Chapter 5: The Basement's Secret
The wooden floor groaned beneath their feet as Lerato, Thabo, and Simo stepped deeper into the haunted house. Rain had started to fall outside, tapping like impatient fingers on the broken windows. Their torchlight flickered over dust-covered furniture and shattered glass, but it was the door at the end of the hallway that drew their eyes.
It was small, metal, and half hidden behind an old bookcase that had toppled sideways.
"What's that?" Simo asked, swallowing hard.
A basement door, Lerato replied. And it's unlocked.
Thabo looked at her. Lerato, you don't mean
I do. Whatever's wrong with this house... it starts down there.
Lerato pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, echoing through the house like a warning. A staircase descended into blackness, the steps rotting and soaked. A cold gust of air rushed up at them from the basement, smelling of mold, rust… and something else.
Fear.
Thabo hesitated. This is a bad idea.
We've come this far, Lerato said firmly. I'm not turning back.
Torch in hand, she started down the stairs. Simo followed reluctantly, and Thabo cursed under his breath before joining them.
The air grew colder with each step. The stairs moaned and snapped under their weight, but held. As they reached the bottom, the beam of the torch revealed the basement walls lined with shelves of old tools, broken furniture, and jars filled with strange things floating in dark liquid.
Simo pointed to one jar. Is that… a hand?
Before anyone could answer, the door at the top slammed shut.
BANG!
The basement was sealed in pitch darkness. Thabo ran back up the stairs, pounding on the door.
It's locked! Guys, it won't open!
Then a sound echoed through the room.
Laughter.
Childlike, echoing, distant... and wrong.
They froze.
Nope,Simo whispered. Nope, no, no what was that?
Lerato spun the torch around. There's someone here.
The light landed on an old cabinet. Its doors slowly creaked open. A porcelain doll sat inside, its cracked face smiling at them with hollow eyes. Blood was smeared across its white dress.
Suddenly, the torch flickered… and died.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
Simo! Thabo! Lerato shouted.
I'm here! Simo's voice trembled.
I...I can't see anything! Thabo yelled.
Something brushed against Lerato's leg. Cold fingers. She screamed.
Then, a whisper in her ear.
She's awake now.
The torch flicked back on, but everything was different.
The basement was gone.
They were standing in a forest.
Trees loomed tall around them, twisted and blackened. The air was thick with fog. There was no sign of the house, no sign of the basement door just endless trees and that horrible sound.
Screaming.
Faint, constant, far away… yet close.
What the hell is happening?! Thabo shouted.
We're dreaming, Simo said. "This isn't real it can't be!"
No, Lerato breathed. It's the curse. The house didn't trap us… she did.
Who? Thabo asked.
Lerato pointed.
A figure stood among the trees. A girl in white. Her hair covered her face, her feet hovered above the ground. The scream grew louder.
RUN!Lerato shouted.
They sprinted through the forest, branches slashing at their skin, the scream growing louder and louder until it felt like it was inside their skulls.
Thabo tripped and fell, but Lerato grabbed his hand and yanked him up. Simo was ahead, panting, desperate. The forest didn't end it stretched forever.
Then, they saw it.
A door.
Standing in the middle of the forest. A normal house door, glowing faintly.
This way! Lerato yelled.
They reached it together. As the girl in white screamed behind them, Lerato turned the knob and everything went silent.
They were back in the basement.
Breathing heavily. Cold. But safe.
The doll was gone. The jars were empty. The door above stood open again.
Simo sat on the floor, shaking. What was that… where were we?
A warning, Lerato said softly. She's trapped here. But now she knows we're not just visitors. We saw her.
Thabo's voice cracked. Then what do we do?
Lerato stood up. We finish what we started.