Three Knocks

Kitty

Daniel and Emily had been dreaming about this moment for what felt like forever. You know, that moment when you find the perfect house—the one you can see yourself building a life in. They’d finally done it. A charming little place at the very edge of town, tucked away from all the noise and chaos. It was, well, almost storybook-like. Cozy, peaceful, secluded...maybe a little too secluded, but hey, that’s the charm, right?

Kitty

You can imagine that first night—their boxes barely unpacked, a bottle of wine they were saving for moving day finally popped open. Everything just felt so...right. But that’s the thing about moments that seem too perfect, isn’t it? It’s like they’re just, I don’t know, begging for a crack to show. And it didn’t take very long for the cracks to start—for them, it was the very first night.

Kitty

It started with three knocks. Just three. Quiet but deliberate. Knock, knock, knock. It came just as they’d climbed into bed, ready to drift off after an exhausting day. At first, they thought maybe it was nothing—like, a branch brushing the house or something simple like that. But, of course, Daniel being Daniel, curious as ever, had to check it out. He grabbed a flashlight, headed to the front door, opened it…and there was nothing. No wind, no neighbors, no trees close enough to make a sound like that. Just silence.

Kitty

There’s this funny thing about silence, though. When it settles in after something weird, it’s not soothing—it’s heavy. And as they lay back in bed, that silence kind of...lingered, you know? Like the house was holding its breath. They tried to get some sleep, but I think we all know how much luck they had with that.

Kitty

The thing about old houses—or even new ones, honestly—is that they come with stories we don’t always get to hear. Folklore tells us about spirits tied to the idea of home, doesn’t it? Especially with housewarming. I mean, think about it—how many cultures have traditions involving fire or salt or even bread to ward off bad energy? It’s almost like everybody, on some level, feels that moving into a new space stirs...I don’t know...something unseen. And for Daniel and Emily, it seems like the unseen might’ve been knocking to say hello.

Kitty

By the second night, Emily couldn’t shake the feeling that something was, I don’t know, just...off. I mean, you’d think they’d have chalked up the first night to overexhaustion, right? Maybe even just a coincidence. But no—because that same, deliberate knocking came again. This time, not at the front door, but at the back. Three knocks, clear as day. Knock, knock, knock.

Kitty

Daniel, of course, was still convinced there had to be a reasonable explanation. "It’s just the house settling...old pipes, or...something. It’s nothing, Em." He grabbed that same flashlight and headed to the back door, just like before—though I think even he seemed a little more unsure this time. And once again, there was no one. The yard was empty, the night was still. Dead still, if I’m honest. But, you know, it’s funny how Daniel seemed perfectly ready to brush it off once he shut that door. Meanwhile, Emily? She was kind of unravelling, piece by tiny piece.

Kitty

Here’s the thing about fear: it feeds off the unknown. And Emily was starting to feel it creep in, layer by layer—not just fear of what was out there, but what it might mean. You know, when you’re in your own home, the one place that’s supposed to feel safe, and something breaches that sanctuary...well, it does something to you. She wasn’t just jumpy; she was starting to lose trust—not in Daniel, but in the space itself. It’s like the house was keeping secrets from her.

Kitty

And maybe that’s because houses have more history than we give them credit for. They’ve been a part of human lives forever, tied so closely to rituals and superstitions. I mean, there’s folklore, right? Stories of sounds warning of restless spirits lingering, and rituals to keep them at bay—like coins on windowsills to block evil from coming in, or borrowing fire to stop unwelcomed energies from settling. It’s ancient stuff, but, maybe part of Emily believed it. Maybe part of her thought those knocks were, I don’t know...a warning.

Kitty

Because that’s what made this worse—it wasn’t just the sound anymore. It was the way it moved. First the front door, then the back. Like, whatever it was...it wasn’t staying outside for long. And Emily couldn’t help wondering—what if it wasn’t just knocking to be heard? What if it was knocking to be let in?

Kitty

By the third night, Emily was on edge, and honestly, who could blame her? The house—that perfect little haven they’d fallen in love with—had started to feel, I don’t know, alive in a way that wasn’t comforting at all. When the knocks came again, it wasn’t at the front door or the back door this time. No, this time, it came from deep within the house. Three deliberate, sharp knocks. Knock, knock, knock. And they were coming from the basement.

Kitty

Emily froze, every muscle in her body tense, while Daniel hesitated for just a second before grabbing the flashlight. "It's—it's probably nothing," he muttered, but even he didn’t sound convinced anymore. Together, they crept toward the door. The basement door. You could almost feel the air change in that moment, heavy like the house was holding its breath.

Kitty

When Daniel eased the door open, the darkness waiting for them...it just felt endless, yawning. The kind of thing that makes your skin crawl just from looking at it. They both stood there at the top of the stairs, staring into that black void. Nothing moved. Not a sound. But somehow, that absence of noise—it was more unsettling than anything else.

Kitty

And then, when they least expected it, that whisper drifted up from the depths of the basement. A voice, so faint it was like it was part of the darkness itself. "You let me in." Just five little words, but they hit like a cold rush of air cutting right through them. Emily couldn’t breathe. Daniel spun around, shining the flashlight behind them, and that’s when they noticed—the front door. It was wide open.

Kitty

They didn’t even have time to process it before the door slammed shut, hard enough to rattle the windows. And those knocks? They didn’t stop. Knock, knock, knock. Over and over and over again, echoing through the house like the rhythm of a heartbeat. Every knock drove the chill deeper into their bones.

Kitty

But here’s the part that lingers, the thing that won’t let you sleep easy. There’s something primal in us, isn’t there? Something that makes every creak, every rustle, every single sound in the still of night feel like a threat. Like it’s not just noise—it’s something watching, waiting, just out of sight. You know, it makes you wonder...was the house knocking to warn them? Or was it knocking to see who would answer?

Kitty

And that’s all for today. Stay safe out there—and maybe think twice before opening any doors you didn’t hear close. Until next time.