a short spooky story

Short Horror Story

"We'll be back around midnight," Melissa James told the babysitter, Pamella Carpenter. "Make sure Amber is in bed by at least 10:00 pm, okay?"

"Understood, ma'am," replied Pamella. "Have a nice night," she said, waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. James. The couple took off in their taxi to Banderville's restaurant.

Pamella closed the door and went to the living room to check on Amber, the couple's seven-year-old daughter, and Robert, the couple's son who was in his late teens.

Pamella called Amber, who was nowhere in the living room.
She turned to Robert instead. "Robert, where's your sister?"

The boy shrugged and said, "Somewhere in her room. Go and check. Aren't you her babysitter?"
Pamella scoffed and took off to search for the young girl.

"Amber, where are you?" Pamella called throughout the halls of the big house. It was a two-story house with five separate bedrooms and two bathrooms and toilets.

Pamella stopped in the middle of the hall when she heard a noise coming from a room to her left. One of the spare rooms, she assumed.

Pamella knocked on the door and said, "Amber, are you in here?"
A grunting noise was the only sound she heard in response. Immediately she opened the door to see nothing but darkness.

At first, there was silence. Then a slam sounded behind her as the door shut.
Pamella jumped, frightened. It's probably the wind, she told herself.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she was able to make out the room's interior. In the corner, there was a cradle. Next to it sat a crate of toys for toddlers and young children.

Pamella spotted movement out of the corner of her eye that caught her attention. As she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with a large mirror.

"Let's play," her reflection cackled, making Pamella gasp.
The reflection stepped out of the mirror with a twisted smile on her face.

As soon as Pamella saw the reflection start to move on its own, she tried to open the door and run away. The door had been locked from inside.

"Help!" Pamella screamed in fright as the reflection inched closer.
Pamella tried banging and screaming at the door, getting more desperate the more certain she became it wouldn't open.

She dared to turn around and face the mangled version of the reflection, a distorted version of herself that made an awful screeching sound as it walked, sounding like a fork on a chalkboard.

Pamella opened her eyes and found herself passed out in the hallway with an aching head.
"What...?" she muttered, shaking.

The hallway was dark, which wasn't very reassuring. Picking herself up and brushing herself off, she made her way back to the living room.

All lights were turned off save for the kitchen light and a light in one of the rooms.

Pamella had two options right now. She could either:
a) investigate the room again
Or...
b) take a risk and go into kitchen, where everyone keeps their knives

Technically, she also had the chance to run away and never look back, but she needed the money. Pamella wasn't about to quit babysitting two kids just because of something that wasn't real.

Pamella walked closer to the kitchen, constantly glancing around to check if anyone, or anything, was near.

A clanging sound could be heard from the room in the hallway. Hearing the creak of the door opening, Pamella took the chance to hide behind a counter.

The same creaking sound from before could be heard as the something crept around. "Hiding is useless," a static-y and distorted voice said.

Quietly, desperately, Pamella opened one of the cupboards on the counter and climbed inside, shutting the door.

The creaking sound stopped. Pamella held her breath and reached for the door of the cupboard.

Pamella held her hand to the door, tears streaming down her face in fear as her other hand covered her mouth.

Slowly, she opened the door and found herself facing a sharp see-through point.

The shard joined the scared babysitter in the cupboard as he closed the door.
Screams sounded from the cupboard as he shoved his gloves hands into his coat pockets and sauntered off.

Satisfied with his work, he exited the house and hailed a taxi, driving off without a glance back at the house.

END OF GLASS TO THE EYE