THE FACE THAT WATCHES

Begi

ays were constantly covered in a thin mist. Age and neglect have caused the walls of some of the old houses here to bow and fall into r

rs went crazy inside, bu

were unaware of its past. A spacious mansion with five bedrooms, lofty open

calm down here, he thought, despite their hardships, which included Eva's hours of work at the fashion st

(11), Simon (8), and Lily (5) were packed into the backseat. Slowly, Greystone House emerge

eyes. The walls were clogged with vines that climbed the stone like green veins, and t

r tiny fists on the car w

spered, "Big and old." "Do people still res

haracter. You'll see. It will

adventure, even though it's a little strange, okay? New spaces to discover and new e

y in his seat. There was something... strange about the house. Somet

d to himself. He went unheard. However, t

ices resonating off the stark walls and high ceilings. The floors groaned underfoot, as though they were

bs on the largest room. Simon trailed following, asking him ince

in a nook close to the fireplace and named it Rose. With her

of the stairs, and the heavy, motionless shadows that hung to the corners. The air tasted old, as if the resid

ourteous but aloof; their eyes never quite met their smiles. They were silent and looked at

ead. "That home," she whispered.

wled. "

turned aside with a tig

er. He awoke just after sunrise, with his room's drapes letting in the pale morning l

indications of impact; it had not struck the glass. The little body of the bird was undamaged, and its win

essing the nose to the glass. They were too astute, too

g stirred. A strange hunge

y unlatched the window. The curls of hair on his arms s

passed away. There was a glimmer of discomfort in the middle of his consciousness, but i

body suddenly he could stop himself. It was lig

ook a bite

yet he continued. He was unable to stop. His thoughts numb from the awfulness t

rs. The hunger was still there, waiting, coiled tightly inside him,

am about the ho

he moved along the infinite hallways that extended in all directions. He w

roperly when he gazed at a shadow that sugges

else can see," the figure said in a soft, low

in his ears. The bird was gone, like it had ne

From the shadows, he sensed somethin

a deep, vibrating sound that seemed to originate inside

, opening

adow covered in darkness, with the faintest trace of a horrible v

wanted to scream, but he was unable to produce the sound. The f

it van

ng faintly through the walls, b

is heart, David drew th