"Expectant Mother"

"Expectant Mother"

Lena was thrilled about the life that was developing within her. It was a miracle pregnancy after years of infertility struggles. Over the past three months, she had been organizing her home, putting together baby clothes, and thinking about the little one who would soon fill the quiet of their tiny, remote cottage in the woods.

Although he had been encouraging, her husband Tom had recently come across as aloof. He put in long hours at his office job and came home late, frequently exhausted and occasionally quiet, as though he was carrying a heavy burden. He was not pressed by Lena. She attributed it to stress, the same stress that every young couple facing parenthood had to deal with.

Lena noticed something odd one rainy evening as she sat at the window, watching the storm come in. She caught a glimpse of activity in the woods outside their house. It was neither a person nor an animal. Something else was involved. A scarcely perceptible figure was rushing between the woods.

Lena's heart pounded. Grasping her stomach, she got up and yelled for Tom. No answer. She checked the time; it was nearly midnight. It would be hours before he returned.

As she gazed out the window, the figure no longer there, her breath came more quickly. Lena dismissed the thought, telling herself it was a figment of her imagination. However, she continued to feel uneasy. She had the impression that someone or something was observing her.

Tom arrived home early the following day, looking pale. He did not say much when he entered, his gaze darting about as if he were waiting for something to emerge from the darkness. He did not inquire about dinner, Lena noted. He hardly gave her a glance. He seems... restless, even suspicious.

As he paced back and forth, Tom said, "I believe I should go into town tomorrow." "I have to... take care of something."

Lena's eyebrow went up. "What is the matter, Tom? You are behaving oddly.

He paused, looking into her eyes for the first time that night. He had wide, panicked eyes. “Nothing. All I have to do is get my mind straight. Do not stress over it.

Lena scowled without pressing. He had been under a lot of stress lately, after all. She chose to let him think for himself.

The uneasiness reappeared when she laid in bed that night. The same feeling that she was being watched by someone or something. She turned to find solace in her husband's embrace, but Tom was no longer there. It was cold on his side of the bed.

Panic struck.

Clinging to her bloated stomach, she sprang up and called his name while searching the house. Except for the sound of the storm outside, the cottage was quiet. The windows rattled as the wind howled.

She did not sense a presence until she got to the basement door. Unnaturally cold. Lena hesitated when the basement door creaked open on its own. Since they had moved into this house, she had never enjoyed going down there. A sense of unease had long pervaded the location. Her instincts, however, begged her to go down tonight.

Lena went down the small stairs, her hand shaking. A single lamp swung back and forth, weakly lighting the basement. The hairs on the back of her neck sprang up as she breathed in quick gasps. She was not by herself.

There was a low, guttural sound coming from the shadows. It was a voice. The voice of Tom.

"Do not come down here, Lena."

Lena stopped. The voice sounded off, distorted, as if something unnatural had twisted it. Her legs refused to cooperate as she attempted to take a step back. A low buzz entered her ears as the air grew thicker. A trail of tiny, bloody handprints that led deeper into the basement caught her attention as she looked down at her feet.

She had to know what was happening, even when her stomach rumbled. She took a step forward, turned the corner, and let out a gasp.

Tom was standing in the middle of the basement. Not the Tom she knew, though. His skin was taut over his face, his eyes were soulless black voids, and his lips hung open in a mute scream. His withered and twisted hands gave the impression that they were not his.

He held something in his arms, something little, something like a baby. However, the infant had died. Its small form flickered in and out of existence like a shadow attempting to materialize into reality; it was lifeless and pale.

“Lena…” Now Tom's voice sounded empty. It is not our kid. It was never.

Lena stumbled backward and shouted. The cellar walls appeared to close in on her as the thing that had been her husband moved closer. Like a chorus of voices, the murmurs became louder and swirled in the air, beckoning her to approach.

“No!” Lena sobbed. "What is this? What did you do?

The creature that was Tom snarled, "It is too late." "The child is not supposed to exist. Lena, it is not of this world. You ought not to have gotten pregnant.

The item that was She felt a chill run down her spine as Tom's icy-cold hand reached out to her. Lena last saw her reflection in the basement mirror, her once-full, bulging belly now empty and lifeless.

The only sound remaining in the dark, silent house was the gentle hum of the storm outside. Then there was quiet.

Something far older and darker had taken the place of Lena and her unborn child, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the next soul to inhabit this cursed abode.

-I hope the spooky story was enjoyable! If you require any changes or another story, please let me know. Thank You.-