The clock outside struck midnight.
But something strange happened.
The basement did not become silent.
Whispers were still coming from the broken wall.
"Come back…"
"Stay with us…"
Arman stood quietly.
He was no longer afraid.
The girl with empty eyes was standing in front of him.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked.
Arman replied softly,
"Because I remember now."
The girl did not move.
Arman touched the cracked basement wall.
"Many years ago, this house was built on a forgotten burial ground."
The red glowing eyes behind the girl became darker.
"You are not supposed to remember," the woman's voice said angrily.
Arman continued,
"The villagers sacrificed a boy to keep something inside this house asleep."
The wind inside the basement started screaming.
Dust and shadows moved like living things.
Arman closed his eyes.
"I am that boy."
The girl's face slowly changed.
Fear appeared in her empty eyes.
Outside, the village clock stopped moving.
And the basement wall cracked more.
Something inside was trying to escape.