Chapter one

The house stood hunched against the ridge like something waiting to pounce—its windows hollow and dark, its spine bent by wind and age. Sam had always hated the place. Even as a boy, Sam Simmons he remembered how the walls seemed to breathe at night, how the floorboards groaned like they were remembering something awful. After their mother Liv, died, nothing has been the same.

“This is it?” said Theo in a disappointed tone.

“Just help me unpack, we will be here for at least 4 nights.”

Theo sighed and rolled his eyes.

“The reception is so bad here, my music keeps glitching.” Yelled Emma, brushing a loose braid behind her ear. Her voice was sharp but warm A teenage daughter, who very much likes to live in her own world. She

holds up her phone into the sky.

“Emma, please help.” Sighed Sam.

“I will after I find a signal.”

“Emma.” Sam stood up and stood lopsided against the car, crossed his arms, and looked at Emma.

“Fine.” Emma rolled her eyes and stuffed her phone into her pocket.

Ben came in and stuffed the luggage to the door. The door creaked. The house was old, creaky, and an odd sour smell coming from the kitchen. The house was silent. But loud. Its dark chestnut painted wood walls, and its old-fashioned stair ramps. The house was in attractive shape, although many of the furniture was broken. The table looked old, cracked, and has a missing leg. 

The couches cover was ripped apart, and a spring was poking out of the crooked rips. The light bulbs were dirty, and the walls were covered in

odd stains. The kitchen looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years.

Night fell.

“You tucked in warm, buddy?” Muttered Sam.

“Yes dad.” 

“Night mate.”

“Night.” Said Theo.

The moon had risen, making the rooms glow in a silver light. The beds were squeaky, but still comfortable. 

The sun rose. It shinned its orange fire-like gleam.

‘You kids want some cereal?’

‘Yes, please dad.’ Said Emma.

“Oh dam, no milk.’

‘Ugh” grunted Emma.

“Wait, there’s some milk in the fridge!” Exclaimed Sam.

“Thank goodness.”

“Here you go.”

Sam poured the milk into the bowl. Until he realised, he was pouring light green, mouldy chunky, milk. That was the sour smell from the kitchen. It spilled on Emma’s shirt.

“Yuck! Dad!” gasped Emma.

“So sorry, kiddo, I thought the milk would be fine, Grandpa only died two days ago.

There was a knock on the door.

“Who’s that?” said Emma.

“Just some housing inspectors. They have come to check out the place, see if it’s in good terms. If we want to sell it, it should be healthy.

“Okay, cool.” Emma said uninterested.

Sam opened the door.

“Hey, thanks for coming-”

They didn’t even speak, they just pushed in front of Sam, like he wasn’t even standing there. Sam stood back and raised his arms to let them through the door. Emma looked awkwardly.

“Okay,” said Sam rubbing his hands together.

The inspectors measured walls, searched for any stains, and looked at the floorboards, and the roof. Not even saying a word.

“House is healthy, you just got to maintain it, alright?” The man said. He was bald, small, and had a golden bridge on his tooth. He gave a creepy grin.

“Dad, what’s that sour smell?” asked Theo.

“Not now kiddo.” Sam turned his back and proceeded to answer the Man’s question.

“Uh, yes perfect okay, how much will you need?”

“Just $250.”

“Just?” hisses Sam softly. He scoffs, and hands the man the cash.  

The door slams. 

“Hungry for money these people.” Sam adds.

“Yeah right.” Emma adds.

The night went over the town that night like a dark blanket. Theo didn’t even notice. He’s been watching the clock all day long. Waiting for it to strike. But it only made normal chimes. Theo wasn’t convinced too much. 

“Night buddy.” Sam said.

“Night” Theo replied.

“Hey if that clock strikes again, let me know.”

“Okay.” Theo spoke.

But then, the clock chimed. At first it was normal high-pitched chiming. But then, it made a noise. A terrifying noise. Like the clock had just witnessed something horrible. It was weeping. 

Theo stood out of his bed. He slowly tip-toed out of the hollow, dark room. The door was slightly opened. The clock started screaming. Theo’s heart pounded in fear. He pushed the door open, making a loud creaking noise, and then the clock stopped. As if nothing happened. 

Theo took slow quiet steps to the living room. He stared at the clock. The clock moved slightly, and then a gust of force and monster pounced out

of his centre piece, it rushed to Theo, pushing him, then picking him up. Theo only got a glimpse of the monster. It looked pale skin with no eyes, tall, and terrifying. The monster spewed this dark black bile on Theo’s face. Theo screamed.

