Tucked In

Late one night, Mia woke to the sound of her little brother whispering in the hallway.

Half asleep, she called out, “Hey… it’s late. Go back to bed.” The whispering stopped.

Footsteps padded toward her door—soft, uneven, almost dragging. “Mia…” a tiny voice

said. “Can you tuck me in?” She sighed, annoyed,

and sat up. “I’ll be there in a second.” But then her phone buzzed.

A text from her mom: “Honey, your brother’s sleeping at Grandma’s tonight.

Remember?” Coldness spread through her chest. The hallway went silent.

Then—right beside her ear— the same small voice whispered again: “…But I’m already