The darkness was so intense that the trees seemed to enclose them, obscuring their path. Adex's car headlights stood as the sole barrier against the void, illuminating the twisted trunks and drooping branches with a faint light, as if preparing for something ancient to rise.
The tires crunched over the underbrush as they ventured deeper into the woods. The surroundings grew quiet as if the night was holding its breath.
Anna's voice broke the silence.
"I don't like this," she said, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. "What if we're driving into a trap?"
Adex gripped the wheel tightly, eyes fixed ahead. "We're not."
"How do you know?" she asked. "That girl might've lied. What if someone sent her to lure us away and make us disappear?"
Adex shook his head slowly. "Emma was afraid. People who lie don't look like that."
Anna leaned her head back against the seat, exhaling sharply. "We could've just waited till morning. Why do we have to do this tonight?"
"Because we don't know what they're planning," Adex said quietly. "And because Jill might not be here tomorrow if we wait."
Anna looked at him, her expression becoming more intense. "What makes you care so much? Given everything she has done, especially how she treated you. Why are you going through with this?"
Adex didn't answer.
He smiled—a subtle, tired smile that failed to light up his eyes—and continued driving.
Anna waited a moment longer for an answer. When none came, she turned away, staring at the shifting darkness outside.
The car finally came to a stop.
They approached a house buried deep in the woods, hidden from the world. Its silhouette rose from the earth like something sacred or forbidden, and its architecture was beautiful and haunting. Warm lights lit behind the curtained windows, and the polished wood and stone exterior gleamed softly in the moonlight.
Anna stared in wonder. "How is something like this sitting way out here?"
Adex stepped out, quietly closing the door. "Do you believe me now?" he asked. "They're hiding her. They don't want her found."
They stood together, gazing at the house. The wind barely stirred, but it was enough to make Anna shiver.
Suddenly, the porch light flicked on with a click.
Adex flinched slightly before he steadied himself.
Anna instinctively moved behind him, her fingers brushing against his back as if seeking protection. "Why did the light come on?" she asked hushedly. "I don't like this, Adex."
Adex didn't reply. He started walking.
The two approached slowly, the wooden steps of the porch creaking beneath their shoes. Then, without warning—
The door opened.
Just a crack.
No sound emanated from within. No voice. There's no movement—only an invitation written in silence.
Anna stopped. "This is creepy."
Adex glanced back at her. "Stay behind me."
"I am behind you," she whispered.
He moved forward, staring inside the opening. When Adex entered, the house was softly illuminated, the warm light displaying an interior vastly different from the cold woods outside.
He pushed at the door gently and stepped in.
"Hello?" he called out.
Nothing.
Anna followed reluctantly, her steps cautious. Her hands hovered near her chest, and her eyes darted like a cornered animal.
The inside of the house was beautiful, but old. Everything was antique: the grandfather clock in the corner, the low-burning fire in the stone hearth, the heavy velvet curtains, the portraits staring from golden frames.
The stench of dust and faded flowers lingered.
"This place…" Adex whispered.
Anna remained silent. She gazed at the tall mirror in the hall and the painting above the mantle—an oil depiction of a woman in a red gown with dark, haunting eyes. Her expression was hollow yet powerful all at once.
"Should we sit?" Adex asked.
"No," Anna said immediately. "No one welcomed us. This house feels wrong."
Adex stepped forward, continuing to scan the room for any sign of movement. "Emma led us here for a reason."
"Emma led us to a ghost house," Anna whispered.
Adex was about to speak when he noticed something strange: one of the paintings on the wall had fresh fingerprints smudged across the glass, as if someone had recently touched it.
He leaned in and whispered, "Someone's watching us."
Anna gave him a stern glance.
Then, without warning, she changed.
Her body relaxed.
Her expression intensified, calm and distant.
She stepped forward; she was no longer timid or blinking as if she were on the edge of panic. Her eyes scanned the room as though she knew it well.
Adex turned to her. "Anna?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she wandered. Her fingers stroked the vase beside the TV stand before gliding across the petals of the flower plant in the dining area. She moved with a strange familiarity, her movements exact, as if revisiting old memories.
Adex's voice became sharper. "Anna. What are you doing? Stop."
She kept moving.
Adex followed her. "We don't know whose house this is. Stop touching things."
Anna turned slowly to face him, her eyes distant and still.
"We're in the wrong house," Anna said.
Adex blinked. "What?"
She repeated it more firmly. "We're in the wrong house."
A long pause stretched between them.
"You recognize this place?" he asked.
Anna nodded once. "Yes."
"From where?"
She looked around slowly, her tone unwavering. "I've been here before."
Adex's heart skipped.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Anna turned to him, her voice lowering. "We need to leave now. This house isn't hers."
Adex looked at her, confused by the sudden change. Just moments ago, she was panicking—now her face was blank, like nothing had happened.
"Anna," he said carefully, "what do you remember about this place?"
Anna's expression clouded.
"Mummy!"—a faint child's voice echoed.
She turned around, shocked.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" Adex said.
"The voice," she replied, breathless.
Adex looked at her, unmoved.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Anna didn't answer. Her eyes drifted to the end of the hallway, where shadows curled and shifted like something waiting.
Then, an infant's scream tore through the silence.
Anna dropped to her knees, clutching her ears with her eyes shut tight and trembling.
Adex ran to her.
"We have to go, Anna," he said urgently.
He helped her up and guided her outside.
Anna kept her hands clamped over her ears, her eyes squeezed shut, as she tried to block out the sound.
Adex hurried her to the car and got her into the passenger seat. She continued to clutch her ears, screaming as if something were tearing through her head.
He dashed to the driver's side, jumped in, started the engine, and sped off without looking back.
Inside the house, the hallway stretched on silently, swallowed by darkness. At the far end, a figure stood barely visible in the shadows.
And somewhere deep within, the floorboard creaked.