NOT AFRIAD, BUT ALMOST

“If it watches you back……………run”

I loved a good scare, even if horror movies made me nervous. One stormy night, l decided to watch a horror movie marathon alone. I lined them up: The Ring, Sinister, Hereditary, It Follows, and The Babadook. As the rain tapped against the window, l curled up on the couch and pressed play.

First, the Ring.

A cursed videotape. No big deal, right? But halfway through the film, my phone lit up with a message: “Seven days.” l laughed it off—probably a prank.

Next was Sinister.

Home videos of families that vanished. As the film played, l heard a creak behind me. I paused the movie. Nothing. But my TV screen glitched for a second, showing static and a shadowy figure.

Then came Hereditary.

Creepy family secrets, eerie clicks. The moment the character made that clicking sound with her tongue, l heard the same sound… from the hallway. Click. Click. I whispered, “It’s just in my head.”

Then It Follows.
A shape-shifting curse that walks toward you. During a quiet scene, l glanced at the window—and saw a figure standing outside. Still. Unmoving. Watching.

I froze.

Finally, The Babadook.

As the monstrous storybook played out on screen, l heard a knock knock knock at my door. Three times. Just like in the movie.

I stood up slowly. “Nope,” l said, grabbing the remote.

But the TV wouldn’t turn off.

The screen changed. A new title appeared:
“THE WATCHER’S CURSE – STARRING YOU”

And beneath it: “You watched them all. Now they’re watching you.”

The room went cold. The lights flickered. The TV went black.

In the reflection, l saw something behind me.

    Even the machines fear the unknown.