Days passed.
Then weeks.
Everything went back to normal.
Angelina spoke again.
She laughed again.
She even slept peacefully.
No whimper.
No shadows.
No rules.
The house felt lighter.
Like something heavy had finally left.
Sometimes, she would stand by the staircase and stare at the wall.
The drawing was still there.
Faint.
Almost gone.
But still there.
"Thank you for listening."
Angelina would smile a little.
Then walk away.
She tried not to think about it too much.
About Mara.
About the place between.
About the Listener.
She told herself it was over.
And for a while…
It really felt like it was.
One night, Angelina woke up suddenly.
Her room was dark.
The fan spun slowly above her.
She frowned.
Something felt… off.
She turned to check her clock.
12:17 a.m.
Her breath caught.
Her heart skipped.
"No…" she whispered.
She sat up slowly.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then—
A sound.
Soft.
Broken.
A whimper.
Angelina froze.
It was faint.
Very faint.
But it was there.
Her chest tightened.
"No… no, it's over…" she whispered to herself.
The whimper came again.
Closer this time.
Her hands began to shake.
It didn't sound like Mara.
It sounded different.
Higher.
Softer.
More desperate.
Angelina slowly turned her head toward the door.
Silence.
Then—
knock… knock…
On her wardrobe.
Exactly like the first night.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
She shook her head.
"No… I won't answer…"
The rule.
She remembered the rule.
Stay silent.
The whimper came again.
Right behind her this time.
Angelina's breath stopped.
She didn't turn.
She didn't move.
Then—
A whisper.
Right next to her ear.
Soft.
Cold.
A voice she had never heard before.
"Help me…"
Angelina's eyes widened.
That wasn't Mara.
Her body trembled.
She slowly looked down at her hands.
They were shaking.
Then she noticed something.
Her reflection… on the dark TV screen.
Her breath caught.
Her reflection wasn't matching her.
It was slightly delayed.
And behind her reflection…
Something stood.
A small figure.
Long hair.
Head tilted.
Whimpering.
Angelina's lips trembled.
She didn't speak.
She couldn't.
Then the voice whispered again:
"You listened…"
A pause.
Then—
"Now it's your turn."
Angelina's reflection smiled.
But she didn't.
The lights flickered.
The whimpering grew louder.
And somewhere…
Far away…
Deep in the place between…
A new name slowly appeared on the wall.
ANGELINA