The storm groaned against the house, rain lashing the windows in wild, frantic beats. Thunder cracked through the sky, rattling the walls like a dying breath.
Clara stood frozen at the top of the stairs.
The footprint was small. Delicate. A child's step. But the dark smear trailing from the heel up toward the second floor…
It wasn’t mud.
A gust of wind slammed against the house, shaking the old beams. The power flickered, shadows stretching, shifting then still.
Clara’s breath caught in her throat.
The basement door hung open, a black mouth yawning wide at the foot of the stairs. The stench of damp earth and something metallic slithered out, winding up the steps like a beckoning hand.
She had locked that door.
Hadn’t she?
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the switch on the wall. The basement light hummed, flickered… but refused to stay.
Another gust howled through the night. A slow, rhythmic sound followed it. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Clara stepped forward.
She followed the single footprint, her heartbeat pressing against her ribs. The small, red-marked trail led down the hallway, past the family portraits lining the wall. The dim glow of the nightlight in Ivy’s room pulsed softly, barely reaching the open doorway.
A child’s voice hummed from within. A lullaby.
Soft. Sweet.
Wrong.
Clara hesitated.
“Ivy?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
The humming stopped.
Silence swallowed the house whole.
She stepped inside.
Ivy lay curled beneath the blankets, golden hair fanned over the pillow. Her face was peaceful, lashes resting against her soft cheeks. The light from the hallway painted her skin in shades of pale gold and deep shadow.
Clara swallowed.
Her little girl’s hands peeked out from beneath the blankets. Small fingers, slack in sleep.
Dark red smeared across the creases of her palm.
Clara’s breath hitched. A cold pit formed in her stomach.
She knelt beside the bed, heart thundering.
She didn’t want to wake her.
She had to.
Gently, she brushed Ivy’s hair back. Her skin was warm. So perfectly warm.
“Ivy, baby?” she whispered, her throat tight. “Where did you get this blood?”
A tiny sigh. Ivy shifted, her lips parting as she mumbled in her sleep.
Clara leaned closer.
The voice that came was not Ivy’s.
A low murmur. A sound too deep, too distant, slipping from the lips of a sleeping child.
“Still watching.”
Clara’s spine locked. The room pressed in around her, thick with something unseen.
Ivy shifted again, small fingers twitching in the sheets. A slow, contented sigh.
Then—
She smiled.
The darkness outside the window shuddered. The house exhaled.
And from the basement, something moved.
A slow, deliberate step against the wooden floor.
Not a creak of the house settling.
Something else.
Something coming up the stairs.
The sound slithered through the floorboards.
One step. Another.
The slow, deliberate weight of something climbing.
Clara’s breath trembled in her chest, the air suddenly thick too thick like it had been pulled from the room. The wind outside shrieked against the windows, rattling them in their frames.
Ivy remained still, her small lips curled into a peaceful, eerie smile. The blood on her hands had dried, deep crimson seeping into the creases of her tiny fingers.
Clara tore her gaze away from her daughter, her stomach lurching.
The basement door.
Still open.
Still waiting.
Her body refused to move, but her mind screamed ,Get up. Get up. GET UP.
The step on the stairs came again. Closer.
A shadow shifted at the far end of the hallway.
Clara’s pulse hammered. The darkness beyond the door seemed to stretch ,lengthen, breathe,as if something stood just beyond her sight.
A flicker of movement.
A shape.
Tall. Twisted.
Clara’s fingers dug into the blankets, cold sweat trailing down her spine.
Then Ivy stirred.
Her daughter’s eyes fluttered open. Pale blue. Bright. Too bright.
A flicker of something ancient beneath them.
She blinked.
The smile widened.
“Mommy,” Ivy whispered, her voice light, sweet. “You’re scared.”
Clara swallowed, her throat raw.
“Baby,” she rasped, “where did you get the blood?”
Ivy tilted her head. The soft glow from the nightlight cast shadows beneath her delicate features, stretching her expression just a little too far.
Another step.
The shape in the hallway shifted again.
Ivy’s little fingers twitched.
And then
She giggled.
Soft. Innocent. strange
“The door was open,” Ivy whispered, eyes gleaming.
Clara’s stomach twisted. Her fingers dug into the mattress.
“What door?” she forced out.
Ivy sighed, as if her mother had asked the most obvious question in the world.
“The one in the ground.”
Clara’s breath stopped.
A chill ran through her bones, colder than the storm beyond the walls.
Ivy’s fingers brushed against hers,small, warm, tainted with something unseen.
The thing in the hallway shifted.
Ivy’s tiny hand gripped her mother’s wrist.
And smiled.
“Don’t worry, Mommy,” she whispered. “He likes you too.”
The basement door slammed shut.
And the light went out.
The storm outside had not relented. Rain lashed the windows in chaotic rhythms, as if the sky itself were unraveling. Lightning burned across the clouds, illuminating the room in pulses of stark white before plunging it back into thick shadows.
Clara stood over Ivy’s bed, heart hammering, skin damp with a cold sweat. Her daughter slept on her side, the covers twisted at her waist, her hair a golden tangle across the pillow.
But her hands
Her hands were coated in blood. Dark. Wet. Unmistakably real.
Clara knelt, slowly, eyes locked on the small fingers resting peacefully by Ivy’s cheek. There was no wound on the child. No injury. No cuts. Just blood. Clinging to her like a second skin.
