A Pencil Presents

Stories / Issue 2

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Issue 2 · · A scary one. Keep a light on.

It was 2:13 AM whenJacob heard the knocking.KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
2:13He sat up in bed.
His parents were asleepdownstairs. His little sisterwas asleep in the roomnext to his.zzzzzz
He looked at his window.
Nothing.

Then it happened again.

KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
Jacob slowly climbed out ofbed and walked toward thewindow.
He pulled the curtains apart.There was nothing outsideexcept darkness.
He laughed nervouslyand turned around.heh.heh...
Little SisterJacob, areyou awake?Then his phone buzzed.A text from his little sister.
Little SisterJacob, areyou awake?Yeah. Why?He typed back.Three dots appeared.
Little SisterThere’s someonestanding outsidemy window.Then,Jacob’s stomach dropped.
He walked into the hallway andopened his sister’s bedroom door.
She was sitting on her bed, crying.JACOB,IT’S BEENSTANDING THEREFOR TEN MINUTES.

Jacob looked.

A tall, skinny figurestood in the backyard.Its head wastilted sideways.Its arms almosttouched the ground.
And it was staring directly at them.
Jacob grabbed his sisterand ran downstairs.MOM!DAD!
His parents woke up, confused. Hisdad grabbed a flashlight andwent outside.?
Jacob watched through the front window.His dad walked aroundthe backyard.
Then his flashlightstopped moving.A few seconds passed.
His dad slowly turned aroundand looked at the house.
He wasn’t looking at Jacob.
He was looking above him.
Jacob frowned.
DadJacob. Whateveryou do, DO NOTopen the frontdoor.Then his phone buzzed.A message from his dad.
Jacob looked toward the kitchen.His dad was still outside.

So who had just sent the message?

Then came three knocks at the front door.

KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
A voice from outsidewhispered:JACOB?IT’S DAD.LET ME IN.
Jacob backed away.His real dad was still standingin the backyard.
Then the voice outside changed.JACOB?PLEASE.I’M COLD.It sounded exactly likeJacob’s little sister.
His sister grabbed his hand.DON’T LISTEN,she whispered.
Jacob lookeddown at her.She was smiling.But she hadn’t beensmiling a second ago.
Her mouth began opening wider.
And wider.
Until it stretched almost to her ears.

Then she whispered:

You shouldn’t havelet me inside.
Jacob woke up screaming.AAAH!AAAH!
He was in his bed.It was morning.Sunlight filled his room.
He laughed, realizing it hadall been a nightmare.
Then he noticed something on hispillow. A little piece of paper.
Written in handwriting herecognized as his own:Next time,don’t open the door.
He froze.

Because underneath the note was one final sentence.

Next time, don’t open the door.I’m alreadyin your house.
Read the text version
  1. Caption: It was 2:13 AM when Jacob heard the knocking. Sound: Knock. Knock. Knock.
  2. Caption: He sat up in bed. The clock reads 2:13.
  3. Caption: His parents were asleep downstairs. His little sister was asleep in the room next to his.
  4. Caption: He looked at his window.
  5. Caption: Nothing.
  6. Then it happened again.
  7. Sound: Knock.
  8. Sound: Knock.
  9. Sound: Knock.
  10. Caption: Jacob slowly climbed out of bed and walked toward the window.
  11. Caption: He pulled the curtains apart. There was nothing outside except darkness.
  12. Caption: He laughed nervously and turned around. Sound: Heh. Heh...
  13. Caption: Then his phone buzzed. A text from his little sister. Text from sister: Jacob, are you awake?
  14. Caption: He typed back. Text from Jacob: Yeah. Why? Caption: Three dots appeared.
  15. Caption: Then, Text from sister: There’s someone standing outside my window. Caption: Jacob’s stomach dropped.
  16. Caption: He walked into the hallway and opened his sister’s bedroom door.
  17. Caption: She was sitting on her bed, crying. Sister, whispering and pointing at the window: "Jacob. It’s been standing there for ten minutes."
  18. Jacob looked.
  19. Captions: A tall, skinny figure stood in the backyard. Its head was tilted sideways. Its arms almost touched the ground.
  20. Caption: And it was staring directly at them.
  21. Caption: Jacob grabbed his sister and ran downstairs. Jacob: "Mom! DAD!"
  22. Caption: His parents woke up, confused. His dad grabbed a flashlight and went outside.
  23. Captions: Jacob watched through the front window. His dad walked around the backyard.
  24. Captions: Then his flashlight stopped moving. A few seconds passed.
  25. Caption: His dad slowly turned around and looked at the house.
  26. Caption: He wasn’t looking at Jacob.
  27. Caption: He was looking above him.
  28. Caption: Jacob frowned.
  29. Caption: Then his phone buzzed. A message from his dad. Text from Dad: Jacob. Whatever you do, DO NOT open the front door.
  30. Captions: Jacob looked toward the kitchen. His dad was still outside.
  31. So who had just sent the message?
  32. Then came three knocks at the front door.
  33. Sound: Knock.
  34. Sound: Knock.
  35. Sound: Knock.
  36. Caption: A voice from outside whispered: "Jacob? It’s Dad. Let me in."
  37. Captions: Jacob backed away. His real dad was still standing in the backyard.
  38. Captions: Then the voice outside changed. It sounded exactly like Jacob’s little sister. Voice: "Jacob? Please. I’m cold."
  39. Caption: His sister grabbed his hand. Sister: "Don’t listen," Caption: she whispered.
  40. Captions: Jacob looked down at her. She was smiling. But she hadn’t been smiling a second ago.
  41. Caption: Her mouth began opening wider.
  42. Caption: And wider.
  43. Caption: Until it stretched almost to her ears.
  44. Then she whispered:
  45. Sister: "You shouldn’t have let me inside."
  46. Caption: Jacob woke up screaming. Sound: AAAH!
  47. Caption: He was in his bed. It was morning. Sunlight filled his room.
  48. Caption: He laughed, realizing it had all been a nightmare.
  49. Caption: Then he noticed something on his pillow. A little piece of paper.
  50. Caption: Written in handwriting he recognized as his own: "Next time, don’t open the door."
  51. Caption: He froze.
  52. Because underneath the note was one final sentence.
  53. Note: "Next time, don’t open the door. I’m already in your house."

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