At seven months pregnant, I agreed to watch over my sibling and their partner while they enjoyed a vacation. One afternoon, I stumbled upon three ominous trash bags in the basement. The contents inside sent me running for my life, and the memory continues to haunt me.

“Run, Julia, faster!” a voice screamed inside my head as I navigated the dense woods behind my sibling’s mansion. Breathless and panicking, one hand clutched my swollen belly while the other swatted away branches that lashed at my face…

The next bus stop lay just beyond these trees. How could I have been so naive? So trusting?

Looking down at my trembling hands, sticky with drying blood, I wiped them on my dress and murmured, “It’s okay, baby. We’re safe. Someone will come for us.”

It all began two weeks earlier…

Curled up on the couch, I was mindlessly scrolling through my phone when it buzzed with a call from my sibling, Morgan.

“Hey, big bro! What’s up?” I answered, trying to inject cheerfulness into my voice despite the tension brewing between us lately.

“Julia! How’s my favorite sibling?” Morgan’s voice boomed through the phone. “Listen, I need a huge favor. Taylor and I are going away for a week—wedding and a little vacation. Could you or Alex house-sit for us?”

Before I could respond, I heard rustling, followed by Taylor’s voice joining the call.

“Oh, Julia, you’ll love it here! Don’t worry about a thing, sweetie. The house practically takes care of itself.”

I hesitated, remembering the chilly demeanor Taylor had been showing me recently.

Our relationship had grown increasingly strained over the past year since Alex’s business took off and our financial situation improved dramatically.

Meanwhile, Morgan had faced a series of setbacks, and I could see how it weighed on both them and Taylor.

The breaking point seemed to come when I announced my pregnancy. While the rest of the family celebrated, Taylor’s reaction had been less than enthusiastic.

They even skipped my gender reveal party, claiming they were “too busy” when I reached out to ask why they hadn’t shown up.

I knew that wasn’t true. Taylor and Morgan had been trying to conceive for years without success due to health issues Taylor faced. My easy pregnancy felt like rubbing salt in their wounds.

Then there was the incident last month when Taylor threw a party to celebrate Morgan finally securing a big contract. Alex and I weren’t invited, and when I confronted them later, they dismissed it with a flimsy excuse about “limited space.”

The hurt from that moment still lingered.

Now, here they were, asking me to house-sit. Was this an olive branch? Maybe they were ready to put their jealousy aside.

Despite my doubts, I wanted to believe this could be a turning point in our relationship.

“Sure, I’d love to help out,” I replied, hope creeping into my voice. “When do you need me?”

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.”

As I hung up, Alex walked in, concern clouding his brow as he noticed my expression.

I explained the situation, watching worry shadow his features.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” he asked gently. “Things have been tense with Taylor lately.”

I sighed, absentmindedly rubbing my belly. “I know, but maybe this is their attempt to mend things? Plus, it could be nice to have a little getaway before the baby arrives.”

Alex still looked doubtful, his brows furrowed with concern.

“I wish I could come with you, but I have crucial meetings all week,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Are you absolutely certain about this?”

I nodded, trying to exude more confidence than I felt. “I’ll be fine, honey. I can manage.”

He still didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. Just promise me you’ll take care, alright?”

I leaned in and kissed him softly. “I promise. I’ll be okay.”

The next morning, I stood outside Morgan and Taylor’s mansion, waving goodbye to Alex as he drove away after dropping me off.

Morgan and Taylor emerged with suitcases in hand.

“Julia!” Morgan enveloped me in a gentle hug, keeping a safe distance from my belly. “Thanks so much for this. We really appreciate it.”

Taylor offered a strained smile, air-kissing my cheek.

“Yes, thank you,” they said, their tone overly sweet. “Everything you need is inside. We must run to the airport. Have a wonderful week, darling!”

And just like that, they were gone, leaving me alone in the expansive house.

I wandered through the rooms, feeling strangely out of place.

My phone buzzed with a text from Alex: “Miss you already. Call if you need anything. Love you both.”

I smiled and quickly replied before settling onto the couch. As night fell, the house seemed to grow more vast and empty.

The taxidermied animals on the walls appeared to watch me, intensifying the sensation that I was being observed.

Three days passed in a blur of Netflix binges and long naps.

On the fourth morning, I decided to be productive. After my daily call with Alex, I cleaned the kitchen and headed to the basement to check the furnace.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, I noticed three large garbage bags tucked away in a corner.

