Chapter 2 - The Sister's Panic
The cinematic tension in the room snapped like a taut wire.
Arthur stayed on his knees, his ear still pressed to the floorboards. The tapping was incredibly faint, but it was rhythmic. It wasn't the sound of a settling house. It was the sound of a trapped child desperately hitting a pipe.
He slowly pushed himself up, his eyes wide with absolute, paralyzing horror. He looked directly at Meredith.
Meredith was in her thirties, wearing a pink cardigan that almost matched her niece's. But her face didn't hold the innocent fear of a child. Her realistic micro-expressions betrayed pure, unadulterated panic. Her hands were shaking so badly she had to set the floral teacup down on the saucer with a loud, rattling clatter. She aggressively avoided making eye contact with her brother.
"It's just the heating system," Meredith stammered, her voice cracking as she backed away toward the hallway. "The pipes in this old house always knock when the furnace turns on. Lily is just... she's just imagining things because she's scared."
Arthur stood up to his full height. The frantic, terrified father completely vanished. A cold, calculating, and deeply protective instinct fully awakened.
He had bought this house from Meredith three months ago when she claimed she was downsizing. He knew the layout.
Arthur took a slow step toward his sister. He locked a cold, piercing gaze directly onto her trembling face.
"Meredith," Arthur said, his voice dropping to a dark, decisive, and lethal whisper. "There is no basement under this room."
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Meredith stopped breathing.
👉 What dark secret has Meredith been hiding beneath the pristine hardwood floors?
