, discovering that there is a person sucking my blood. The room is too dark to see who or what it is; I only see a dark figure disappearing into the shadowed cloak of night. I try to wake my wife up, but she continues to snore heavily.

This next day is a strange one. There is nothing unusual about its happenings— same wife, same breakfast— two scrambled eggs and toast— same job. The only difference is the feeling in my body, almost an aching, like my bones and muscles themselves are crying out to me. This weariness is unbreakable all the way back home after a long day of work.

I walk into our living room, my wife looking up something on her phone as she leans on the kitchen counter. She looks up to ask me how my day was, and I gripe to her about my pain ever since last night. She looks stunned when I explain what I thought was a dream last night.

“And I was asleep throughout all of this?” she starts to pace.

“Well, you’ve always been a heavy sleeper,” I try to chuckle lightheartedly with her, but her grimace remains.

She mutters, “I thought we moved far enough away.”

“You’re scaring me,” I swallow hard before placing my steady hands on her delicate, trembling shoulders. “Can you please tell me what’s going on?”

She looks to me, her darkened eyes sending shock waves down my spine.

“My brother— the one I told you was delusional and dangerous— he’s found us.” Her words are fast, but her voice still wavers. “We need to go— tonight.”