My IT novella (oc insert)

CHAPTER ONE, PART SIX.

YOU WERE PROBABLY JUST TIRED.

Andy just finished brushing his teeth. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, trying to shake off the lingering anxiety from the day.

"Night, Ma! I love you!" he called out, shutting his bedroom door behind him. As soon as the door clicked shut, an uneasy feeling washed over him. His senses were heightened; every creak and groan of the house seemed amplified in the stillness of the night. The shadows in his room stretched and contorted in the dim light, and the usual comforting sound of the wind outside now seemed more like heavy, ragged breathing. Andy's heart began to race. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that unseen eyes were following his every move. The air felt thick and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. He grabbed his torch from his bedside table, his hands trembling as he fumbled to switch it on. The beam of light cut through the darkness, casting long, eerie shadows across the room.

"Leave me alone..." he whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart.

"...Please..." His plea was met with silence, but the oppressive feeling remained. His eyes darted around the room, catching glimpses of fleeting shadows that seemed to move just beyond the edge of the light. The hushed voices began, a soft, unintelligible murmur that filled his ears, growing louder and more insistent. Andy felt surrounded, trapped in a nightmare that he couldn't escape. Suddenly, the torch flickered, its beam dimming before going out entirely. The room was plunged into pitch blackness, and Andy's breath caught in his throat.

He clutched the now-useless torch to his chest, its cold metal a small comfort in the overwhelming darkness. The voices stopped abruptly, leaving an eerie silence that was almost worse. Andy remained still, his body tense, every muscle coiled with fear. He strained to hear any sound, any indication of what might be lurking in the shadows. His mind raced, conjuring images of unspeakable horrors waiting to pounce. He felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine, his skin prickling with fear. Out of the blue, the silence was shattered by a sharp, loud pop. The sound of a balloon bursting echoed through the room, making Andy jump. He bit down on a scream, his eyes wide with terror. Summoning all his courage, he threw the torch into the darkness where the sound had come from, right in front of him.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of his own ragged breathing. Then, slowly, the oppressive feeling began to lift. The room seemed to return to its normal state, the shadows no longer menacing, the air no longer suffocating. Andy remained where he was, still shaken but feeling a small sense of relief. Everything was okay, or at least, it seemed to be. He exhaled a shaky breath, hoping that whatever had haunted him had finally retreated back into the night.