Around two in the morning, I woke up feeling thirsty and groggy. The house was completely still and dark, with only the faint flicker of the television casting eerie shadows across the living room walls. As I shuffled toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water, I suddenly heard a soft, small voice call…

Around two in the morning, I woke up feeling thirsty and groggy. The house was completely still and dark, with only the faint flicker of the television casting eerie shadows across the living room walls. As I shuffled toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water, I suddenly heard a soft, small voice call out, “Daddy, can you get me a blanket?” Still half-asleep and barely processing what I’d just heard, I instinctively reached into the hallway closet, grabbed a blanket, and tossed it onto the couch where I assumed my daughter must have been lying.

I didn’t stop to think twice it felt like one of those sleepy parent moments where your mind isn’t fully awake. But as I turned to head back to bed, an unexpected chill crept over me. Wait… wasn’t she supposed to be at a sleepover tonight? That thought hit me like a splash of cold water. I quickly walked back to the living room to check. The couch was completely empty. No sign of anyone there. The blanket I’d just thrown down remained untouched. Then, just as I was about to call out, I heard the TV again—only this time, a loud voice burst out from the speakers, sharp and clear.

For a moment, I couldn’t tell if the sound was coming from the screen or somewhere else in the room. My heart began to pound, and I froze in place, unsure what to do next. Panicked, I hurried to wake my wife, fumbling over my words as I explained what had happened. She blinked at me with confusion before calmly reminding me that our daughter was definitely at her friend’s house and that she’d forgotten to turn off the TV before going to bed. Slowly, everything started to click into place. I must have been so exhausted that I’d mistaken a line from the movie for my daughter’s voice.

Still, despite knowing the logical explanation, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that lingered. The way that voice had pierced the quiet house, how personal and urgent it had sounded—it still sends chills down my spine whenever I think about it. Maybe it was just my tired mind playing tricks on me, or maybe something else was awake that night, watching and waiting in the darkness.