couldn’t read.
“What are you doing down there?” he asked, his voice trembling. “I told you—no one goes down there.”
Grace clutched the necklace tighter, her eyes wide with fear. “I just wanted to show you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Daniel stepped forward, his hand reaching for the chest, his fingers brushing against the old letters. He pulled one out, his eyes scanning the page, his brow furrowing.
“This… this is from before the accident,” he said, his voice cracking. “I never told you… I never wanted you
to see this.”
He turned to me, his eyes pleading. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, the words hanging heavy in the damp air.
In that moment, the house seemed to close in, the walls pressing against us, the smell growing stronger, a reminder of something long buried.
After the Door Closed
We climbed back up the stairs, the wooden steps creaking under our weight. The rain had stopped, leaving a quiet hush over the neighborhood. The girls, still clutching the necklace, looked at me with a mixture of confusion and
