Chapter 6 - The Rescue
A wave of cold, stale, damp air rushed out of the dark hole in the floor.
Arthur grabbed the flashlight from his pocket, clicking it on and shining the bright beam down into the darkness.
There was a steep wooden ladder leading down into a small, concrete-lined room. Huddled in the corner, shivering uncontrollably on the freezing floor, was Noah. The eight-year-old boy was covered in dust, his face streaked with heavy tears, his hands bleeding slightly from where he had been desperately pounding a piece of scrap metal against the ceiling pipes.
"Noah!" Arthur choked out, immediately climbing down the ladder.
He dropped to his knees on the concrete, scooping his terrified son up into his strong arms, pulling him into a fierce, desperate, unbreakable embrace.
"Dad," Noah wept, burying his face into his father's green sweater. "It was so dark. Aunt Meredith told me if I screamed, a monster would come eat me."
The sheer, evil magnitude of Meredith's psychological torture hit Arthur like a physical blow. She hadn't just locked him away; she had deliberately terrified him into silence while she sat right above his head.
"I've got you, buddy," Arthur whispered, kissing his son's dusty hair. "You're safe now. I'm right here."
Arthur easily lifted Noah and carried him up the wooden ladder, stepping out of the dark hole and back into the bright, sunlit living room.
Little Lily immediately ran over, throwing her arms around her big brother's legs, crying with pure relief.
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Arthur set Noah down gently. He turned his head and looked at Meredith.
👉 What absolute, brutal justice is waiting for the wicked aunt?
