Chapter 31 - THE UNOPENED DOOR AT MIDNIGHT
At two o'clock in the morning, the heavy snowstorm intensified, howling through the tall pine trees surrounding the estate.
Inside the master bedroom, Marcus slept peacefully beside Evelyn, his breathing deep and even in the quiet dark.
Suddenly, a quiet, distinct metallic click echoed from the hallway outside their bedroom door.
Marcus’s eyes snapped open instantly, his military instincts kicking in as he sat up without making a sound.
He slipped out of bed, pulling his sidearm from the nightstand drawer and moving stealthily toward the doorway.
Through the crack of the door, the framed US flag on the hallway wall swayed faintly in a cold, mysterious breeze.
Standing right beneath the flag was the silhouette of a child wearing yellow star-printed pajamas, staring into the dark.
"Leo? Toby?" Marcus whispered softly, stepping out into the hallway with his weapon lowered.
May you like
The child turned slowly, revealing a third identical five-year-old twin boy holding an old silver pocket watch that chimed rhythmically.
Marcus froze in absolute, paralyzing terror as the mysterious child pointed toward the basement stairs and whispered: "Daddy... brother is still down there."
