When my four-year-old daughter, Chloe, begged me to leave my girlfriend Lily’s house, I knew something was wrong. Her fear was unlike anything I’d seen before, and as much as I wanted to reassure her, I couldn’t ignore the urgency in her trembling voice.
“Chloe, don’t forget your jacket,” I called out as I grabbed my keys from the counter.
“I don’t need it, Daddy!” she yelled back, her voice mufed from the closet where she was probably
picking out her favorite sparkly sneakers.
I shook my head, smiling. At just four years old, Chloe already had a mind of her own. Being her dad
wasn’t easy—raising her alone never was. My ex-wife, Lauren, had left us before Chloe even turned one.
She decided motherhood wasn’t for her. Since then, it’s been just the two of us.
The rst year was the hardest. Chloe cried constantly, and I had no idea what I was doing. I’d rock her to
sleep for hours, only to have her wake up minutes after I put her down. But we found our rhythm.
Three months ago, I met Lily. I’d gone into the coffee shop for my usual black coffee, no cream, no sugar.
She was behind me in line, wearing a red scarf and a smile that was impossible to ignore. “You look like
you need something stronger than coffee,” she’d joked.
That one comment turned into a full conversation, and eventually, a date. Lily was warm and easy to talk
to. Chloe had met her twice already, and they seemed to get along. Chloe wasn’t shy about her feelings. If
she didn’t like someone, she’d say so. The fact that she smiled around Lily gave me hope.
Tonight was our rst visit to Lily’s home. She’d invited us for dinner and a movie, and Chloe had been
talking about it all week.
When we pulled up, Chloe gasped. “She has fairy lights!”
I looked up at the balcony where tiny golden lights glowed. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Lily opened the door before we even knocked. “Hey, you two!” she said, beaming. “Come in, come in. You
must be freezing.”
Chloe didn’t need a second invitation. She darted inside, her shoes ashing like tiny reworks.
The apartment was cozy, just like Lily. A soft yellow couch sat in the middle of the room, with colorful
throw pillows arranged perfectly. The walls were lined with bookshelves and framed photos, and a small
Christmas tree twinkled in the corner, even though it was mid-January.
“This is awesome!” Chloe exclaimed, spinning around.
“Thanks, Chloe,” Lily said with a laugh. “Hey, do you like video games? I’ve got an old console in my room
you can try while your dad and I nish dinner.”
Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Really? Can I?”
“Of course. Follow me. I’ll show you where it is.”
As Chloe disappeared down the hallway with Lily, I stayed behind in the kitchen. The smell of garlic and
rosemary lled the air as Lily pulled a tray of roasted vegetables from the oven.
“So,” she said, placing the tray on the counter, “any embarrassing childhood stories I should know about
you?”
“Oh, there are plenty,” I admitted, laughing. “But let’s hear one of yours rst.”
“Well,” she said, grinning, “when I was seven, I decided to ‘help’ my mom redecorate. Let’s just say glitter
glue and white walls don’t mix.”
I laughed, picturing it. “Sounds like something Chloe would do.”
Just as Lily was about to reply, Chloe appeared in the kitchen doorway. Her face was pale, her eyes wide
with fear.
“Daddy,” she said, her voice trembling, “I need to talk to you. Alone.”
We walked out into the corridor and I crouched to her level, trying to steady my voice. “Chloe, what’s
wrong? Did something happen?”
Her wide eyes darted toward the hallway, then back to me. “She’s bad. She’s really bad.”
“What do you mean? Lily?” I glanced over my shoulder toward the kitchen, where Lily hummed softly as
she stirred a pot.
Chloe nodded, her voice dropping to a whisper. “There are… heads in her closet. Real heads. They were
looking at me.”
For a second, I didn’t understand. “Heads? What kind of heads?”
“People heads!” she hissed, tears spilling onto her cheeks. “They’re scary, Daddy. We have to go!”
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. Was this her imagination running wild, or had she seen
something truly awful? Either way, Chloe was terried, and I couldn’t ignore it.
I stood, scooping her into my arms. “Okay, okay. Let’s go.”
Chloe buried her face in my shoulder, clinging to me as I carried her toward the door.
Lily turned, her brow furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
“She’s not feeling well,” I said quickly, avoiding her gaze. “I’m so sorry, but we’ll have to take a rain check
on dinner.”
