The Dead House

him off with a distracted wave, muttering something about finishing a project before morning. Nor

rnness than nails. It had weathered generations of birthdays, Christmases, and arguments over the dinner table. It

g of herbs greeted him. His grandmother's doing, as always. She insisted the sme

at you

s and walked in, finding her in her usual spot, an armchair by the fireplace, a cup of tea balanc

said, sitting on the

e seeming to cut straight through him

coating, and he knew once he brought up the letter,

said finally, pulling

moved with a steadiness that belied her age. She unfolded the letter

it back up, setting it on he

se," she said,

rd of it?"

've heard of it. That place is a

"It's just a h

" she snapped, her tone s

her rarely raised her voice, but now ther

leaning forward. "That house is poisoned, Alex. It's claimed more li

outh to argue, bu

we left that town? Why do we cut

Alex a

house destroys everything it touches. Your great-uncle Tobias?

ion," Alex said, tho

l. "Call it what you want. But

ore years than they cared to admit. Alex watched as she walked to a c

d book, its edges worn and its binding cracked. S

she said. "He kept a record

The leather was cool to the touch, and

in it?"

"But truths won't protect you.

d to

the dark," she said, her v

is spine, but he shook it off

n old, abandoned house. What's

ooked at him with an expression he couldn't

nally. "And when you do,

g the dim light from the fireplace. Something about it felt... wrong. It

urged, her voice soft b

pages were brittle and yellowed, the ink faded in places but was still legible. He

was dated over t

ch 2

ng darker. I hear whispers at night, coming from the walls. When I follow them, they stop, like th

ndmother, whose face wa

ading,"

ch 8

at watches. Last night, I woke up to find the bedroom door open. I always close it before bed. Always. And this

d. The entries grew shorter as they w

h 22,

y call my name. They tell me things I don't want to know. I found the bas

urnal abruptly, hi

ned to him?

't waver. "He went to the b

ence, the crackle of t

.....

s designed for family gatherings that no longer happened, its long surfac

s on his food, but his mind kept drifting

gh his phone, only half engaged in the conversation. Across from him, Alex's mother was cut

, but he choked after the first one!" Ethan, Alex's ten-year-old bro

sently, tho her eyes flicked at Alex. "You'v

arnings lingered in his ears, but h

," he said, his

phone, finally giving him hi

rited a house. From

wing, his wide eyes darting between Alex and their

e first to speak.

odded

omething unfamiliar crossing his features

d at how defiant his voice sound

e dishes. "That house is nothing but trouble

her said softly, pl

xactly why we left that town. I'm not lett

his chest. "You think ignoring it make

u," his mother said,

randmother who e

," she said, her voice cutting t

pale. "You want him to go there? Af

ed. "But it's already started. The house chose

broke the silence. "

le went

ack abruptly, standing and leavi

itantly, "what did he me

the first, Alex. That house has claimed more Reardons than you kn

e weight of her words s

han asked, his wide

s brother's hair. "Of course n

d it, he felt the