Submitted by An_Obscurity_Nodus t3_115tv15 in nosleep

I am so scared, I don’t know what to do. To start with, let me just say I loved my wife, Serena. I loved her for nearly 12 years but two years ago we grew apart and in that time, I met someone else. Katy walked into my life on a particularly cold February day, with her long dark hair and her beautiful green eyes. She was new at the office where I worked as a computer engineer. I think it was her laugh that really did it for me. That proper throw-your-head-back, really-means-it kind of laugh, you know? We started meeting up in the cafe downstairs for lunch, at first accidentally and then all the time. We had so much in common. We loved the same PC games. We both enjoyed action movies and true crime, and we both came from big families. Katy was a widow and had lost her husband young. There was a vulnerability to her that I wanted to protect. I grew obsessed with spending every spare moment with her.

Truly, I should have felt more guilty. But I didn’t. Serena, my petite blonde, no nonsense wife could not be more different from Katy and she really didn’t feel like the woman I married anymore. She was so distant and cold now. I can’t even remember why she changed and what happened, I just knew that my marriage was over. When Katy and I kissed that time at the office Christmas party and a colleague saw us, I knew that it was time I told my wife everything.

But when I finally worked up the courage to tell her that evening on the walk home, steeling myself for a terrible confrontation, I found Serena sitting at the kitchen table, her face in her hands, weeping over an open letter. I asked her what was wrong and she simply gestured to the letter. I lifted it up to read it and my mouth went dry. Breast cancer. Stage 3. I couldn’t tell my wife I was leaving her now. It would utterly destroy her.

So I did what I had to do. I told Katy about Serena’s diagnosis and she was heartbroken but understanding when I told her that we needed to break up.

I supported Serena through immunotherapy and took over all cooking duties and cleaning duties. We ate the healthiest of meals, and I tried my very best to be the most supportive husband I could be but cancer was rough on Serena. She lost the spark in her eyes and grew gaunt, unable to keep any of the food down. When we returned to the doctor, he told us she was now at stage 4. This meant a course of deeply aggressive chemo. That night, I held Serena as she sobbed and told me she wasn’t sure she would make it through this.

And then she asked me to help her die.

I was stunned, unable to believe I had heard her right.

I’ll never forget how she lifted her now gaunt face, looked me in the eyes and said, “Daniel. I want you to help me die. Please.”

I was horrified. “I…I can’t do that.” I told her, the words barely making sense, I was so gobsmacked.

But she pleaded and pleaded. Finally, we made a pact. That if the cancer became too much for her to handle, I would give her the entire bottle of sleeping pills the doctor had assigned for her crushed up in her favourite ice cream. Even now, I feel numb just thinking about it.

Serena however, knew exactly what she wanted and seemed very sure about it. Two weeks went by without us talking about it again, but honestly, fuck cancer. I have never watched a healthy human being deteriorate so fast. Finally, when the Doctor told us that the cancer had metastasised and moved to her lungs, she asked me to do the deed.

So last night, I bought her favourite ice cream and numbly crushed the pills up. Then I carried it up to her. She ate the ice cream slowly. My brave, clever wife who I had not appreciated in time was the most dignified woman when it came to death. Quietly, she smiled, thanked me and closed her eyes for the last time.

I waited until the rattle in her chest stopped. And her breathing slowed to a halt. She looked peaceful for the first time in a long, long time. I knew she was gone.

I walked downstairs to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Then I bawled my eyes out like a small child.

This morning, I awoke still on the couch, a dull, cold realisation of what had happened the previous night. But then…I smelled coffee and bacon. I heard the sound system in the kitchen blasting with a cheerful pop song.

“What the fuck?”

I was immediately on my feet and I headed into the kitchen, heart racing.

And there, happily humming to herself, was Serena.

Not the Serena I left upstairs. Gaunt and hollowed out by illness. But my Serena. The Serena of before.

She smiled at me in a way she hadn’t for years. “’Morning, my darling. Here we go, bacon and eggs sunny side up.” She pushed a plate on the kitchen island in my direction and placed a cup of coffee before me.

What the ever loving fuck was going on? I watched my dead wife cook up a storm and act like everything was completely fine. Like she hadn’t died last night.

“Serena, what-”

She lifted her cup of coffee and took a big sip, eyes closing as though it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. “I know, my love.” She said, “I would be surprised too.”

“You died last night.” I stated the obvious, I know but it was also the truth. She had been dead.

She nodded. “Yes, yes I know. And I was. Very dead. But that had to happen, you see because how else would I come back to life?”

I did not like the sound of her bright voice suddenly. Something in the air felt…off. Something about all of this felt like the kind of decay you cannot see, just under a gleaming surface.

“Don’t you see darling,” she told me casually, taking a bite of her toast. “I fell in love. I had to stay.”

This hit me like a ton of bricks and made me take a step back. “You…you what?”

