Chapter 10: The Room Beneath the House
The voice came again.
“Eli.””
My son’s fingers locked around mine.
I had heard fear in battlefields.
I had heard it in the voices of men who knew they might not make it home.
But nothing compared to hearing it from my child.
“Dad…”
I pulled him behind me.
“I’m here.””
The house was completely dark.
No lights.
No electronics.
No sound except our breathing.
Thomas stood near the safe, frozen.
Vanessa pressed herself against the wall.
And somewhere beyond the office…
Someone was calling my son’s name.
“Eli.””
This time, the voice sounded closer.
I grabbed my phone and turned on the flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness.
“Marcus,” Thomas whispered.
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Don’t follow the voice.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
His face was pale.
“Because Angela warned me about this.””
My grip tightened.
“You knew?””
“I knew there was a room.””
The words landed heavily.
“A room?””
Thomas nodded.
“Angela found it before she died.””
I looked around.
“This house?””
“Yes.””
I felt anger rising.
“How long have you known?””
Thomas didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
“You all knew there was something hidden here.””
“Marcus—”
“No.””
My voice echoed.
“You watched me live here. Raise Eli here. Sleep in this house every night. And nobody told me?””
Thomas looked away.
“Because Angela made us promise.””
“Angela is gone.””
“Yes.””
His voice cracked.
“And I have regretted that promise every day.””
Another sound came from the hallway.
A door opening.
Slowly.
The hidden room.
I stepped forward.
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Don’t.””
I looked at her hand.
Then at her face.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.””
She released me.
But she whispered:
“He wants you angry.””
I stopped.
“What?””
“He knows exactly how to make you move.””
The words surprised me.
Because they sounded like a warning.
Not manipulation.
I looked toward Thomas.
“What is she talking about?””
Thomas sighed.
“The person behind this knows your patterns.””
“My patterns?””
“They studied you.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Who?””
Thomas looked at Eli.
“Someone who knew Angela before she died.””
I walked toward the hallway.
The house felt different now.
Same walls.
Same furniture.
But every corner felt like it was hiding something.
The voice came again.
“Eli.””
My son suddenly spoke.
“I know that voice.””
I turned.
“What?””
His face was confused.
Not just afraid.
Confused.
“Who is it?””
He looked toward the hallway.
“I don’t know.””
“Eli.””
He swallowed.
“But I’ve heard it before.””
My heart stopped.
“Where?””
He looked at Vanessa.
Then away.
“In the house.””
The room went silent.
“How long?””
“I don’t know.””
“Eli.””
He started crying.
“Sometimes at night.””
I felt something break inside me.
My son had been living with this fear.
Alone.
While I was away.
While I believed he was safe.
I knelt beside him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
He wiped his face.
“Because Vanessa said nobody would believe me.””
Every eye turned toward Vanessa.
Her face collapsed.
“Marcus…”
I stood.
“Is that true?””
She looked down.
“I thought he was imagining things.””
“You thought?””
“I heard noises too.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
Her voice became small.
“Because I was already trying to fix everything.””
I looked at Thomas.
“And you?””
He said nothing.
The silence was unbearable.
Then the hallway light flickered.
Once.
Twice.
And a hidden door appeared.
Not a normal door.
A section of the wall had opened.
Behind it was a narrow staircase leading downward.
A hidden room beneath the house.
Nobody moved.
Then Thomas whispered:
“She never showed me this part.””
I looked at him.
“You said Angela found it.””
“I said she found the room.””
He looked terrified.
“I didn’t know there was another entrance.””
A small sound came from below.
A chair moving.
Someone was down there.
I moved forward.
Thomas followed.
Vanessa grabbed Eli’s hand.
I stopped.
“Don’t.””
She looked at me.
“I’m coming.””
I stared at her.
“You lied to me.””
“Yes.””
“You kept secrets.””
“Yes.””
“Why should I trust you?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because whatever is down there…”
She looked toward the hidden staircase.
“…is the reason Angela died.””
The words froze everyone.
I turned.
“What did you say?””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
She realized what she had revealed.
Thomas whispered:
“Vanessa.””
But it was too late.
I stepped toward her.
“Say it again.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Say it.””
Her voice trembled.
“Angela’s death wasn’t an accident.””
The house became silent.
The kind of silence that comes before something breaks.
Then from below us, a voice spoke.
“Finally.””
We all looked down.
May you like
A figure stood in the darkness beneath the house.
And the person stepped into the light.
