Angelina couldn't move.
The girl stood in front of her, silent now.
No whimpering.
No crying.
Just stillness.
The flashlight in Angelina's hand flickered, the light shaking as her fingers trembled. The girl's silhouette stretched unnaturally along the wall, bending where it shouldn't.
Angelina swallowed hard.
The girl tilted her head.
Slowly.
Like she was curious.
"You came inside," the girl whispered.
Her voice was no longer weak.
It was calm.
Clear.
Angelina's chest tightened.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to run.
But her body refused to listen.
The girl stepped closer.
The air grew colder with every step.
"You weren't supposed to come," the girl said softly.
"But you always do."
Angelina's eyes widened.
Always?
The girl lifted her hand and pointed at the wall behind Angelina.
The flashlight beam followed the direction.
Angelina's breath caught.
Carved into the stone were names.
Dozens of them.
Some old.
Some faded.
Some scratched deeply, as if done in panic.
At the bottom, one name looked newer than the rest.
ANGELINA
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"No…" she whispered before she could stop herself.
The girl smiled.
That was the mistake.
The room went silent.
Too silent.
The girl's expression changed.
Her smile faded, replaced by something hollow.
Something empty.
"You spoke," she said.
The walls trembled.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The flashlight flickered wildly, then went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Angelina gasped.
Cold fingers brushed her wrist.
She pulled away, stumbling backward.
Her back hit the stone wall.
The girl's voice echoed from everywhere at once.
"Every person who answers me gets a choice."
The darkness felt thick, like it was pressing in on her.
Angelina's voice shook, but she forced herself to stay quiet.
The girl continued, her voice almost gentle now.
"You can stay."
Angelina felt her breath hitch.
"You'll hear my whimper every night.
You'll feel me closer.
Until you become part of the house."
Angelina's heart raced.
"Or…" the girl paused.
The cold lifted slightly.
"You can replace me."
Angelina's blood ran cold.
The flashlight flickered back on.
The girl stood inches away now.
Her face was still hidden by her hair, but Angelina could see her eyes.
They were dark.
Not empty.
Tired.
"So tired," the girl whispered.
"I just want to stop crying."
Angelina felt tears burn her eyes.
She understood now.
Mara wasn't only haunting the house.
She was trapped.
And she needed someone else to take her place.
Angelina shook her head slowly.
The girl's expression twisted.
"If you don't choose," she said softly,
"the house will choose for you."
The walls groaned.
The names on the wall began to bleed darkness.
Angelina's knees buckled.
She felt the house watching her.
Waiting.
She had come looking for answers.
Instead, she had been given a choice.
And no matter what she chose…
Someone would be trapped forever.