Chloe stayed quiet in the back seat on the drive to my mom’s.
Knees tucked to her chest, staring into nothing.
“Sweetheart,” I said gently, glancing at her in the mirror, “are you sure about what you saw?”
She nodded once, hard.
“I know what I saw, Daddy. They were real.”
My stomach churned.
I pulled into my mom’s driveway, kissed Chloe’s forehead, and told her she could have hot chocolate and cartoons while I “ran an errand.”
My mom looked at me like she could see straight through my face.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Just… something I need to check,” I said, forcing a smile that probably looked like a grimace.
Then I drove back to Lily’s apartment with my heart hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat.
It felt ridiculous.
And it felt necessary.
Lily opened the door, confused.
“Hey,” she said. “That was fast. Is Chloe okay?”
I forced myself to sound casual.
“She’ll be fine. Uh… do you mind if I try that old console too? I just… need to relax. It’s been years since I played.”
Lily raised an eyebrow.
“That’s random,” she said, then shrugged. “Sure. It’s in my room.”
I walked down the hallway trying to keep my breathing even.
My hands shook as I reached the closet.
Slowly, I opened it.
And there they were.
Four “heads” staring back at me.
One painted like a clown, grin twisted and too wide.
Another wrapped in tattered red fabric.
They looked horrifying in the dim closet light.
I stepped closer, pulse roaring in my ears.
I reached out and touched one.
Soft.
Rubber.
I exhaled so hard it almost hurt.
Halloween masks.
Relief hit first.
Then guilt followed right behind it like a punch.
I shut the closet.
Walked back to the kitchen.
Lily handed me a mug of coffee.
“You okay?” she asked.
I stared at the mug for a second, then looked up.
“I need to tell you something,” I said.
Her arms crossed slowly. “This sounds serious.”
I nodded.
“Chloe was scared earlier,” I admitted. “Like… really scared. She said she saw heads in your closet.”
Lily blinked. “Heads?”
“She thought they were real,” I said. “And I didn’t know what else to do. So after I dropped her off at my mom’s… I came back and checked.”
Lily just stared at me.
Then her mouth fell open.
“You went through my closet?”
“I know,” I said quickly. “It was wrong. But she was terrified, and I needed to make sure she was safe.”
Lily stared another beat.
Then she burst into laughter—like the kind you can’t stop once it starts.
“Oh my gosh,” she wheezed. “She thought they were real?”
She wiped her eyes, still smiling… then her expression shifted as the reality landed.
“Wait,” she said softly. “She was shaking?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I’ve never seen her like that.”
Lily’s amusement faded into genuine concern.
“Poor baby,” she said. “I didn’t even think. I should’ve put them somewhere else.”
I nodded, throat tight.
“She still thinks they’re real,” I said. “I don’t know how to fix that.”
Lily’s eyes lifted like something clicked.
“I do,” she said. “But I need your help.”
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