The monster rushed back into the clock.

Theo touched his face, thinking there was black liquid on his face, only to look at his hands and see nothing.

“Dad!” screamed Theo.

But his dad was different. He was floating mid-air. He stared at Theo, with that dark liquid pouring out of his eyes. Sam screams. Emma comes rushing into the room. Sam picks her up with invisible force and throws

her against a wall. The wall cracks, and Emma did not move.

And suddenly, he falls to the ground. Panting. Theo slowly backed away, trying to hide behind the counter in the kitchen. Sam got started flying and started gliding faster than Theo’s ever seen. The lights dimmed, and the windows Shaked. 

‘Run!’ screamed Emma.

Sam threw a painting against her.

Theo ran off trying to hide. He rushed downstairs into the basement and locked the door. Theo started panting. The door was banging. Sam was knocking. His first went through. Theo screamed. Theo saw a working bench with a toolbox. The first thing he saw was a screwdriver. 

He quickly grabbed it and hit the tip of it against his knuckles. Sam let out a sinister scream. He rushed his fist back through the door. The clock was still whining. 

Then, Theo saw a pipe. It was leaking. With the dark liquid. A rattling noise grew louder into the pipe. Muffling. And soon, the room filled with the dark liquid. The pipe broke. The room was filling up quickly. The lights snapped. 

Theo screamed.

‘Help!’ he yelled. It was muffled, as the liquid kept travelling into his mouth. Theo started coughing.

Emma came banging on the door.

‘Don’t worry Theo! I’m coming!’ yelled Emma.

Theo was gasping for breath. 

Emma grabbed a chair from the kitchen and hit it twice until the wood broke. A tsunami of the liquid stormed in, clearing everything in it path. The windows shattered. Sam flew out of the window and hit his head against a tree.

‘Dad!’ yelled Theo gasping for air.

At last, the tsunami cleared out onto the street, drowning the street in half a meter high. The trees rustled and sounded like they were in agony.

‘Theo, it’s okay, there’s a river close, it will flow over there.’ Said Emma trying to relive Theo.

‘I’m sorry’ sobbed Theo.

‘Theo, you didn’t do anything.’ Exclaimed Emma.

‘Yes, I did!’ Theo stared at the clock, The clock started mocking Theo’s cry. 

‘I’m done with this stupid clock!’ yelled Emma.

Emma grabbed a kitchen knife and threw the knife right in the 

centre piece of the clock.

‘Emma, no!’ screamed Theo.

‘That’ll make the clock angrier!’

‘What?’ said Emma in fear.

Theo has never seen her face more afraid before.

The clock threw the knife back at Emma, but just as it was about to hit her neck, Sam catches the knife.

‘Dad!’ Theo said reaching in for a hug.’

‘Kiddos, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. It was that clock.’

We all stared at the clock. The clock made a tick-tock noise like it was so innocent. It wasn’t innocent at all.

“Kids, we need to get out of her “Now?” questioned Emma.

‘No, In the morning, but sleep in my bed.’ Sam looked up at the clock.

‘Just in case anything happens.’

‘Dad, your knuckles.’ Said Emma while pointing at his knuckles.

Theo looked at Sam with his eyes full of sadness, like he was saying sorry with his eyes.

Chapter two
 

The morning rose. And somehow, the windows were back to normal, like they never broke. The basement, and the house was completely dry, not leaving a single trace of the black bile. And the clock was still ticking. 

“Get up kiddos,” said Sam. His voice croaky.

Emma gets up and rubs her eyes. She chucks her slippers on and makes her way to the kitchen.

“Listen kids,” Sam said.

“I know last night was terrifying for you kids, but I want you to know as soon as we finish packing this place up, we are out of here.” He says grabbing us by the shoulders. Kind of like a team huddle. 

Theo and Emma looked at dad, trusting him.

“Dad.” Emma said softly.

“Yes Emma?” He asked.

“What if the clock tries to, you know?” She replied in angst.

Sam looked at Emma rubbing her shoulder with his palm. He gave a slightly small smile but didn’t say anything. 

“That clock is something isn’t it?” Sam spoke, trying not to scare them.

Emma giggles. Sam swifts his fingers through the threads in Emma’s hair. 

“Look kiddos, whatever’s going on, I promise you I will try my very best to keep you safe.” He said emotionally.

“And find out what these entities are.”