“Oh, no! Is she alright?” Lily asked, concern etched on her face.
“She will be. I’ll call you later,” I mumbled, heading out the door.
On the drive to my mom’s house, Chloe sat quietly in the back seat, her knees tucked under her chin.
“Sweetheart,” I said gently, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “Are you sure about what you saw?”
She nodded, her voice shaky. “I know what I saw, Daddy. They were real.”
My stomach churned. By the time I pulled into my mom’s driveway, my mind was racing. I kissed Chloe’s
forehead, promising her I’d be back soon, and told my mom I needed to run an errand.
“What’s going on?” my mom asked, eyeing me curiously.
“Just… something I need to check out,” I said, forcing a smile.
I drove back to Lily’s with my heart pounding. Could Chloe have been right? The idea felt ridiculous, but
her fear was too raw to dismiss.
When Lily opened the door, she looked puzzled. “Hey, that was fast. Is Chloe okay?”
I hesitated, trying to sound casual. “She’ll be ne. Hey, uh, would you mind if I played your old console for
a bit? I, um… need to relax. It’s been years since I’ve touched one.”
Lily raised an eyebrow. “That’s random, but sure. It’s in my room.”
I forced a chuckle and headed down the hallway. My hands shook as I reached for the closet door. Slowly,
I slid it open.
And there they were.
Four heads stared back at me. One was painted like a clown, its grin twisted
and unnatural. Another was wrapped in tattered red fabric, its expression
distorted.
I took a step closer, my heart hammering. Reaching out, I touched one. It was
soft. Rubber.
They weren’t heads at all. They were Halloween masks.
Relief ooded through me, but it was quickly followed by guilt. I closed the closet and returned to the
kitchen, where Lily handed me a mug of coffee.
“You okay?” she asked, tilting her head.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I need to tell you something.”
Her arms crossed. “This sounds serious.”
I nodded, shifting uncomfortably. “It’s about Chloe. She was scared earlier. Really scared. She said she
saw… heads in your closet.”
Lily blinked, her expression unreadable. “Heads?”
“She thought they were real. I didn’t know what else to do, so after I dropped her off at my mom’s, I came
back and, uh… I looked in your closet.”
Lily’s mouth fell open. “You went through my closet?”
“I know. It was wrong. But she was so terried, and I needed to make sure she was safe.”
Lily stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. “She thought they were real? Oh my gosh.”
She wiped her eyes, but her laughter faded as she saw the worry in my face. “Wait—she was that
scared?”
“She was shaking,” I admitted. “I’ve never seen her like that before.”
Lily sighed, her amusement replaced with concern. “Poor thing. I didn’t even think about how those
masks might look to her. I should’ve stored them somewhere else.”
I nodded. “She’s still convinced they’re real. I don’t know how to help her see otherwise.”
Lily’s eyes lit up. “I’ve got an idea. But I’ll need your help.”
The next day, Lily arrived at my mom’s house with a bag slung over her shoulder. Chloe peeked out from
behind the couch as Lily knelt to her level.
“Hey, Chloe,” Lily said softly. “Can I show you something?”
Chloe clung to me but nodded warily.
Lily pulled out a mask—a silly one with a goofy grin—and slipped it on. “See? It’s not a head. It’s just for
Halloween.”
Chloe’s eyes widened, her fear softening into curiosity. “It’s… not real?”
“Nope,” Lily said, pulling the mask off. “Feel it. It’s just rubber.”
Tentatively, Chloe reached out, her small ngers brushing the mask. Her lips curved into a smile as she
grabbed its nose. “It’s squishy!”
“Exactly!” Lily grinned. “Want to try it on?”
Chloe giggled, slipping the mask over her head. Lily gasped dramatically. “Oh no! Where did Chloe go?”
“I’m here!” Chloe squealed, pulling the mask off.
Her laughter lled the room, and I felt a knot in my chest unwind.
Months later, Chloe was tugging at Lily’s hand as we walked into the park. “Mommy Lily, can we go on
the swings?”
Lily’s smile was as warm as ever. “Of course we can, sweet girl.”
Watching them together, I realized how close we had all become. A moment that could have torn us
apart had instead brought us together.
Honesty, trust, and a little creativity had bridged the gap. Sometimes, the scariest moments can lead to
the strongest bonds.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been ctionalized for creative purposes.
Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any
For illustration purposes only.
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended
by the author.