“Now, now, Daniel.” She said, wagging the piece of toast at me, “You aren’t the only one who is allowed to have fun. I thought this was a marriage of equals?“

My voice was now hoarse, even to my own ears, “I don’t know what you’re-”

“DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME!” she suddenly shouted, throwing her plate at me. I ducked just in time and flinched as it shattered.

“Serena, please calm down…” I was trying so hard to keep my composure but it was getting harder and harder as I watched her. It struck me then that her movements were very odd. Sudden and strange.

It clicked into place when she reached for her coffee again. It was like…this was the first time she was wearing her body.

I took a step back. “What is going on here.” I could hear the tremors of fear in my voice.

“What’s going on, Daniel, is that I know about your tawdry little affair. In fact,” she smiled, horribly, a bit too wide. “I have known since the beginning. So I prayed to the darkness. I prayed to any terrible thing that was listening, and that was when he came to me. My own God of pain.”

Her voice which had been Serena’s so far began to shift a little. Something about it felt like it was cracking. And then I heard it. A slow inhuman growl escaped her throat. Her eyes bulged. “Don’t you want to meet him, Daniel? The love of my life?”

Her skin looked like it was ripping at the seams. Her mouth split open and a huge tongue and fangs fell out. “He really wants to meet you.”

Before I could scream, shout, run, anything, the thing that was wearing my wifes skin had filled our kitchen.

It was at least seven feet tall, its mouth more like a gash, too many fangs and that too long tongue. It’s body, oh God, its body was that of a rotting old man, buried long enough ago that the vile smell of decay filled the room. Its eyes were voids. Nothing inside them but eternal darkness. And the most terrifying thing of all was that it was looking at me…

…and grinning.

I stumbled backward turning to run but before I could, the thing reached out and grasped my left arm. I tried to snatch my arm back but before I could, I felt a sharp pain, like my arm was on fire and when I looked down, it was…

My arm…my arm looked like it belonged to an old man. It had withered with just a single touch from that thing. I wrenched my arm out of its grip and ran to the door, only to find it locked. I pounded it on it hoping, praying the neighbours, SOMEONE would hear me, it was morning and someone would-

I heard the cold, low chuckle behind me and my blood froze. Without even thinking, I turned and ran past it for the stairs, I could hear its slow shuddering footsteps behind me as I rushed up the stairs to the bedroom, throwing myself inside. Quickly I locked the door behind me and then ran to the window to get out. It didn’t budge so I tried to throw a chair against the window.

It. Wouldn’t. Break.

A soft persistent knocking began on the door. I threw myself against the glass of the window and started banging on it. Downstairs my neighbour Greg was mowing his lawn.

I shouted his name as loudly as I could and for a second he looked up. Relief flooded through me as I screamed “HELP ME!”

But Greg just frowned up as though…he couldn’t see me.

I screamed louder, “GREG!!” as the knocking grew more persistent. “HELP ME!”

But he had already looked away and was back to mowing his lawn. I bashed those windows and yelled until my throat grew hoarse and finally, my knees gave way and I slumped to the floor.

I’ve been here ever since. The day is slowly turning to twilight.

Outside, the thing keeps knocking on the door. I can hear it shuffling softly back and forth.

A voice that was once my wife’s but is now rotting and decayed filters into this slowly darkening bedroom.

Daniel, won’t you come out and play?

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Comments

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An_Obscurity_Nodus OP t1_j93aheb wrote

I’ve been trying to call 911 for the last three hours. All that happens is that THING picks up and laughs. I don’t know what to do.

332

ThrowawayYEAH22223 t1_j93hlko wrote

OP, I’m really trying to feel sympathy for you. I really am. But I can’t. You didn’t bring all of this upon yourself, but you did play a part. You only ended your affair AFTER you found out your wife had cancer. You would have continued on if this never happened? What baffles me is all throughout this you haven’t begged and pleaded for forgiveness, that’d be the first thing I’d try after running away. I’d be grovelling at that things feet from behind the door right now.

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An_Obscurity_Nodus OP t1_j93n5pb wrote

You're right. This was absolutely a terrible, hideous mistake on my part and I take full responsibility for that. I mistakenly thought that ending my affair and caring for my wife through her sickness was making amends, but you're right, that is not the same as begging forgiveness. I'm going to try to beg forgiveness through the door between us, my fear is if I open the door, it will absolutely kill me before I have a chance to even open my mouth.

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SpunGoldBabyBlue t1_j93ry1v wrote

There are many strings crisscrossing each other, like a cats cradle. Did your wife really know about your affair? Did you do more than kiss Katy? Did your wife turn cold and distant when you became obsessed with Katy? Was it Serena, Katy, or something else which called the aging monster to you?

All in all, a scary yet intriguing tale. Best of luck.

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monkner t1_j94sqsq wrote

Dude, you’re totally getting what you deserve. There’s never any excuse to cheat on your wife.

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agent-assbutt t1_j94u0si wrote

Yta for cheating on your wife. You and Serena should look into couples therapy if you aren't willing to separate.