Blood dripped from the ceiling and dropped onto Sam’s neck. He tucked his arm beneath his shoulder neck and wiped the liquid onto his palm. Sam slowly looked up to see a puddle of blood on the roof. A drop of it landed in his eye. He squeezed his eyes.

“Yuck!” He yelled in disgust. Theo glanced over at his face. 
 “Dad, you, okay?” Theo asked.

“Yes Theo.” Replied Sam.

Theo stared up at the wall, his face slowly going pale. 

“Dad, I don’t think we are safe here.” Theo says with a frightened tone, but almost like he was trying to hide it. 

“I think your right.” Said Sam looking up at the red stained ceiling.

They spent the rest of the night cleaning out the boxes and loading them into the boot of the car. Theo looked at the living room for the last time

and didn’t smile or look back. The only noise that was left when they departed was the hum of the refrigerator, and footsteps upstairs. But everyone left. The knife was left in the clocks centre. Its wood cracked and displaced. 

But what no one noticed was the chestnut-coloured walls, changed. It wasn’t chestnut brown. It was an aqua-green, with cream-coloured stripes. Theo suddenly remembered as the car was driving off  the street, and the house was getting more invisible. But instead of Theo mentioning it, and no one believing him, as the curios young boy he was, he knew others would just think he was using his imagination. He hated it. No one ever believed a word he said. 

At family gatherings, Theo would try talk to his family about things important. Once, when all the adults were eating, and all the children were playing, Theo claimed he saw a creepy man in a suit, and a dark hat, almost covering all his face, and standing outside their neighbour,

John’s home. But when he went to tell his Auntie Mel, and Sam, Sam scoffed.

“Oh, these kids, crazy imagination.” He said picking his fork into his steak and potato wedges.

Theo couldn’t believe it. As he was about to open his mouth to speak, Auntie Mel bended over her seat, grabbed him by the side of the cheek, and expressing to Theo in a sweet little baby voice,

“You cutie, I wish I could have a kid just like you, such big creativity and imagination.” She twirled back to the font of her seat, helping herself to the potato wedges and ranch dip.

Sam laughed, Theo could tell he was trying to act cool, like he was trying to impress Auntie Mel.

“Go play with the kids, I’m pretty sure Emma’s playing Duck-Duck-

Goose.” 

Theo could here faint noises of laughter and Emma saying, Duck repeatedly. But Theo didn’t want to play Duck-Duck-Goose. He wanted Sam to believe him. Sam continued talking to Auntie Mel, listening, and pretending to be interested in the tings Auntie Mel was speaking about. Make-up, breakups, concerts, bla, bla, bal. Sam did not like it. This was not his dad. But something in Theo clicked inside of him. 

He never realised how much danger was in that house till now. All the attacks, the figures, the clock. Theo could see a white bandage over Sam’s knuckles with a faint painting of blood going through the material. Theo remembered how it happened perfectly. He started to feel sick. And looked at Emma. 

She was scrolling through her phone, resting her hand on her palm, with her pink headphones and the childish stickers she put on them

when she was young, which she can’t take off. She tried once, but it ripped the paint job off the headphones. Sam called them cheap. Liv got it for her once Christmas. Before the year she died. The car was so silent, it almost made Theo cry. Emma was crying. Everything that happened in that house, can now be in the past. But not for now.

Chapter three

“What is this place?” Emma says, trying to look for a conversation.

“I did some research last night; this is the place where they told me to come to.” Sam replied.

“Who?” Emma said, suddenly sounding interested. 

“Just some paranormal inspectors. I want to know what is going on in that house. None of this happened when your grandfather was living.” Sam said, gripping the steering wheel tighter. 

“What do you mean when grandpa was ‘living’?” Emma dropped her phone on the car floor, distracting her. Sam didn’t answer. 

“we're here.” 

The building looked quite old, sort of like a renovated camp cabin. But Theo could see the modern décor inside through the windows, the peaceful coloured lights, a modern white couch with a beige blanket, and a marble coffee table, with a couple of those fancy magazines.

Barky trees surrounded the building; it’s roof full of leaves.

“This place looks creepy…” Emma added.

“Just follow my lead.” Sam said while walking to the entrance.

Before Sam could even knock, the man opened the door for him. He had a big head, grey hair, and a black suit with a dark blue tie.

A worried expression swarmed his face.

“Come in.” He muttered. Theo saw his badge on his chest. It read: ‘Charles Ambrose.’

it read. Theo looked down at his shoes. Charles pushed the door forward

giving a clear view of the inside. Emma looked around. 

