It Was Touching Her — And She Still Couldn’t See It Part 4

Claire’s hand froze against her neck.

Cold.

Solid.

Real.

Her fingers trembled.

Slowly…

carefully…

she pressed harder.

Something was there.

Not skin.

Not fabric.

Something else.

Her breath hitched.

“No…” she whispered.

The phone vibrated violently in her hand.

Another update.

Claire didn’t want to look.

She knew what she would see.

But she couldn’t stop herself.

Her eyes dropped to the screen.

The image had changed again.

Now—

The shadow wasn’t behind her anymore.

It was touching her.

Its hand wrapped around her neck.

Long.

Thin.

Wrong.

Claire gasped—

and in that exact moment—

she felt it tighten.

Her body reacted instantly.

She tried to pull away.

But she couldn’t move.

Her legs refused.

Her arms felt heavy.

Like something was holding her in place.

The hallway lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then everything shifted.

The walls seemed… closer.

The air thicker.

The silence heavier.

Claire’s reflection appeared faintly in the dark window at the end of the hall.

But something was wrong.

Her reflection wasn’t alone.

Behind her—

The shadow was no longer just a shadow.

It had a shape now.

A face.

And it was leaning in.

Right next to her ear.

Claire felt its breath.

Cold.

Wet.

And then—

It whispered.

“You answered.”