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mrs-chapa t1_j94y56r wrote

Oh yeah you fucked up didn't you, and if you don't figure out how to get out of that room , your a gonner, I just don't understand cheaters, you could have told her before you started seeing this woman that it was over and that you was interested in seeing someone else , ended that relationship first before you started a new one, surely your wife deserved that much from you I'm sorry I don't really feel to bad for a cheater, it's wrong it destroys people lives and even their will to live, she deserved better. Oh well better start figuring out how to get out of that room like you figured out how to cheat and when and where to cheat to hide it from your wife , oh yeah you failed at that though because she knew what you were doing, you didn't hide very good at all did you, well sir I don't know what your religious beliefs are but you should start praying you better get straight with God because I'm pretty sure it's the devil on the other side of that door, and you better do it quick, lol I would say update us but I doubt you'll be updating anything!,

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Ok_Help447 t1_j9529m8 wrote

I heard the knocking on the windows from outside when I was mowing, but... it was pitch black inside, I couldn't see. I-I-I can't help you. It'll hurt my family too, I'm sorry. You were a great neighbor. I'll miss you both. Just leave my family alone.

-Greg

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Dohmar t1_j955cm8 wrote

You're both cunts.

Signed, An Australian.

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Lanky-Truck6409 t1_j95hyac wrote

Oh come on, he did intend on ending it clearly, and then stuck it like a good husband. People make mistakes, people fall în and out of love and it's hard to break up a marriage just like that, it's a few months after 10 years of marriage in a bad time and he did break it off to fulfil his vows (and intended to grow the balls to divorce.) People get crushes when married, it makes sense to not break off the marriage over it until you know for sure it's more than a crush.

Cheating is awful, but it also has nuances.

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VArmorV t1_j95i0hg wrote

My friend, You need to FIGHT! Fight like hell!

Survive at any cost, for her.

For Katy

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IceBlazeWinters t1_j95qw2i wrote

  1. if you loved your wife like you said, you wouldn't have cheated on her in the first place
  2. i'd suggest getting a lawyer, cause you pretty much committed a murder
  3. you should seek psychiatric help for that nightmare
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THEBOI400 t1_j9645a8 wrote

Daniel I grow tired of waiting, come out. What's the worst that could happen?

1

kamiloss14 t1_j96bt75 wrote

You are pretty much fucked. Whatever is knocking for sure isn't your wife. She most likely made a deal with some kind of demon to have revenge, and as always, it pretty much used her as a tool for whatever goals it has.

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bondoh t1_j96wgg5 wrote

>It was at least seven feet talk

that's a lot of talk, daniel. You're in for a long lecture.

7

Aluric_Fulebiert t1_j96zvqf wrote

I can say with atmost assurance that this was without the shadow of a doubt entirely your own fault nice to see some Karma.

3

Clown_Apocalypse t1_j97a4j9 wrote

Damn, Daniel

I don’t feel as much sympathy since I mean you made the choice to continue seeing Katy, but I feel like human errors or lapses in human judgment don’t warrant a lifetime of terror and torture.

4

Weldtrash13 t1_j97difd wrote

That’s whatcha get for thinking with your dick

5

Weldtrash13 t1_j97dkb0 wrote

Don’t even feel sorry for you dude best of Luck though

2

Afraid_Cause9556 t1_j98d1zh wrote

Daniel you’re a true Cityboy and I hope you escape and cheat with 100 more women, King 👑

Good luck with the Resident Evil boss in the hall though- don’t know how you’re getting past that one

2

LinneaPearson t1_j99e9u4 wrote

Unfortunately, you DID bring this upon yourself. Karma stinks, dude😔

3

zedkielpapillon t1_j9ac3op wrote

I feel simlphaty for you. Cheating is very wrong and all but had to die or face that thing is too much just for Cheating, besides there's more healthy ways to deal with that than selling yourself to the "god of pain" so I won't support your wife on that... I don't think beg will solve anything and she's probably playing with you, because I'm petty sure it has the power to break that door...

2

ShinDragon t1_j9dj2e8 wrote

Oh for Jesus' sake just come out here already. We've thrown a goddamn barbecue party out here for ya and here you are shit-talking my pal on Reddit.

1

Crazymnguurl t1_j9fgdf5 wrote

Just beg for forgiveness. In the end , you will be forgiven.

0

Sat_Thu t1_j9fyhag wrote

This thing exist? Dude only way survive now keep breaking the window and get the fuck out!

0

LarennElizabeth t1_j9m9ilf wrote

ESH. You both could've handled this situation much better than this fuckery. If you'd both communicated more during those rough 2 years, you may have even not cheated on her at all, thus preventing the whole thing. You at least should've been upfront when you realized you liked Katy. Maybe Serena would've spared you if you'd had the balls to be honest from the beginning. As for her part, it's understandable that she was upset, and the urge to get revenge os natural, but again she should've confronted you about it instead of praying to some kind of demon or demigod for said revenge. Yall both need to work on your communication skills. Although I'd guess you won't make it out of this alive to do so.

5