“I’m afraid the news isn’t great.” Charles said attaching his fingers.

together. Sam sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked, but something told Theo he already knew the answer. 

“Your grandfather, Arthur.” He said, shoving a picture of him on the marble coffee table. 

“I’m afraid, Arthur was not in good states before he perished.” Charles says.

“How do you know?” Sam replied.

“I had a friend of mine, which he was friends with. Liam. He told me, Arthur had sinister thoughts, obsessed with paranormal things, and ghosts. Liam thought it was disturbing. After Arthur’s perish, I knew his death had something connected to his thoughts, and obsessions.” He spoke. Every word he said, slowly descending into a progressively concerned tone. 

“What are you trying to tell me here Charles?” Sam said with slight anger.

“Sam, do you have any struggles? Any grief?” Charles spoke with fear.

Then, thick, buzzing silence. The kind that hums in your ears and 

makes your skin too tight.

“Yes. Liv. My wife, she died two years ago, and I’ve been struggling to 

cope with it.”

“Your Grandfather Arthur is haunting your family. You need to understand you could be in extreme danger here, Sam.” Charles spoke with his voice slightly breaking.

“Are you serious? What does this mean?” Sam said suddenly speaking uneased.

“I’m not sure, but for now take caution and keep your children safe. I don’t know much about paranormal activity, but this is for sure. Don’t

ever go back to that house again.” Charles said sighing as like he just ran a marathon. 

“I don’t know much about it either, but we experienced all of it at that

home. Is there anything I could possibly do?” Sam said shaking.

“Yes, there is something. Don’t be scared. Always fight back if needed.

And hide if it’s not too safe. 

We don’t know what to do for now, but if anything happens again

Please inform me. You’ve got my card right?” Spoke Charles.

“Oh, yes, I do. Thanks.” Replied Sam.

Charles didn’t say anything and told us to be safe. And that’s when

Theo Saw it. A figure that looked identical to Arthur, laying his fingers

on Charles shoulders. And smiling. Theo gasped in fear. Sam looked

Directly at Theo.

“Theo, you, okay?” Said Sam. Theo looked at Sam, then back at were

He saw Arthur, but he wasn’t there anymore. 

“Yep.” Theo replied, fake smiling. 

“All aboard!” Sam said trying to crack us a laugh. But no one laughed.

Sam looks at Charles, Charles was standing there. Staring. He looked

at Sam like he was saying ‘watch out’ with his expression. Sam wiped

the smile off his face and nodded. Charles started walking up the

path leading to the entrance where Sam glanced away for less than a

second, looking back, and Charles was gone. Cold rush filled Sam’s 

spine. Something wasn’t right about Charles. 

“Off we go kiddos.” Sam spoke in an uneasy voice. 

Theo was happy he finally got to return to his real home. He smiled, as 

The car pulled away from the house. Charles stared through the half

opened curtains. Theo’s smile left his face. He looks at Emma. Emma

was again, listening to music with her childish pink headphones. As 

Theo looked back, Charles wasn’t standing through the curtains, he

was gone.    

The car’s engine hummed quietly as they drove away from the house,

 the weight of everything that happened still heavy in their chests.

Theo stared out the window, watching the trees blur past like stared

out the window, watching the trees blur past like ghosts in the dusk.

Suddenly, the radio crackled with static and then burst into an eerie, 

clearer station, but the song only grew louder—an unsettling tune that 

sounded like it was coming from another time.

“Turn that off,” Emma said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sam reached to change the station, but the music stopped abruptly. A 

chilling silence fell over the car.

Then, Emma’s phone vibrated in her pocket. He pulled it out and saw 

a message from an unknown number:

“You can’t run. It’s watching.”

Her heart pounded. She looked at Sam, who noticed the tension.

“Who’s that from?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know,” Emma replied, trembling.

Sam’s phone buzzed next, displaying the same message. The three 

exchanged uneasy glances.

Suddenly, the car headlights flickered. The radio switched back on by 

itself, the chilling melody playing again, this time louder.

Outside, the trees seemed to lean closer, and hunching their spines 

over the side of the road, beginning to trap them. casting long, sinister 

shadows across the road.

Sam pressed his foot harder on the gas. “Hold on tight.” Sam hit a 

branch out of the way. The windshield cracked. The clock at home was 

still ticking, waiting. Watching. And now, it was coming for them.          

The car rolled quietly down the winding road, the trees blurring past 

in shades of green and gold. Something felt unsafe, and Sam didn’t 

like the feeling. Inside, the silence was thick — no one spoke. Theo 

stared out the window, the image of Charles disappearing from the 

curtain still fresh in his mind.

