David sat hunched on the edge of his sofa, feeling the weight of the late hour pressing in from every direction. The silence of the building was absolute, broken only by the soft percussion of raindrops. He glanced at his phone, its dark screen a faint comfort in the emptiness.
David frowned, confusion prickling at his skin. "Must be a glitch," he muttered, answering despite the unease. For several seconds, there was only silence—then the unmistakable sound of slow, steady breathing seeped through the speaker, sending a chill down his spine. "Hello?" His voice trembled, and after a long pause, a voice identical to his own finally spoke. "I'm you," it said quietly, deliberate and haunting. "Just a little ahead of time."
David's stomach twisted in knots as he ended the call, his breathing shallow and uneven. In the mirror, something seemed to shift—a ripple in the reflection, almost like a figure moving just out of sight. He spun around quickly, heart racing, but the room remained stubbornly empty. The silence returned, heavier than before, as if the apartment itself was holding its breath.
David stared at the text: "Don't open the door." The warning felt impossibly direct, and his mind raced with questions he couldn't answer. The walls seemed to close in, the rain outside fading into the background as his focus narrowed on the device in his hand. Another message appeared, each word freezing him in place: "I'm standing outside."
David's heart hammered as he stared at the door. The knock came again, firmer this time, as if the visitor knew exactly how to unsettle him. He looked back at his phone, unsure whether to trust its cryptic warnings or his own instincts. The tension in the room was suffocating; every breath seemed too loud, every movement too risky.
In the stillness, David realized the truth: whoever—or whatever—had been calling him was not inside, but waiting just beyond reach. The rain tapered off, leaving only the sound of his own heartbeat and the quiet, measured breathing outside the door. He gripped his phone tightly, uncertain whether to flee or confront the unknown. The story ends with David staring at the door, the faint echo of his own voice warning him to never open it.