“Weird,” I murmured. “Taylor must’ve forgotten to take these out.”

I snapped a quick picture and texted them a joke: “Forgot something? No worries, I’ve got trash duty covered!”

Moments later, my phone erupted with notifications. A text from Taylor read: “DON’T TOUCH THEM! SERIOUSLY, GET OUT OF OUR BASEMENT! NOW.”

Before I could process their alarm, the phone rang.

I answered, confused. “Taylor? What’s going on?”

“Julia, listen carefully,” they hissed. “Get out of the basement. Now. Don’t look at those bags. Just go upstairs and pretend you didn’t see them.”

“Okay, okay,” I stammered, stepping back. “I’m leaving now.”

I hung up, my heart racing. What could possibly be in those bags that elicited such a reaction from Taylor?

Despite my instincts screaming at me to flee, curiosity overwhelmed me.

I approached the nearest bag, hands trembling as I untied the knot.

As I opened it, the bag ripped, spilling its contents onto the floor. The moment I processed what lay before me, ice coursed through my veins.

Ritualistic items. Decayed chicken bones and feathers. Voodoo dolls. Countless crude, handmade dolls, each bearing a photo of MY FACE. Many were stained with a dark, reddish-brown substance and emitted a foul odor. The stench of decay filled the air, making my stomach churn.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, stumbling backward. “This can’t be—”

I fumbled for my phone, dialing Alex with shaking fingers.

“Baby,” I gasped when he picked up. “I need you to come get me. Now.”

“Julia, breathe,” Alex’s voice crackled through the speaker. “What’s happened?”

I struggled to explain between gasps, my words spilling out in a panicked rush.

“Bags in the basement… voodoo dolls with my face… blood… Alex, I think Taylor’s trying to curse our baby!”

“Jesus Christ,” he murmured. “Okay, listen. Get out of that house right now. Don’t wait for me. Just get to the bus stop on the main road. I’m on my way.”

I didn’t need a second invitation. I raced up the stairs, pausing only to grab my purse before bursting out the front door. The woods behind the house offered a shortcut to the road, and I plunged in without hesitation.

Branches whipped at my face as I sprinted, my pregnant belly making it difficult to navigate. My ragged breathing punctuated the snapping of twigs beneath my feet.

Finally, I broke through to the road, the bus stop just a few yards away. I collapsed onto the bench, gasping for air, my hands and clothes smeared with dirt and blood from my frantic escape.

Minutes later, Alex’s car screeched to a halt in front of me. He jumped out, rushing to my side. “Julia! Are you okay? The baby?”

I nodded weakly as he helped me into the car. As we sped away, I recounted everything I had seen in a shaky voice.

Alex’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted them,” he muttered. “Especially not Taylor. With how they’ve been acting…”

“I can’t believe they’d do this,” I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks. “My own sibling’s partner… how could they hate me this much?”

Alex squeezed my hand reassuringly. “We’ll figure this out, I promise. But first, let’s get you home and safe.”

The next few days were a blur of fear and disbelief.

Taylor called repeatedly, but Alex insisted I shouldn’t talk to them until Morgan returned. When they finally came back from their trip, I braced myself for the confrontation.

We met at a neutral location—a quiet café downtown. Morgan appeared confused and concerned as I recounted my discovery, while Taylor’s expression shifted from shock to anger, ultimately settling on defeat.

“I didn’t mean for you to find out!” Taylor blurted, their voice rising. “I just… thought maybe—”

“Thought maybe what?” I interjected, my voice quaking with anger. “That you could curse me? Curse my baby? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Morgan sighed heavily, a mix of disappointment and disbelief on their face. “Taylor, this needs to stop. You can’t—”

“I did it because I was jealous!” Taylor’s voice cracked, their desperation spilling over. “You just waltz in here, flaunting your perfect life while I suffer! I thought… maybe if I could just control it, maybe I’d finally get my chance!”

The revelation hit me like a slap. It wasn’t just jealousy; it was something deeper, something twisted and dark.

Morgan’s face paled as they processed Taylor’s confession. “You need help. We need to talk about this.”

But I wasn’t waiting around for that. I stood up and walked away, tears blurring my vision as I left the café, my heart heavy with betrayal.

I wanted to believe we could fix this, but I knew I couldn’t put my baby at risk, especially not for the sake of someone who harbored such darkness.

That day, I made a decision: I would do everything in my power to protect my child, even if it meant cutting ties with the family I once cherished.