The trees thinned as they entered town, the road widening and 

streetlights flickering on one by one. They passed the grocery store, 

the old schoolhouse, the diner that always smelled like burnt toast, but 

none of it brought comfort.

Emma pulled off her headphones, slowly.
 

“Dad,” she said, her voice shaky, “can we stay at a hotel tonight? Just 

for one night?”

Sam didn’t respond right away. He was gripping the steering wheel so 

tight his knuckles turned white.

“I… yeah. I think that’s a promising idea.”

Theo turned his head slightly. ‘We’re not going back home yet?’

‘No,’ said Sam. ‘Not tonight.’

The motel room had two beds, a small television, and a table by the

window. The air smelled faintly of cleaning supplies and fresh linen. 

The walls were painted an awkward beige hue, with peeling wallpaper. 

there were fainted wall lamps, and the door handles were rusty and 

loose. A balcony just above the staircase to their front door, with a 

dead plant, and a plastic green chair. Sam stretched out on one of the 

beds, clearly exhausted. The bed was squeaky, and the stretch mark 

laid in the middle of the mattress. Theo sat at the table, looking 

through one of the brochures, he’d grabbed from the front office.

‘Did you know this place used to be a summer camp?’ Theo said.

Emma pulled off one headphone. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah. Says here it was turned into a motel in the 80s. Some of the 

original cabins are still out back. Wanna go see them?’

Emma shook her head. ‘No, we should probably get some sleep, Theo.’

They both looked toward Sam, who had dozed off, one arm over his 

eyes. 

‘But I can’t.’ Theo spoke, with his voice slightly trembling.

‘What?’ Emma mumbled, giving a confused look.

‘Do you really think I can sleep?’ Theo sounded angry, but his sadness 

betrayed him. Emma placed her palm on Theo’s hand. His hand was 

soft. 

‘It’ll be okay.’ She said smiling. ‘We are never going back there.’ 

‘Promise?’ 

‘I promise.’ Emma wrapped her arm around Theo and kissed him on 

the forehead. Theo sat closer, resting his head on her shoulder. 

Time passed quietly.

Theo eventually climbed onto the bed beside Emma and opened his 

sketchpad. He started drawing the living room of their grandfather’s 

house, trying to remember how it looked before things started getting 

weird. 

In the morning, the sunlight streamed through the thin 

curtains, and birds chirped somewhere in the trees. Sam woke up 

early, quietly moving around the room so he would not wake the kids.

Sam stepped outside on the small balcony and pulled out a pack of 

cigarettes. He held it in between his fingers, and lighted it. He hadn’t 

smoked in years. Not since Liv died. As he puffed the smoke, Theo 

caught him. 

‘You said you quit.’ Theo muttered quietly, holding his stuffed bear.

‘Hey, kiddo.’ Sam spoke staring at the glowing tip, then dropped it 

and pressed it into the ground. The ash crumbled like something old 

giving up. He pretended nothing was wrong.

‘I saw that.’ Theo said still holding his stuffed bear.

‘No, you didn’t.’ Sam said, while walking past Theo, and patting his

back.

Sam walked in, seeing Emma brushing her hair.

‘Morning Em.’ 

‘Don’t call me that.’ She spoke still brushing her hair and not looking at him, her eyes fixed on the mirror.

‘Alright, bags in the car, we’ve got to go now, quick sticks.’ 

Emma tied her hair into a quick ponytail and reached for her phone at the nightstand.

Theo came out of the bathroom, hoodie half-zipped, toothbrush still in hand. 

‘Wait—what’s the rush?’ he mumbled, mouth full of toothpaste foam.

‘We’ve got a long drive ahead, ’Sam replied. ‘And I’d rather get back before dark.’ 

Theo gave a sleepy thumbs-up and ducked back into the bathroom to rinse. Theo ran the tap water, put his moth under the tap, and rinsed his mouth. But the water started to change. The water became thicker, and leaving a heavier blare when it hit the sink. Soon the colour of the water wasn’t clear anymore. Instead, the same dark coloured liquid was pouring from the faucet. Theo remembered everything, when he almost drowned in that liquid. He screamed.

‘Dad!’ Theo yelled in terror.

‘Theo? What’s wrong?’ Sam rushed in. Theo pointed at the sink tap pouring out with the dark liquid. Sam cursed. He quickly closed the faucet tap and the liquid stopped. Sam hugged Theo, stroking the back of his jumper.

