Could you possibly come stay and help care for Chloe for a while?”I first asked about her health, then suggested bringing Chloe back home. But Martha insisted, “David, don’t you worry. I had a carpenter specially renovate a room – it’s airy, sunny, and absolutely perfect!”After much hesitation, I agreed. Two and a half hours later, I arrived at Martha’s place. Martha greeted me with a warm, almost too warm, welcome. To be honest, she always unnerved me. She just had this unsettling, eerie vibe.
Her face was chalk-white, as if dusted with flour, her eyes were unnaturally dark, and her nails were long and sharp. Honestly, she looked like something out of a gothic horror film.Chloe heard the commotion and rushed out, her eyes wide with shock when she saw me. “David, I told you not to come!”I told her exactly what Martha had said. Chloe’s emotions flared. She whirled on her mother, furious. “Mom! How could you? Are you trying to kill him?!”Martha’s voice softened, almost pleading. “Chloe, I’m doing this for your own good. If you want a safe delivery, you need him.”Their exchange sent a chill down my spine.
A dark premonition washed over me.”Chloe, what do you mean, ‘kill me’? What are you two talking about?”Chloe’s face crumpled, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She quickly explained, “I was afraid the same thing would happen again… What if I bit you to death…” Her words made my neck throb, but I didn’t think much of it. She hadn’t meant it, after all. I sighed in relief and told her not to worry.Chloe looked like she wanted to say more, but under Martha’s stern gaze, she finally lowered her head. Once Martha had left, Chloe pulled me aside, her voice urgent and serious. “David, you have to leave!
Right now!”I thought she was still feeling guilty about the night before, so I held her gently. “Sweetheart, don’t worry, I—””It’s not that!” Chloe cut me off. A look of deep torment crossed her face. Finally, she met my eyes, her voice sharp and resolute. “I can’t explain. But if you don’t leave, we’re getting a divorce!”The word ‘divorce’ hit me like a lightning bolt. I never imagined she’d use that to force me away! Why on earth would she do that? I couldn’t shake the feeling Chloe was hiding something big, and her recent behavior had been undeniably strange, though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off. And Martha…
she was increasingly unsettling, always looking at me with a calculating gleam in her eyes.Facing Chloe’s stubborn expression, I finally nodded, agreeing to leave. I immediately drove away. But just as I reached the village exit, a spider, twice the size of a dinner tray, suddenly blocked the road. Its eight blood-red eyes were fixed on me, unblinking. I slammed on the brakes, terrified. By the time I wrestled the car under control, the spider had vanished without a trace. I frantically scanned my surroundings, but there was no sign of it.Was I… just too stressed? First the nightmares about spiders, now hallucinations?
