The Uninvited

It was a quiet, late night during the COVID lockdown. Karthi, a teenage boy, found himself alone at home while his parents were abroad. With nothing but the glow of his MacBook lighting his room, he scrolled through his phone, longing for company. The only person he could think to call was his ex-girlfriend.

"Hey, are you there?" Karthi's voice echoed through the phone.

"Yeah, what do you want?" came the reluctant response from his ex.

"I just... I need you to do something for me," Karthi said, his tone demanding.

"What now? I told you I don't want to talk anymore," his ex-girlfriend replied, exasperated.

"Just listen," Karthi insisted, "If you don't do what I say, I'll post those private photos. You know I will."

Silence hung in the air for a moment before his ex-girlfriend reluctantly agreed, knowing she had no other choice.

Days passed, and Karthi found himself bored and alone once again. He dialed a new number, hoping for a distraction.

"Hey, it's me. Can we talk for a bit? I'm really bored," Karthi pleaded with his new girlfriend over the phone.

"I can't right now, my mom might come in any minute. I'll talk to you later, bye," she replied hurriedly before ending the call.

Frustrated, Karthi tossed his phone onto his bed, the screen lighting up the dark room momentarily. Just then, a notification from Facebook caught his attention. And that's when he saw it—a message from someone he didn't recognize. The name read "Belladonna," and the only content of the message was "..."

Curiosity piqued, Karthi opened the message.

"Hey..." he typed out.

""Hey! Say something about u...," came the swift reply.

Karthi: "I'm just a high-school boy, 17 years-old... U???"

Belladonna: "I'm just 15, a girl, an Anglo Indian."

Karthi: "Are you really a girl?? LOL😂"

Belladonna: "Why doubt it??? Yes, I’m a girl though believe it or not."

Karthi: "Even boys use to flirt, that's why I’ve asked."

Belladonna: "If you’re not believe, then goodnight😴."

Karthi: "Hey, but you can prove that. Send your pic now."

Belladonna: "Sending..." 📸

The image slowly loaded, revealing Belladonna's face—loose hair, a mysterious smile, and a pink floral night dress, her real time selfie that accentuated her beauty. Karthi was unable to contain his admiration. He quickly composed himself and replied, "D*mn!!! You’re hot🔥."

Karthi: (gazing at the screen) "Wow... 😍"

Belladonna chuckled, "You're not the first one to say that."

Before Karthi could respond, Belladonna asked, "Where do you live?"

Karthi replied, "Salem."

Belladonna's next message startled him: "Seriously😐... Even me too..."

Karthi's heart skipped a beat. "Oh! Really?"

"I'm at Fairlands. U???" Belladonna's message came through.

Karthi couldn't believe it. "What a coincidence! We're so close!!! 😘"

Belladonna's response was unexpected, "So weird 😨."

Buoyed by this newfound connection, Karthi couldn't resist making a playful suggestion. "Hey, we're practically neighbors, why don't you come over? We could hang out in person."

Belladonna: “ are you crazy???

With a laugh, Karthi replied, "I'm just joking 😂."

After a pause, Belladonna's message appeared, "I can come... But 🤔🤔."

Excitedly, Karthi replied, "Yes, you can..." and quickly shared his address.

Outside, the moon cast an eerie glow as Karthi eagerly awaited Belladonna's arrival. Minutes passed, and finally, he received a message, "I'm here."

Rushing to the door, Karthi found no one. Confused, he returned to his room. Karthi sent another message, "Ok... I lost 😆😆."

Belladonna: I’m here. Do you want me to prove???

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[Image received]

Karthi's heart pounded as he stared at the screen. The image showed him sitting on his bed, typing on his MacBook, but there was something unsettling about it. It looked like someone had taken the photo from right in front of him, capturing his real-time image.

His heart racing, Karthi looked around the room, but there was no one there. Then, another message came through from Belladonna.

"Now you believe me?" it read.

Suddenly, another message popped up, this time accompanied by a chilling photo. It was Karthi, lying outside his house, blood pooling around his head.

And then, a final message, chilling in its simplicity: "I'm watching you."

Note: This story is inspired by Korean horror short stories.