Angelina stared at the staircase, still trembling.
The house was quiet again, but the air felt heavier—like someone was watching her.
She took a step back.
Then another.
She turned around and ran upstairs without looking back.
When she reached her room, she locked the door and leaned against it, breathing hard.
Her heart still felt like it would burst.
She tried to calm down.
She tried to act like it was just a dream.
But the moment she closed her eyes…
She heard it again.
The whimper.
This time, it was right outside her door.
Angelina's hands shook as she pressed her ear against the door.
The whimper was softer now.
A little girl's voice whispering:
"Please… help me…"
Angelina's body froze.
She didn't move.
She didn't answer.
Because the girl's voice had said:
"Don't answer me."
She stared at the door.
Then, slowly, she did something she didn't want to do.
She whispered back:
"Who are you?"
No response.
Only silence.
Then the whimper returned, but it was different now.
Not a whimper.
A soft giggle.
A tiny laugh, like someone hiding behind a door, enjoying the fear.
Angelina swallowed hard.
She stepped back from the door and sat on her bed, holding her knees tightly.
She waited.
Minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
Then, she heard a small sound.
A faint scratching.
Like nails on wood.
It came from the inside of the door.
Angelina's eyes widened.
The scratching got louder.
The sound moved upward.
From the bottom of the door…
To the top…
As if something was climbing.
Angelina backed away slowly, her body shaking.
The scratching stopped.
The silence returned.
Then, suddenly—
A voice spoke from the other side of the door.
Not a whimper.
Not a giggle.
A clear voice.
A child's voice.
It said:
"You answered."
Angelina's throat went dry.
She whispered:
"No… I didn't…"
The voice laughed again.
A small, cruel laugh.
And then the girl whispered:
"You did."
Angelina's heart dropped.
She pressed her hands against her ears, trying to block it.
But the voice continued, softer now:
"Now you must follow the rule."
Angelina's eyes widened.
"What rule?" she whispered.
The girl's voice replied:
"The first rule… is to stay silent."
Angelina felt cold.
She stared at the door.
Her mind was full of questions.
But she didn't dare move.
The girl's voice continued:
"If you speak again, I will come in."
Angelina's breath caught.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
She whispered:
"Why are you doing this?"
The voice answered:
"Because you answered."
Then the whimper returned.
Soft. Weak.
Like a child begging.
Angelina stayed frozen on her bed, afraid to move, afraid to breathe too loud.
She didn't know how long she stayed there.
But when she finally opened her eyes again, the room was normal.
No whimper.
No voice.
No scratching.
Only the quiet hum of the fan.
Angelina looked at her door.
She whispered to herself:
"I won't speak."
But she didn't know how long she could keep that promise.
Because the next night…
The whimper came again.
And this time, it wasn't alone.