Chapter 10 - Perimeter Breach
"Who is checking the perimeter, Mark? Talk to me!" Elena screamed, stepping in front of Maya as Mark advanced slowly down the hallway, the green flame of his oil lamp casting long, distorted shadows across the ceiling.
"The architects," Mark replied flatly, his eyes unfocused and milky white, devoid of any human recognition.
Maya whimpered behind me, clutching the white sleeveless dress as the temperature in the hallway plummeted, coating the walls in a thin layer of white frost.
From downstairs came the distinct sound of heavy boots marching across the foyer, accompanied by the metallic clink of professional-grade tools against the front door lock.
"They know we found the expansion. They always take the families who see behind the drywall," Mark muttered, stopping just inches away from us and setting the oil lamp down on the floor.
Elena grabbed a heavy umbrella from the hallway stand, holding it like a club as she glared at the man she had loved.
"You built this house over something, didn't you, Mark? You didn't buy it—you constructed it to contain whatever was in that hole!" she accused, her voice echoing in the confined space.
Mark smiled, a horrific, unnatural stretching of his lips that reached too far across his face.
"I didn't build it, Elena. I was just the foreman. And my contract is almost up," he whispered, before collapsing backward into the open Victorian nursery, disappearing into the fog.
The heavy front door downstairs finally gave way with a tremendous crash, splintering wood echoing up the stairwell as multiple flashlights began sweeping beams of light toward the second-floor landing.
May you like
Elena grabbed Maya's hand, sprinting toward the fire escape window at the end of the hall just as heavy, hurried footsteps began pounding up the stairs behind them.
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