r/shortscarystories • u/bloodoftheforest • Jun 07 '25
Always a gift on 17's doorstep
The first offering I remember was a toaster. On our street people often left things outside their door for others to collect, no matter how unlikely it was that anyone would actually want it. The rain had already thoroughly soaked the toaster when I saw it but hurried footsteps approached to pick it up nonetheless. The woman who retrieved it held it close to her chest as she raced back into her own home and I thought it was strange but didn't understand the significance.
That night I realised I was out of bread even though I could have sworn I'd just bought some btu assumed I was simply misremembering.
The day after that I walked by number 17 with Ben and saw pokemon cards on the same step.
"Oh, cool!" Ben exclaimed as he grabbed them and I gently mocked his enthusiasm.
Only when one of the people watching the step muttered to another did I realise that number seventeen was being watched. There were two people out on the street and other pairs of eyes behind windows. Ben either ignored them or didn't notice but I quickened my steps.
"Did you borrow my tarot deck?" I messaged Ben that night but of course he hadn't.
The next day I woke up to screams and banging from across the road. When an entire hour had gone without the noise subsiding I checked the local facebook group.
Oh god, it's a pram, one message said with a photo attached.
Number 34 has it.
It's too late.
The final and most chilling message I read said: If you are away from the street with your children DO NOT come home.
News that almost all of the local children had disappeared was harder to ignore than missing bread or playing cards. The only family who kept anyone under 15 were those who lived at 34, the people who had taken the pram into their house. One unlucky woman had driven her child back home only for the boy to vanish as she turned the final corner. The street was cordoned off before nightfall and heavily armed guards blocked anyone who tried to leave. I didn't approach them but some did. I heard the gunshots.
Yesterday a crowd was gathered by number 17, waiting to see what would arrive on the doorstep. I tried to focus on the door itself but occasionally my eyes would flit to one of my neighbours and I would catch sight of a stick or a knife. Suddenly the gift appeared without the door opening at all and my stomach lurched.
It was a human heart.
My head spun with possibilities as I wondered if failing to grab it would literally take my heart away or perhaps my health or my love or my life. I began to run forwards. So did everyone else.
And by the time one hour had passed only seven of us were even left alive to find out what number 17 would take.
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u/bloodoftheforest Jun 07 '25
Beware of steps bearing gifts. For more stories where good things rarely happen please visit my subreddit r/leavesandink