Chapter 3 - Breaking Open The Sealed Vent To Save The Child
Ryan grabbed his heavy utility screwdriver from the kitchen drawer, his hands shaking so badly he nearly dropped the metal tool.
He knelt back down on the tile floor, jamming the flat tip into the rusted slot of the first stubborn screw.
“Daddy, be careful, you might hurt them,” little Lily warned softly, resting her small hand gently on Ryan’s shoulder.
“I’m going to get them out, sweetheart,” Ryan promised, putting all his weight behind the turn to break the paint seal.
The screw groaned and finally backed out, dropping onto the kitchen floor with a sharp, echoing metallic ring.
Clara screamed from across the room, covering her ears as if trying to block out an inevitable nightmare coming to life.
“Ryan, stop! Please, I’m begging you, don’t do this!” Clara cried out, crawling forward across the linoleum tiles.
Ryan twisted the second and third screws free, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped wild bird.
With a firm tug, the heavy iron vent cover popped loose, falling away to reveal a pitch-black cavity behind the studs.
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A wave of stale, cold air smelling of dust, old blankets, and fear rushed out into the brightly lit modern kitchen.
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