‘Let’s go. Now.’

The motel door shut with a soft click. The morning sun was already warming the windshield as Sam opened the driver’s side door. Emma and Theo climbed into the backseat, both quiet, their tired silence saying more than words would have.

Theo rested his head against the window, his sketchbook in his lap. Emma plugged her headphones in and scrolled through her playlist, skipping the sad songs.

Sam pulled out onto the road, with the gravel crunching under the tires. They didn’t speak for a while. Trees lined the winding road, golden light

flickering through the canopy. The kind of morning that felt still — like the world was catching its breath.

Theo finally broke the silence. 

‘Are we going straight home?’

‘Yeah,’ Sam said, glancing at him in the rear-view mirror. ‘Unless we hit traffic, we should be back before dinner.’

‘Good,’ Theo murmured. ‘I miss my bed.’

Emma smiled faintly. ‘I miss reliable Wi-Fi.’

Sam chuckled under his breath. 

‘I miss coffee that doesn’t taste like burnt dirt.’ All of them laughed. Which hasn’t happened lately.

The game rolled on.

‘I miss shopping when it was affordable.’ Emma spoke with glee.

‘I miss Grandad.’ Theo spoke quietly. The car went silent. Dead silent. Only the hum of the wheels on the road were heard. Sam’s smile quickly faded. Sam changed the topic.

‘What do you guys want for dinner tonight?’ 

‘I don’t know.’ Emma said. Time passed slowly.

They passed fields, quiet towns, a rusted playground with a single swing moving in the breeze. Everything looked normal again — like the last few days had happened somewhere else. Like it was part of a dream.

But it wasn’t.

And though no one said it out loud, they all knew the silence in the car was holding space for more than tiredness.

It was holding the weight of everything left behind. 

Chapter four

‘Were here.’ Sam spoke dryly. Theo looked up, and saw the familiar patterns of bush and trees, and his neighbour mowing the lawn. They all smiled. Emma took her headphones of and looked through the window.

‘Home.’ She spoke.

‘Glad to be here huh?’ Sam chuckled.

‘Obviously.’ 

‘Glad I’m here too kiddo.’ 

As Sam gripped the steering wheel and turned left to pull into the driveway. Emma saw a light shown flickering from the inside. She brushed it off. Power isn’t great there.

Theo pushed the door open while the car was still moving.

‘Home!’ he yelled cheerful. He dropped his sketchbook. Emma chuckled while Sam was gathering the luggage. 

Emma picked up the sketchbook and stared at his drawing. He drew a house. Ordinary house, his scribbled un neat lines, and a rectangular door with square windows, a small chimney, and some little flowers and weeds from the bottom, and clouds and a sun in the top. seemed normal. But Emma looked closer, a figure staring through the window. No labels just that thing. She looked even closer. And saw the figure was

holding something. A clock. She dropped the sketchbook and rubbed her forehead. Sam heard her sigh. 

‘You, okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Emma walked to the front door.

They all felt good that they are finally home again. Theo was running around with joy, a big grin on his face.

But something didn’t feel right. The air was thicker than it should be the walls felt different. Theo didn’t notice. Neither did Emma. But Sam definitely did. 

Sam called hurries the luggage in the home, but Sam feels something follows beside him, he glares at the empty spaces in the area, like he was scanning something. 

As Sam stepped inside, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him. He hurried through the door, his heart pounding against his chest, but tried to push the sensation aside.

The house was still as silent as ever. The air felt wrong—heavy, as if it had absorbed everything that had happened. Sam walked into the living room, his eyes scanning the familiar space. There was no sign of the clock, or any of the things they had left behind. But still, something was missing.

“Everything’s okay,” he muttered to himself, trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

‘My room!’ Theo yelled happily. Emma smiled and patted his back.

Sam laid the bags down.

‘Kids, get your bags!’ Sam called.

‘Yep, coming!’ Emma yelled back.

The house was modern but had a warm vibe. There was a big backyard

with a pond, surrounded by tall grass, wildflowers, with the pond having lily pads, and duckweeds. It was beautiful. Sam installed it after Liv died. Liv always wanted a pond by the backyard. Arthur came to help with it once. He used to be a landscaper but never made it into being too good. But he did design a whole backyard garden for a family down the street.

‘Kids! I’m not going to ask you again. Grab your bags.’ Sam spoke with an annoyed call.

