Elena stood frozen in the dark storage room.
Her eyes were fixed on the small wooden door hidden behind the old boxes. The shadow beneath it had disappeared, but the feeling that someone was still there made her heart race.
The whisper echoed in her mind.
"Don't open… the other door…"
But why?
Elena slowly stepped closer. Each step made the wooden floor creak softly under her feet.
The small door looked very old. Its paint was peeling, and thick dust covered the edges. It didn't look like it had been opened for many years.
She reached for the handle.
It didn't move.
Locked.
Elena sighed quietly. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe she wasn't supposed to open it.
Just as she turned away, her foot hit something on the floor.
Clink.
She looked down.
Something small and shiny was lying near one of the dusty boxes.
Elena bent down and picked it up.
It was a small, rusty key.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The key looked old—very old. And strangely… it looked like it might fit the lock of the small door.
Elena stared at the key in her hand.
"Should I…?" she whispered to herself.
The house remained silent.
The wind outside suddenly blew harder, making the window rattle.
Slowly, Elena walked back to the small wooden door.
Her hands trembled slightly as she placed the key into the lock.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then she gently turned it.
Click.
The lock opened.
Elena took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door.
Creeeaaaak…
The door opened just a little, revealing complete darkness inside.
A cold air rushed out from the hidden room, making the candlelight in the hallway flicker through the crack of the storage room door.
Elena leaned forward and tried to see inside.
But it was too dark.
Then suddenly—
From deep inside the hidden room…
She heard slow footsteps.
Coming closer.
Step…
Step…
Step…
Elena's heart pounded with fear.
Because she was absolutely sure of one thing.
She was not alone in the house.
To be continued… 👁️📖.