It was supposed to be just a normal family celebration—my mother-in-law’s birthday. But when I stepped into the basement, nothing could have prepared me for what I found. What I discovered had me questioning everything, especially the woman who raised my husband.
This is some next-level insanity—my mother-in-law has completely lost it!
Here’s what happened.
It was Jane’s birthday party, and the whole family was there. Everything seemed normal: people were laughing, drinks were flowing, and Jane was putting on that overly sweet, welcoming act she always does.
I’d only been married to Willis for a month, so I was still figuring out the in-law dynamic, trying to keep things smooth. But if someone had told me what I was about to stumble upon, I would’ve called them crazy.
We were all hanging out in the living room when Jane casually mentioned we were out of wine.
“Chelsea, darling, could you and Willis grab a few bottles from the basement?” she asked, flashing her usual forced smile. I didn’t think much of it and followed Willis downstairs.
But as soon as we stepped into the basement, something felt off. There was this eerie stillness in the air, like the whole room was holding its breath. It smelled musty, and the dim lighting only added to the weird vibe. Willis didn’t seem to notice anything, though, as he headed straight for the wine rack, chatting about his mom’s favorite Chardonnay. But as I lingered near the stairs, something caught my eye.
In the corner of the room, beyond some old family albums and dusty boxes, was a small table. And on that table was a framed photo of… me.
“Uh, Willis?” I called out, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.
“What’s up?” he asked, still focused on grabbing the wine.
“There’s… there’s a picture of me over here,” I said, my voice shaky.
Willis straightened up, looking confused, and walked over to where I was standing. His eyes landed on the photo, and he froze.
“Why is your picture here?” he mumbled, and that’s when we both saw the candles.
There were 13 of them, perfectly placed around the photo—eight lined up in front, one in each corner of the room, and one dead center on the floor.
“What the hell?” I whispered, my stomach twisting. “Why are there candles all around my picture?”
Willis looked just as baffled as I was. “I… I don’t know,” he stammered.
“Weird? Willis, this is more than weird! This is freakin’ creepy!” I snapped.
I rushed to the table for a closer look, my heart racing. Why would Jane have a picture of me surrounded by candles in her basement? Was it some bizarre ritual? Something darker?
Willis went pale as he stared at the setup, his breathing shallow. “Willis,” I pressed, “what is this?”
After what felt like forever, he finally spoke, his voice shaky. “I think… my mom’s been using a spell,” he said.
“A spell?” I felt like the floor had just dropped out from under me. “What are you talking about?”