Chapter 6: The Group Goes Silent

After that, he hung up.

I called again—no answer.

I tried adding him with this number. No response for a long time.

In the group:

Smiley face egged on: “Still awake?”

Goat-head: “No, can’t sleep. So annoyed.”

Cassie Young was annoyed: “I asked what you’re annoyed about, but you won’t say.”

Goat-head was losing patience: “So annoyed I want to kill someone, okay! You took the cat away—what do I do now? How do I lure her out?”

Cassie Young: “You gotta be kidding me.”

Smiley face suggested: “Told you to use a recording—isn’t it the same?”

Goat-head: “Not the same. A recording isn’t real enough—she won’t come out.”

Smiley face: “I have another idea.”

Goat-head: “You mean…? Heh, I thought of it too. Yes! That’s the way!”

Cassie Young: “What are you talking about? Stop with the riddles—it’s making me nervous.”

Smiley face sent a creepy smile emoji.

Goat-head cruelly said: “What I’m thinking is, pour boiling water on your cat. The kitten will scream bloody murder. Women, kids—they usually have a soft spot. She’ll definitely come out to check.”

Smiley face: “Remember, when the door opens, stab the big one in the heart, stab the little one in the neck.”

Goat-head: “Not enough. I have to strangle the little one too!”

After this, Cassie Young was freaked out: “You guys are insane. Go get help if you’re sick!”

The only reply was goat-head’s cold message: “Open the door. I’m here—give me the cat.”

The group went dead silent. A couple of people reported the comment, and the admin finally chimed in: “This isn’t funny. I’m reporting this to Facebook and the police.”

Then, two messages popped up on my phone.

One from management: “Our staff checked. Relax, it’s fine. We’ve already warned the resident.”

Another from my wife: “Babe! It’s happening again! Ellie heard a kitten meowing outside again!”

A fresh wave of dread washed over me. The night outside my windshield felt endless, every shadow a threat. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, heart racing, desperate to get home. In the rearview, the city lights blurred and flickered, and for the first time, I truly wondered: Was my family really safe? Or had the nightmare just begun?