The air in the room had changed. It pressed in, thick and heavy, filling Clara’s ears with the distant roar of her own pulse. She reached forward, fingertips brushing Ivy’s wrist. The blood was fresh. Still tacky.
“Ivy…” she whispered, the name catching in her throat. “Where did you get this blood, baby?”
Ivy didn’t stir.
She exhaled a slow breath through her nose. Her eyes remained closed, lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. But her lips moved.
Not Ivy’s voice.
A man’s voice. Cold. Hollow.
“Don’t wake me.”
Clara stumbled backward, slamming into the dresser. Her breath escaped in short, sharp gasps. Her gaze flicked from Ivy’s hands to her serene, sleeping face.
Then
A smile.
A small, deliberate twitch of the lips. As if the body was asleep… but something else beneath the skin was aware.
Clara’s throat tightened. She stared as the lightning flared again, casting everything into a ghostly tableau of light.
And Ivy’s eyes opened.
Not the soft blue she knew. Not the bright, innocent gaze of her baby girl.
But black.
A vast, ink-like void that swallowed the lightning whole.
Clara’s scream never reached her lips.
And Ivy kept smiling.
GW Law Admitted Students FAQ — What You Need to Know
This guide summarises the most important information from the George Washington University Law School Admitted Students Frequently Asked Questions page. It is written to be practical and up to date so you can plan next steps with confidence. Official GW pages are linked throughout so you can verify details or follow up directly.
What is the Admitted Students FAQ
The Admitted Students FAQ is GW Law’s central resource for students who have been offered admission. It answers common questions about deposits, cost of attendance, merit scholarships, need-based grants, international student requirements, and post-deposit tasks. Access the official FAQ here: inatgw.law.gwu.edu — Frequently Asked Questions.
Major sections to know
When you read the FAQ, prioritise these sections because they affect your decision to accept an offer and how you prepare financially and logistically.
- Merit Scholarships — how awards are offered, timelines, and renewal conditions. More on merit awards.
- Open Doors Scholarship and Need-Based Grants — targeted support for students with severe financial need. Open Doors details.
- International Students — funding documentation, visa timing, and what institutional aid is available to non-US students. International student guidance.
- Cost of Attendance — full breakdown of tuition, living cost estimates, insurance, and other fees. See COA estimates.
- Post-Deposit Requirements — transcripts, immunizations, orientation and other actions after you accept. Post-deposit checklist.
Key facts and figures (latest official numbers)
| Item | Official figure / note |
|---|---|
| Full-time JD Cost of Attendance (2025–2026) | Approximately US$110,947. This figure bundles tuition, room and board, personal expenses, books, health insurance, and loan fees. See GW’s COA page for the exact itemised breakdown. COA. |
| Part-time JD Cost of Attendance (2025–2026) | Approximately US$90,652. Part-time tuition differs but living and other allowances remain comparable. COA. |
| Open Doors Scholarship (typical full award) | Package value cited as roughly US$135,000 for full-time recipients. Part-time package figures are lower. Check the program page for application and selection details. Open Doors. |
Note: Cost of attendance numbers change each year. Always check GW’s official COA page or the admitted students FAQ for the exact academic year you plan to enroll in.
Important particularities for international students
- Proof of funding is required. International applicants must demonstrate sufficient funds to cover the full Cost of Attendance for each year when seeking an I-20 or DS-2019. International students.
- Limited institutional need-based aid for non-US citizens. Institutional need based grants and federal loans are generally not available to international students. Plan funding carefully. Details.
- Health insurance requirements. International students are typically enrolled in the GW Student Health Insurance Plan unless they qualify for a waiver. Budget for these costs. Health insurance info.
What GW Law does not do or common misconceptions
- No aid negotiation by default. GW Law states that it does not generally negotiate institutional aid offers based on competing offers. Use caution relying on negotiation. FAQ.
- Merit awards are for incoming students. Merit scholarships are normally granted to first-year admits and do not typically transfer to later entry years if you were not awarded originally. Merit award policy.
- External funding required for some cases. If you are an international student without institutional aid, external scholarships or sponsor funding are essential. Explore EducationUSA, Fulbright, or country scholarship bodies early. EducationUSA.
Practical steps and smart moves for admitted students
- Pay attention to deadlines. Seat deposits, scholarship applications, and document submissions have strict timelines. A missed deadline can affect aid and housing.
- Build a realistic budget. Use GW’s COA as a baseline and research local housing, transit, groceries, and personal expenses in Washington, DC.
- Apply for external scholarships. Start now. External awards add up and may bridge any gap in institutional aid.
- For international students, secure official sponsor letters or bank statements early so you can obtain your visa documents in time.
- Contact GW offices directly if you have special circumstances. The admissions and financial aid teams can provide guidance and next-step checklists. Contact GW Law.
Why this matters
Understanding the admitted students FAQ will protect you from surprising debt, last-minute paperwork, or missed opportunities. It helps you make an informed choice about where to matriculate and how to finance your legal education. Use the FAQ plus direct contact with GW offices to resolve any uncertainty.
Official links and further reading
- GW Law Admitted Students — Frequently Asked Questions
- GW Law Cost of Attendance
- Merit Scholarships at GW Law
- Open Doors Scholarship and Need-Based Grants
- International Student Resources
- EducationUSA — external funding and advising
If you want, I can now convert this into a printable PDF, produce a short checklist you can email to your sponsors, or draft a targeted email template to ask GW for more information about a specific scholarship. Tell me which you prefer.
