The creak was slow and deliberate, like someone shifting their weight and trying not to be heard. I froze at the top of the basement stairs. “Hello?” I called, but there was no answer. Behind me, Tyler whispered that maybe we should leave, but another sound stopped us—a soft shuffle followed by the faint clink of metal against concrete. Someone was definitely down there. I tightened my grip on the railing and slowly began walking down. Each step felt heavier, and halfway down, the smell of damp earth mixed with something unpleasant made my stomach turn.

At the bottom, I found a dim, unfinished basement with a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. Then a voice came from the corner. “Dad?” My heart nearly stopped. It was Sarah. Her hair was messy, her face pale, and she looked exhausted. I rushed toward her, relieved to see that she was safe. “What are you doing here?” I asked. She quickly explained that she had canceled her trip because she couldn’t leave Noah behind.

Then I saw him. Noah was curled up on a small mattress surrounded by blankets and grocery bags. He was sick with a fever and had been crying, so Sarah had secretly brought him into the basement. She said she was afraid Mark would discover she was still at home and use it against her. Mark had been following and watching her, and she believed the charcoal pickup she had seen belonged to his cousin. She had seen the truck near the house several nights in a row.

I tried to understand why she had kept everything secret, but before I could say much, Tyler called from upstairs asking if everything was okay. I told him we were fine, although I wasn’t completely sure. Sarah, however, was staring toward the opposite side of the basement. Her expression suddenly changed.

“Dad…” she whispered. I followed her gaze. “I’ve only been down here with Noah.” Then she asked the question that made my blood run cold: “So… who opened that door?” I slowly turned toward the other side of the basement. A second door, one I hadn’t noticed before, was slightly open. Then, right before my eyes, it creaked open a little farther.