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Ethan sat at the dinner table with Clara, the clink of cutlery on plates the only sound in the cozy kitchen. Their daughter, May, seven years old and unusually animated tonight, laughed and ate with a gusto that was rare for her. Dinner ended, and the family moved through the house like shadows, retiring to their rooms.
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In May's room, the walls bore the gentle glow of a night-light. Clara tucked her daughter in, her touch as soft as a whisper, then left for the shower. Ethan, with a book in hand, began to read, his voice weaving tales of a brave knight clashing with a fearsome dragon. May's laughter rang out, a light sound in the dim room, until a sudden, eerie rumble from beneath her bed silenced her mirth.
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"What was that?" May whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
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Ethan peered under the bed, the shadows thick and unyielding. "Nothing, sweetheart," he reassured her, but his heart beat a little faster. He reached for the light switch, the room flooding with sudden brightness, and May, curious or perhaps brave, hopped out of bed to follow.
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That's when it happened. A bony, dry hand, as if mummified by centuries, shot out from under the bed, clutching May's ankle with a grip that seemed to promise eternity. May screamed, her voice piercing the quiet house. "Daddy!"
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Ethan lunged forward, his hands finding hers, pulling with all his might as the unseen force beneath the bed tugged back. "Clara!" he bellowed, his voice cracking with urgency.
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Clara burst into the room, her eyes wild, clutching May's teddy bear. "Hold on, sweetie!" she cried, thrusting the bear towards May, who clutched it desperately. But the creature's pull was relentless; the bear's leg tore with a sickening rip, and May, with her grip on the fabric, was dragged under, her scream cut off as if by a switch.
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Ethan, with a burst of desperate strength, flipped the bed over. But there was no May, no portal, just the cold, hard floor. Clara, still clutching the mutilated teddy bear, stood there, her face a mask of horror, as the room filled with silence, thick and oppressive.
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