Theo ran across the wood floor and slid his socks through the floor. Emma grabbed her bag and started unpacking. But something that was in the bag didn’t belong to her. It was a bright green button-up shirt with a small, ripped hole in the chest area.

‘Okay dad, very funny.’ Emma said folding the shirt.

‘What’s funny?’ Sam spoke over-aware.

‘Don’t play dumb with me.’ 

‘I’m not at all.’ 

Emma stepped out of her room and held up the shirt.

‘It’s a shirt?’  Sam said raising an eyebrow.

‘Yeah. And its not mine.’ Emma chucked the shirt at Sam, but he didn’t catch it. 

‘Emma. Its not mine either.’ Eerie silence flooded the room.

‘What did you say?’ Emma turned her back slowly.

‘Chuck it out. Now.’ 

‘Why?’ 

‘Just do it!’ Sam’s face went red. It gave Emma a fright.

Emma hesitated, staring at her father’s trembling hands. He wasn’t just annoyed, he was afraid.

‘Dad, it’s just a shirt.’ 

‘Emma.’ Sam’s tone dropped into something flat and urgent. ‘That’s not ours. It shouldn’t be here.’

Theo peeked out from behind the doorway, his eyes wide. 

‘Whose is it then?’

No one answered. The silence pressed down until Emma’s stomach churned. She lifted the shirt again, and for a moment it seemed… damp. She felt the weight of it heavier in her hands, the hole in the chest spreading, fraying at the edges like it had been torn by something sharp.

Sam snatched it away and shoved it into the garbage bin under the sink. 

End of story. ‘Don’t ask me again.’

But when the lid slammed shut, Theo whispered, almost too softly to hear,

‘Grandpa used to wear green.’

The air in the room shifted. The hum of the refrigerator grew louder, like a low groan. 

Sam froze at Theo’s words. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue. He just pressed the garbage lid harder, as if that flimsy plastic could bury whatever haunted them.

Emma swallowed, her throat dry. 

‘Dad… are you sure it’s nothing?’

‘I said drop it,’ Sam snapped too quickly. His eyes darted around the kitchen like a trapped animal.

‘We should get some takeout. It’s getting late.’

Sam picked up his phone from the table and dials the local Chinese restaurant.  Sam talks for a while. And for some reason he sounds terrified. He hung up.

‘They said it will be 15 minutes. Emma set the table.’ 

‘Ok.’ She spoke.

Sam put his phone back on the table. He patted Theo’s back and walked off. But then the phone rang again.

‘Theo, get that.’ Emma said while grabbing plates from the drawer. Theo nodded and was about to pick up the phone until he saw the name of the caller. “Charles Ambrose” Theo didn’t say anything and rejected the call. 

‘Why didn’t you pick up?’ Emma spoke.

‘They just…Hung up.’ Theo said slowly.

‘Oh. That’s weird. Probably just a scammer.’

‘Yep.’ Theo then ran off quickly. Emma knew. Theo knew who that caller was. Emma put the plates down and picked up the phone. She then went into the “missed calls” button and saw the latest numbers. It read, “Charles Ambrose” and a voicemail. But Sam walked in.

‘Hey, what are you doing? Give me that!’ Sam snatched the phone and saw the name too. 

‘He called.’ Emma spoke dryly.

‘Shoo’ Sam growled back.

Emma heard the long dial beep on the phone line. Sam listened to the voice mail. Then he put the phone down, almost too quickly. His hands were shaking, and the wind groaned. The doors slammed, and the lights flickered. 

‘Dad? What’s going on?’ Sam didn’t say anything, he just grabbed Emma.

The trees were staring to trap them, their branches stretching out, so desperate to grasp the house. Theo ran but tripped over the floor. The kitchen pantry opened out of nowhere, all the food spilling on the floor.

‘Shit!’ He says, letting go of Emma, and picking up the food. The wind was now howling, like it was in pain. The branches were leaving shards in the windows.

They are not alone. Something is with them.

Sam’s phone was still on the table, with Charle’s dial still up. Emma picked it up and clicked on the voicemail. But it sounded nothing like Charles, it sounded like Arthur. There was a long silence before Arthur spoke.

‘You can’t bury time. Time buries you, Sam.’ Emma’s heart dropped. At soon as the voicemail finished, everything went silent. Sam looked in terrible stress. His face cocked, tilting his head to the left.

‘What the actual heck is going on dad.’ Emma spoke with anger. She was done with this.

‘I can’t answer that, Emma.’ Emma stormed off in distress and slammed her door. 

