Once the SATs were behind me, I was finally done with dorm life and came home. I hugged my blanket and rolled around on my bed.

Mom and Dad were eager to spoil me. They felt terrible about how hard I'd studied in school and how much weight I'd lost. Honestly, I felt like I was floating on cloud nine.

But one day, I noticed something felt off.

Senior year had been so packed that I barely came home. Even winter break was just a few days, so I barely spent more than 20 days at home all year.

Now that I'd been home longer, I could tell something was different, like there was someone new living here.

When the three of us were in the living room watching TV, I kept feeling like someone was lurking in a corner, watching me. It gave me the creeps.

We live on the sixth floor of a secure building. Mom was a stay-at-home mom, so realistically, no one could sneak in without being noticed.

I asked Mom about it while she was cooking. She tapped my forehead and told me that I was probably just wound up from studying, that my nerves needed time to settle, and that it'd pass soon.

But after half a month, the feeling only got stronger. I could still feel "it" sometimes right beside me, other times drifting by before me—like it knew the house inside and out.

I thought maybe the stress from school was getting to me, and that was why I was seeing things.

I didn't want Mom and Dad to worry, so I saw a therapist without telling them. The doctor said the hallucinations were due to anxiety.

I took the diagnosis home, thinking maybe I should take a trip to clear my head. But when I got home, I saw Mom with her back to me, chopping cucumbers.

I frowned. She knew I was allergic to cucumbers. I hesitated for a second but figured she probably wanted them for herself, so I didn't bring it up.

I went to my room, trying to figure out how to tell them I wanted to take a trip.

I'd never gone far by myself. Mom and Dad were always overprotective. They never let me go more than ten miles alone because they were always worried something bad might happen.

While I was thinking of how to convince them, my phone lit up with a WhatsApp notification. I thought it was just a friend asking me to hang out, so I opened it without thinking. But then, I frowned.

It was a message from Mom.

I hadn't greeted her when I came in, so maybe she thought I was still out and was just calling me home for the meal. But when I read her message, my eyes went wide.

"Lily, hide! There's a ghost in the house!"

What kind of prank was this? Why would Mom suddenly try to scare me? But then, I remembered how sweet and gentle she'd always been. She wasn't the type to pull a stunt like this.

Could someone have hacked her account just to mess with me? The idea started to seem way too possible. I was about to tell Mom about it when another message popped up.

"Lily, don't go out! The person outside isn't me!"

My heart started pounding. How did she know I was about to leave my room? It felt like she was watching me.

I looked around my tiny, cozy room. My bed and my white desk took up most of the space. There was definitely no room for anyone to hide.

Then, I remembered that weird presence I'd been feeling lately. Could it be that "ghost" messing with me?

I swallowed hard, trying to stay calm. I had to keep myself from panicking, knowing that the more I feared something, the more likely it was to happen. Still, cold sweat was already creeping down my back.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door, and Mom's voice came through, "The meal's ready, sweetheart. Come on out."

That familiar warmth in her voice eased my nerves a bit. I jumped off the bed and headed for the door. But just as my hand reached for the doorknob, another message popped up on my phone.

My breath caught, and I froze, not sure what to do.

Despite everything, I hit play on the message, and a frantic voice came through the speaker, "Trust me, Lily. I'm your real mom! The one out there is a ghost! Run!"

Terror seized me. The voice was exactly like Mom's. Which one was the real her?

Another knock came. This time, the person outside sounded a little impatient, though her tone was still gentle.

"Come on out, Lily. Or the food's going to get cold," she said.

I stared at the white door and took a few steps back. I was too scared to even think about what I'd find if I opened it. A shiver ran down my spine.

No more texts came in, and the silence outside seemed to stretch on forever.

Not hearing me respond, Mom giggled from the other side of the door and said, "I'm coming in."

How I wish I could turn back time. I should've listened to that voice message and gone into hiding. And to make it worse, I didn't even lock the door!

I held my breath, sweat beading on my forehead, my hands and feet shaking uncontrollably. I stared at the doorknob as it slowly turned.

Mom was about to come in!

Just as things were about to hit the fan, the front door rattled.

"I'm home," Dad called out.

Mom heard him from outside my door and got distracted. I saw the doorknob stop turning, then heard her gentle voice.

"Alright. Let's eat. Hurry up, Lily. Don't make your dad wait."

Her footsteps faded, and I felt like I'd just come up for air after being underwater. My legs went weak, and I dropped to the floor, gasping for breath.

Once I'd gotten my bearings, I heard the plates and silverware clinking from the living room and chairs scraping on the floor.

I cracked the door open to take a look. There was Dad, beer belly and all, casually tossing his briefcase to Mom.

That familiar sight snapped me out of fear like I'd just finished a horror game and was back in the real world.

I checked my phone and, strangely, the WhatsApp messages were gone. They disappeared without a trace, like they'd never been there and I'd just imagined the whole thing.

I couldn't believe it. Was something seriously wrong with me? I didn't dare stay in my room anymore, so I quietly crept out.

As soon as Dad saw me, his eyes crinkled into a smile. He asked where I'd been that day.

I was still feeling a bit scared. I glanced at Mom, who was in the kitchen ladling soup. Then, I quickly clasped my shaking hands behind my back, hoping they wouldn't catch on.

"Nowhere special. I just hung out with some friends," I said.

Dad asked if I had enough pocket money and told me to let him know if I needed more.

Still shaken by what had just happened, I wasn't in the mood to talk. I gave a few half-hearted responses and went quiet.

Mom came out with the soup. As she set a small bowl in front of me—maybe it was just my imagination—she looked up and gave me a creepy smile.

A jolt of fear shot through me. My right hand twitched, and the spoon slipped from my grip, hitting the marble tabletop with a loud, sharp clang. Mom and Dad turned to stare at me.

My heart pounded, and I forced a smile to hide my panic. If I told Dad about this, he'd probably think I was losing it.

Luckily, they didn't say much. After a bit of small talk, we wrapped up dinner.

"Lily," Mom called as I was about to head back to my room.

She had just finished washing the dishes and was still wearing her apron. Water droplets were dripping off her fingers.

There was something different about her. She'd always had loose skin from years of housework, with hands all wrinkled from detergent and cleaning products. But now, her skin looked smoother and clearer.

I looked away, too afraid to keep staring. My nerves were still shot.

"What's going on, Mom?" I asked carefully.

"Your grandma's coming over tomorrow, right?"

Dad mentioned Grandma's visit a few days ago. Had he not told Mom?

I nodded. "Yeah. She'll be here in the evening, so she should make it in time for dinner."

Mom smiled softly. "Alright. I'll make some extra dishes tomorrow."