Chapter 5: The Phantom in Beige
A cold chill settled over the room, independent of the autumn breeze drifting through the window. David stared at the young girl, his mind racing to find a rational explanation for her words. Elena wore a beige robe. Elena walked through the glass doors. But Lily spoke of the figure as if it were someone distinct, someone separate from the woman sleeping down the hall.
"Lily," David said carefully, his voice dropping an octave as he tried to keep his tone steady. "Mom was asleep in our room. You know that, right? Who did you see by the glass doors?"
The girl shook her head slightly, her brown hair brushing against the collar of her pajamas. "Not Mom. Mom wears the robe during the day when she's tired. But at night, when the house gets really cold, the other lady stands there. She looks like Mom, but her eyes are different. They're... sadder."
David felt a prickle of unease crawl up the back of his neck. He stood up abruptly, walking over to the window and looking down into the dark backyard. The lawn stretched out toward a dense treeline, silvered by the pale light of a waning moon. Nothing moved out there except the wind rustling the dying leaves. He turned back to Lily, forcing a calm, reassuring smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You've just been having vivid dreams, honey. The house is old, and it makes strange noises at night. It plays tricks on your eyes."
"It's not a trick," Lily whispered, her tone matter-of-fact and entirely devoid of childish defiance. "She was holding the blue gloves today before you came in. She left them on the floor for me to find."
David froze. The blood drained slightly from his face. "What did you say?"
"The lady in beige," Lily repeated patiently. "She dropped the gloves on the floor and told me it was time to clean up the mess. That's why I was sitting there waiting."
May you like
The hairs on David's arms stood on end. He remembered walking into the foyer earlier that afternoon. He remembered seeing Lily sitting alone on the tiles with those oversized blue gloves. He had assumed she had fetched them from the utility closet herself. But if what Lily was saying was true—if someone else had given them to her—then the implications were deeply unsettling. He walked back to the bed, kneeling down so he was at eye level with his daughter. "Did you see her face clearly, Lily?"
Lily hesitated, her small fingers clutching the stuffed rabbit tighter. "Her face was blurry. Like she was behind a frosted glass. But she sounded like someone who needed help."