There was another call. Tension raised in Sam’s blood. But luckily, it was just the Chinese shop. Telling him his takeout has been waiting for twenty minutes. Sam apologised and told Emma he was going. He came back minutes later.

Theo ran in glee to the packaged food. 

‘Im re-heating it. Its cold.’ Sam said, while putting the food into the microwave.

‘Fine.’ Theo sat at the table and waited. He crossed his arms.

‘Here you go.’ 

‘I don’t like this.’ 

‘Too bad. Eat.’

‘But I said I don’t like it!’ But soon, Emma stepped in.

‘Theo, eat the food.’ 

‘Ugh. Fine.’ Theo started picking at his food and ate it.

Sam came closer to Emma, and whispered,

‘Are you serious? You’re a better parent than me!’ Sam said laughing. Emma chuckled, but Sam could tell it was fake. 

No one talked. All that was heard was the graze of the cutlery on the dishes. Emma finished her plate. 

‘Im going to go do some drawing.’

‘Okay. Habe fun.’ Sam replied. Silence. But then, Sam spoke.

‘You enjoying it huh?’ Theo tilted his head but didn’t look directly at Sam Just at his plate.

‘Yeah. Sometimes it’s good to try new things. Like what Grandpa used to say.’

‘What?’

‘Yeah, he always used to say that.’

‘Theo, I’ve never heard him say that.’

‘Well yeah obviously.’

‘What do you mean obviously?’ 

‘He told me when, you know. We couldn’t see him anymore.’ Sam’s body rushed with dread. Something was weighing on him. Theo was hiding something. There is something horrible that he doesn’t know.

‘You’re kidding, right?’

‘Why would I lie?’

‘But what do you mean!’

‘Dad! Chill out!’

‘Tell me what you mean by when We couldn’t see him anymore!’ 

‘He just talked to me! At the motel! When everyone was asleep!’

‘How!’

‘I don’t know!’ Theo’s voice broke into violent sobbing. Sam sighed and rubbed his forehead. Emma stormed out of her room.

‘What the heck! Shut up!’

‘Theo, pick up your plate.’

The silence was deep. Sam had nothing left of anything. The family is suffering. Breaking apart. Theo looked at Sam. In a unique way. His eyes glistened with hope. Like he was holding onto something he didn’t want to let go. 

Chapter five

Everyone was asleep now. But Sam wasn’t ready for bed yet. Instead, he went to the attic. He pulled the handle of the attic roof and pulled it down. It revealed a narrow staircase to the room. Sam climbed up, he tried to make barely any noise possible. 

He came up and turned the light on. The light barely lit up the room, it just had enough vision to see where you are. He found a box. Just what he was looking for. The box was scribbled in messy handwriting, titled “Arthur”. Sam desperately opened the box, which revealed a purple journal. No name. Just on the front page that said “Arthur” again.

Sam gasped, skipping through all the pages to find something. To find whatever the heck was wrong with his dad. To find out whatever the heck was wrong with that house. He skipped through pages and pages about birdwatching, cooking recipes, birthday gift ideas, nothing out of the ordinary. Until he found it. On one page there were drawings of horrible pictures. Terrifying ones. Ritual ideas. Sam felt sick. But when

he found a terrifying note written by Arthur, he almost passed out. It read. 

They tell me death is stillness. They lie. I have watched the seconds crawl even after the body stopped. Time does not die; it only waits for more to feed it. The floorboards talk because I taught them to. The walls listen because I tamed them to. Every tick is a mouth, every chime a hunger. I swallowed the horror to make them remember. My voice is in its weeping. My hands are in its silence. If you hear it mourn, it is not grief, it is calling you closer. But not because you are safe. Because it is listening.

A.S

Sam almost threw up. He was so sunk into his painful feelings. He put the journal away and shoved it into the box. He left, still shaking with fear.

Sam shut the attic hatch and stood in the hallway, his hands clammy, his stomach turning. The words wouldn’t leave his head, every tick is a mouth, every chime a hunger. He pressed his palms over his ears, but the silence was worse.

The house felt different now. Too quiet.

He made his way to his room, every board underfoot creaking louder than it should, like the house wanted to announce where he was. 

He just crawled into bed. Exhausted. From nothing. 

‘Dad, I can’t sleep.’ Theo said, while shaking Sam’s blanket.

‘Why not?’ 

‘I’m not sure. I just feel, afraid.’ Sam stood out of  and held Theo’s left hand.

‘Of what kiddo?’

‘Of everything.’

‘What’s everything.’