I took my 4-year-old daughter to my friend’s house… I never could have imagined what she would find in her room!
When my 4-year-old daughter, Lucy, begged me to leave Lilian’s house, a cold shiver ran down my spine. This wasn’t just a tantrum—her fear was raw, visceral. Her eyes darted away, her voice trembled… something was wrong. I wanted to reassure her, to tell her everything was fine, but a creeping unease settled in my chest. What had she seen to make her so terrified? 👉 Find out the rest below… 😮 👇 👇 👇
“Lucy, don’t forget your jacket,” I called as I grabbed my keys from the console.
“No need, Dad!” Lucy shouted from her room, probably debating between her favorite sparkly sneakers.
I shook my head, amused. At just four years old, she already knew how to stand her ground. Being her father was no easy task—raising her alone was often a challenge. Her mother, Luiza, had left us before Lucy’s first birthday, deciding that motherhood wasn’t for her. Since then, it had been just the two of us.
The first few months had been the hardest. Lucy cried constantly, and I never knew how to soothe her. I’d spend hours rocking her, only for her to wake the moment I put her down. But over time, we found our rhythm.
Three months ago, I met Lilian. One morning, while waiting for my usual black coffee, she stood behind me, a red scarf tied around her neck and an irresistible smile.
“You look like you need something stronger than coffee,” she joked.
That simple remark turned into a conversation, then a date. Lilian was warm and outgoing. Lucy had met her twice before and seemed to like her. My daughter never held back—if she didn’t like someone, she made it known. Seeing her smile around Lilian gave me hope.
“Are we almost there?” Lucy asked, her nose pressed against the car window.
“Almost,” I replied with a smile.
That night, we were invited to Lilian’s for dinner and a movie. Lucy had been buzzing with excitement all week.
As soon as we pulled up to the building, her eyes widened.
“She has fairy lights!”
I glanced up at Lilian’s balcony, glowing with golden string lights.
“Pretty, huh?”
Before we even knocked, Lilian opened the door, beaming.
“Hey, you two! Come in, you must be freezing!”
Lucy didn’t need to be told twice. She dashed inside, her light-up shoes flickering like tiny fireworks.
Lilian’s apartment was just like her: warm and inviting. A mustard-yellow couch sat in the center of the living room, covered in colorful cushions. Shelves overflowed with books and framed photos. In the corner, a small Christmas tree still twinkled, even though the holidays were long over.
“It’s so pretty!” Lucy exclaimed, spinning in circles.
Lilian laughed. “Thanks, Lucy! Do you like video games? I have an old console in my room if you want to play while your dad and I make dinner.”
Lucy’s eyes sparkled. “Really? Can I?”
“Of course! Come on, I’ll show you!”
As they disappeared down the hallway, I stayed in the kitchen, where the air was filled with the delicious scent of garlic and rosemary.
Lilian set a dish of roasted vegetables on the table and shot me a playful smile.
“So, any embarrassing childhood stories I should know about?”
I chuckled. “Plenty, but why don’t you tell me one of yours?”
She smirked. “When I was seven, I tried to help my mom repaint the living room… Let’s just say glitter and white walls don’t mix.”
I burst out laughing. “That sounds like something Lucy would do!”
But at that moment, Lucy reappeared in the doorway, her face pale, eyes wide with fear.
“Daddy…” she whispered, trembling. “We need to talk. In private.”
I crouched down to her level, my voice calm.
“What is it, sweetheart? What’s wrong?”
She cast a panicked glance toward the hallway, then clung to me.
“She’s bad. Really bad.”
I frowned. “Lilian?”
Lucy nodded, then murmured in a shaking voice:
“In her closet… there are heads. Real heads. They were looking at me.”
I blinked. “Heads? What do you mean?”
“Human heads!” she sobbed. “They’re horrible, Daddy. We have to go!”
My stomach twisted. Was it just her wild imagination, or… had she really seen something terrifying?
I didn’t hesitate. I scooped her up in my arms.
“Okay, okay. We’re leaving.”
Lucy buried her face in my shoulder as I headed for the door.
Lilian turned, concerned. “Is everything okay?”
“She’s not feeling well,” I answered quickly. “Sorry, we’ll have to reschedule dinner.”
Lilian looked disappointed. “Oh no… Will she be okay?”
“Yeah… I’ll call you later.”
On the way home, Lucy was silent, curled up in the back seat.
“Sweetheart,” I asked gently. “Are you sure about what you saw?”
She nodded, still shaking. “They were real, Daddy. I know it.”
My heart pounded. After dropping Lucy off at my mom’s, I made a decision.
I had to check.
When Lilian opened the door, she looked surprised.
“Back already? Is Lucy feeling better?”
I hesitated. “Yeah… Hey, do you mind if I take a look at your console? It’s been a while since I played…”
She raised an eyebrow. “Weird request, but sure. It’s in my room.”
With sweaty palms, I opened her closet…
And I saw them.
Four heads. One painted like a clown, another wrapped in torn red fabric.
My heart nearly stopped… until I touched them.
They were rubber.
Halloween masks.
A wave of relief crashed over me, followed by deep guilt.
The next day, Lilian came to see Lucy with the masks.
“Look, sweetheart,” she said softly, slipping one on. “They’re not heads. They’re costumes.”
Lucy hesitated, then reached out and touched the mask.
“It’s squishy!” she giggled.
That moment could have pulled us apart, but instead… it brought us closer. 💜
