Chapter 15 - The Final Frame
Mark stared at the monitor, his blood turning to ice in his veins. The figures on the screen were motionless, their pale faces illuminated by the green night-vision glow, their hands resting gently on the shoulders of the empty air where Mark and his family had been standing just moments before.
"Mark? What is it? Come to bed, please, I'm exhausted," Elena called out from the hallway, her voice warm and entirely normal. "Mia's already back in her bed. She fell right asleep."
Mark slowly backed away from the desk, his eyes locked on the glowing screen. He didn't answer Elena. He couldn't find the words.
He walked out of the study and joined Elena in the hallway. She looked tired, her dark hair falling softly over her shoulders, her expression filled with simple, everyday concern.
"You're shaking," Elena said, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. Her skin was warm, real, and alive. "The whole night was terrifying, Mark. But it's over now. The house is secure."
"Yeah," Mark whispered, casting one final, lingering glance down the quiet, carpeted corridor toward the guest room. "It's secure."
They walked back to their bedroom together. Mark lay down beside Elena, pulling the covers up over them. In the next room, through the baby monitor on the nightstand, they could hear the soft, rhythmic sound of Mia breathing peacefully in her sleep.
The house settled around them with a familiar, comforting series of creaks and groans. The storm outside had passed, leaving behind a clear, star-lit sky that cast a pale, gentle silver light through the bedroom window.
Mark closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion pull him toward sleep. For a few minutes, the terror of the night began to fade, replaced by the quiet warmth of home.
Then, faint and clear from the hallway outside their bedroom door, came the sound of bare feet padding softly across the carpet.
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Tap. Tap. Tap.
Mark didn't open his eyes. He didn't reach for a flashlight. He just reached across the bed, found Elena’s hand in the dark, and held on tightly as the small footsteps stopped right outside their door, accompanied by the faint, muffled rustle of a stuffed toy rabbit being dragged across the floor.
