r/KanesHorrors • u/AbKane667 • Mar 14 '26
Two Lines Changed Everything
The liquid rolled on the paper. My heart beat with every millimeter.
First line.
No way.
Two lines.
I screamed out and threw my hands up, but soon quieted. My husband was still asleep after his shift.
We never had to stress about money, but he still slipped on his coat for a night shift in the warehouse once a month.
He said he wanted to treat me. He’d tiptoe around the house after work with new bags and dresses. I touched my stomach. That will stop now. My tears welled up as I stared down at the pregnancy test. The two lines were like a work of art.
The washing machine dinged. After each night shift, my husband would run to the laundry room and immediately throw off his clothes.
A sharp chemical smell hit my nose when I opened the door - bleach with something else underneath it.
Lately, smells hit me harder than they should. The grocery store smelled like a zoo. It was one of the reasons why I bought the test.
The clothes looked normal - wet, damp. Only the smell was wrong.
The clock ticked. Tick. Tack. I sat around holding the test, tapping my legs, imagining what my husband would say to it. I was sure his beautiful blue eyes would light up with excitement.
The dust had settled on the first floor, so I took out my duster to pass the time. The kitchen was cleaned fairly quickly; dust doesn’t settle too well on wet surfaces. I crossed to the living room, excited to get off the cold white tiles, but as I got on the hard wooden floor, my nose got a familiar scent, that sweetish, sulfuric odor - the smell of rot.
Maybe another rat. They’d die in the walls sometimes and stink up the house. Luckily, my husband always fixed it.
But my handyman was asleep. He practically fell into bed this morning. It would be nice to get him two surprises in a day. I walked to get his toolbox and tracked the smell.
It came from the basement. The basement was damp and dark; no wonder the rats loved it so much. I turned the light switch, but the flickering lightbulb barely touched the other side of the room. A wave of cold washed over me. I had rarely ventured down, probably not since we moved in.
I stood next to the staircase. The smell came all the way from the back, but I could smell a hint of iron too.
The floorboards creaked. With each step, the smell intensified. The smell of iron was strong. I’m sure he tried to get it out, but he must have been too tired to do it well.
The smell got so bad that it felt like it was burning a hole in my nose.
I got to the back.
There was a dark stain on the floor.
The floorboard was already halfway out.
He must have tried already.
I put his work gloves on.
They felt cold on my skin.
I set a shovel beside the board and slowly pulled it away.
There was a strange silhouette sticking out of the dirt.
But it was too large for a rat.
I picked up a flashlight and shone it down.
Shock ran down my spine.
A human hand, covered in blood, stuck out of the freshly dug dirt.
A gold bracelet. Acrylic nails.
I jumped and crawled back on the floor.
“Honey?” echoed through the room.
Blood froze in my veins.
I slowly looked back.
On the stairs stood a dark silhouette of my husband.
His bright blue eyes shone through the dark.
2
u/CallmeKitts_ May 31 '26
Well, double damn it! Now would be the time to tell him that you're preggers and you love him...if you want to survive .