Evelyn tightens her grip on the steering wheel, her knuckles white as she peers through the rain. Her brother, Lucas, shifts nervously in the passenger seat, glancing at the faded “For Sale” sign swinging on its hinges.
"Are you sure about this? The place looks like it’s been abandoned for years,"
"It’s what we can afford. Besides, it’s just for the weekend," Evelyn replies, though her voice wavers.
Lucas passes a faded portrait, shivering as thunder shakes the panes. Evelyn sets down their bags in the foyer, her flashlight beam darting across cobwebbed corners and warped floorboards.
"Did you hear that?" he whispers, pausing as a faint creak echoes above.
"Probably just the house settling. Let’s get a fire going," she says, trying to sound braver than she feels.
Evelyn wraps a blanket around her shoulders, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames. Lucas leafs through a moldering book he found on a shelf, but his mind is elsewhere.
"It feels like someone’s watching us," he mutters, voice barely above a whisper.
"Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no one here but us," Evelyn insists, though a chill creeps up her spine.
Evelyn bolts upright, heart pounding. Lucas stands frozen at the bottom of the staircase, his flashlight trembling in his hand as he points it upward.
"Evie, there’s someone up there," he stammers, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Stay here," Evelyn commands, though her voice quivers as she ascends the stairs, each step echoing like a warning.
Evelyn freezes, her breath catching as the figure glides silently toward her. Its eyes are hollow, its mouth stretched in a soundless scream.
"What do you want?" she whispers, voice cracking.
The figure raises a translucent hand, pointing toward a door at the very end of the hall, before vanishing into mist.
Lucas fumbles with the keys, hands trembling as he unlocks the door. Evelyn glances once at the house, its dark windows now seeming to glare with warning.
"We’re never coming back here," he says, voice hoarse.
"No. Some places are better left forgotten," Evelyn replies, as the car disappears down the winding road, the house on Hollow Hill receding into shadow.
