The Dead House

m, once a place of comfort and familiarity, now felt alien. The dim light of his desk lamp cas

eper into his thoughts. The fire, the feud, the whispers in the fields. And N

mage. "What is wrong with you? It's just

el like just a s

ling slightly. He needed to talk to someone,

rson he call

picked up, his voice was grogg

, glancing at the clock. It was 10:4

," Chris grumbled.

just... I needed to talk. My grandma told me this whole story about Blac

d, his tone lighter. "Yeah, I fig

ed. "It's

t. It's creepy as hell. But it's just a story, right? Old people love th

asn't trying to scare me, Chris. She believes

s letter, this house, all these crazy stories flying around. It's a lot. Trust me

is couldn't see him. "Yeah.

s voice. "Now, go to bed. Or better yet, call Jo

lipped. "Why wou

hris said bluntly. "And d

uttered, ignoring Chris's la

He didn't know why he was hesitating. Jord

ords lingered

l button. It rang once, twice, three times. He was about to

voice came through

voice suddenly feeling

ing," she said

. I wanted to talk

d House?"

onight. About how it's cursed and how everyone who's

t, then said, "That does sou

can't stop thinking about it. What if she's ri

ory must have sounded terrifying. But it's just a story. Houses aren't

if this is diffe

he way she rubbed her temple when she wa

nked.

you everything's going to be fine? Or do you want me to

know," he

e it out together? If you're up for it, we can meet at the

. "Are you sur

n her voice. "Besides, I could use

..

ual crowd of students and night owls. Alex sat at their usual tabl

in. Her dark curls were loose around her shoulders, and she wore a si

into the seat across from

" he sai

yes warm. "So, te

lliam and the whispers in the fields. As he spoke, he noticed the way Jorda

hair, her expression thoughtful. "That's..

t," he said, though

me at eleven o'clock at night. If that'

n't know what to do. Part of me wants to just forget a

ing his. "If you feel like you have to do this,

t through him. He looked up, meeting h

" he sai

ling her hand b

ence between them, punctuated by the occasional clink of a spoon against a mug. Alex kept his g

e was right. But knowing

reaking the silence,

owned.

he said, leaning forward slightly. "But what does that

laugh. "Honestly, I haven'

ike he was missing something obvious. "You know, there's ano

do you

he table. "The letter you got, came from

ea

Talk to them. See what they know about th

ed by the suggestion.

, smiling faintly. "W

d stung more tha

coffee mug. "What if they can't tell me anything? Or worse,

st her cheek. "Then at least you'll know. Isn't that better th

y of cutting through the noise in his head, of grounding hi

at this," h

an eyebrow.

ng me

d that made his chest feel tight. "It

f I'm ready for all of this. The house, the history, whate

to carry it by yourself. You've got people who care a

a moment, the weight in his

" he sai

er gaze lingering on him

te in music. But beneath the surface, there was an unspoken tension, a thread that pulled tig

ehind her ear, and Alex found himself staring. She cau

quiet,"

mumbled, l

" she said softly

n them, heavier than

mpty. The barista behind the counter started wiping down ta

" Jordan said, glancing at he

ough part of him didn't

ights casting long shadows on the pavement. The quie

hands tucked into the pockets

. "Yeah. Th

stepping clo

shrinking until it was almost nonexistent. Alex's heart was

ed, his voice bare

asked, her

e right words, but before he c

. But it left Alex frozen in place, his mind blank

something in her eyes, something vulnerable

she said, her voice

e managed, his

ng him standing there under the s

nto his life, the fear in his chest loosen