Why are the lights in my room dimming down, I wonder? Probably my brother playing a prank on me again. “I’m not falling for it!” I yell from my desk. Instead of the usual snickering and stomping down the stairs, I get silence. And from the corner of my room, I hear a cackle. My heart thumps against my chest, and I stare at the wall. Am I hallucinating? Witches do not exist in this world. The only ones who believe this are the four-year-olds. But another cackle follows. My eyes widen and I leap under the covers of my bed, too scared to move an inch. And without warning, the lights in my room go completely out.

In the suffocating darkness under my covers, I hold my breath, trying to make sense of the eerie cackling echoing around my room. Fear grips me like icy fingers. "This isn't real," I whisper to myself, hoping the sound of my own voice can bring me to reality. But then, a whisper answers back from the shadows.

"Who dares doubt the existence of witches?" The voice is raspy, ancient, and seems to come from every direction at once. My heart thuds louder in my ears, and I fight the urge to scream.

"No," I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut. "You're not real."

Laughter, low and chilling, fills the air once more. "Oh, but I am real, child. More real than you can imagine."

I clutch the covers tighter, my mind racing. This has to be a nightmare. It has to be! But nightmares don’t usually have voices that seem to slither into your mind like tendrils of smoke. I wish desperately for the lights to come back on, for my brother to burst in laughing, revealing this whole event to be a cruel joke. But the darkness remains, and the presence in the room seems to grow stronger with every passing second.

Suddenly, I feel a cold breath on my neck, and my entire body tenses,"Do you fear me, child?" The voice whispers so close now that I can almost feel its words instead of hearing them.

"Yes," I manage to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Good," the voice chuckles, "Fear is a powerful thing. It feeds me."

Just as I think I can’t bear another moment of terror, a faint glow begins to illuminate the room. Relief floods through me as I realize the lights are returning. But as the room brightens, I see a figure standing in the corner, shrouded in darkness despite the light around its form. 

"You see me now," the voice murmurs, its tone almost wistful. "But remember, child, just because you cannot see me clearly doesn't mean I’m not here."

With that cryptic warning, the figure dissolves into the darkness, leaving me trembling in the now fully lit room. I dare not move for what feels like an eternity as my mind replays the chilling encounter over and over.