Chapter 5: The Voice Beneath the Floor
The three knocks came again.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Nobody moved.
I could barely hear Lily breathing beside me.
Mason had both hands wrapped around my arm, and Vanessa stood frozen in the hallway with one hand covering her mouth.
I looked toward the basement door.
The sound had come from directly beneath us.
"Was Emma down there?"" I asked.
Vanessa shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"You said that's how she used to call for you.""
"I was a child.""
"How old were you?""
"Nine.""
"So you remember.""
She swallowed.
"Yes.""
I stepped toward the basement entrance.
Vanessa caught my sleeve.
"Michael, please.""
I turned.
"Let go.""
"You don't understand what you're doing.""
"I'm done not understanding.""
I reached for the basement door.
Behind me, Mason whispered, "Dad.""
I looked back.
He was staring at the floor.
"What?""
"Don't go alone.""
"I won't.""
I motioned for him to stay with Lily.
"Keep her beside you.""
He nodded.
Then a fourth sound came from below.
Not a knock.
A scrape.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like something being dragged across concrete.
Lily started crying again.
"Daddy.""
"I'm here.""
I opened the basement door.
The air that came up was cold and damp.
I turned on my phone flashlight and descended.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Behind me, Mason followed with Lily's hand in his.
Vanessa stayed at the top.
"Stay there," I told her.
She didn't answer.
At the bottom of the stairs, the corridor looked exactly as it had before.
But this time, there was something different.
One of the doors was open.
The metal door at the very end.
I was certain I'd closed it.
I walked toward it.
My shoes scraped against the concrete.
"Mason, stay behind me.""
He nodded.
We reached the doorway.
Inside was another room.
Much smaller than the others.
There was an old wooden desk.
A broken lamp.
Two filing cabinets.
And a wall covered with children's drawings.
I swept my flashlight across them.
Crayon houses.
Families.
Trees.
Sunshine.
Some of them had names written underneath.
Lily.
Mason.
Emma.
My heart dropped.
I stepped closer.
The drawings looked old.
Some were faded almost completely.
One showed a little girl standing behind a door.
The girl's hands were drawn as tiny circles.
Her mouth was a dark black line.
At the bottom, in shaky handwriting, were the words:
*I AM STILL HERE.*
I stared at it.
Mason whispered, "That's Emma's.""
"How do you know?""
"My mom showed me her picture once.""
I looked around.
"Why would Vanessa show you this?""
He hesitated.
"She said I needed to understand what happens when children don't obey.""
The flashlight in my hand trembled.
I looked at the drawings again.
"Did she tell you Emma died?""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"Then what did she say?""
Mason swallowed.
"She said Emma was taken away.""
"By who?""
"I don't know.""
A sound came from behind the wall.
Three soft taps.
Mason jumped.
I turned toward it.
There was a wooden panel covering part of the wall.
I walked closer.
The tapping came again.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
"Who's there?""
Silence.
Then a whisper.
So faint I wasn't sure I'd actually heard it.
"Help.""
My entire body went cold.
Mason grabbed me.
"Dad.""
I stared at the wall.
"Did you hear that?""
He nodded.
Lily whispered from behind him.
"There is somebody.""
I moved toward the panel.
There was a narrow seam around it.
I found a latch hidden beneath the desk.
I pulled.
The panel opened.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
My flashlight revealed wooden beams.
Dust.
Old wiring.
And a second door at the end.
The passage was barely wide enough for an adult.
"Stay here," I told the children.
"No," Mason said.
I looked at him.
"You can't come.""
"I'm not leaving Lily.""
I hesitated.
Then I nodded.
"Fine. But stay behind me.""
We moved through the passage.
Every step made the floor creak.
The whisper came again.
"Help...""
This time it was louder.
We reached the door.
There was a chain around it.
But the chain wasn't locked.
It had been wrapped from the outside.
I removed it.
My hands were shaking.
Then I opened the door.
The room beyond was almost completely dark.
There was one narrow window near the ceiling.
A mattress lay on the floor.
An old blanket.
A plastic water cup.
And a chair.
Nothing else.
I swept my phone light across the room.
No one.
Then I saw the wall.
Hundreds of lines had been carved into the paint.
Groups of five.
Tally marks.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Dozens of groups.
Mason stepped into the room.
"What's that?""
I counted.
There had to be more than a hundred.
"Someone was counting days.""
A faint scratching sound came from beneath the mattress.
I froze.
"Mason, move back.""
He stepped away.
I crouched.
Lifted the mattress.
There was a small wooden box beneath it.
I opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Letters.
A child's bracelet.
And a cassette tape.
No label.
I lifted the bracelet.
Tiny silver beads.
An engraved charm.
The letter "E.""
Mason stared.
"Emma.""
I looked at the photographs.
The first showed a little girl.
About five years old.
Dark hair.
Bright eyes.
A gap between her front teeth.
The second showed the same girl sitting in the room.
Older.
Maybe six.
The third showed her standing beside another child.
I recognized the other child.
Mason.
He was only six.
His face was swollen from crying.
I felt sick.
I turned the photo over.
On the back, someone had written:
*He saw too much.*
I looked at Mason.
"What happened here?""
"I don't remember.""
"Try.""
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"I remember Mom bringing me downstairs.""
"Why?""
"She said Emma was sick.""
"Did you know Emma?""
He nodded.
"She was nice.""
"You met her?""
"I think so.""
"When?""
He looked confused.
"Before I lived with Mom.""
I stared at him.
"How old were you?""
"Five.""
I looked at the photograph again.
There was something wrong with the date.
The photo was dated eleven years ago.
Mason had been five.
That meant Emma had still been alive then.
I looked at the letter in the box.
The paper was yellowed.
The handwriting was childlike.
I began reading.
*My name is Emma. My sister says nobody can hear me.*
My heart stopped.
I continued.
*Mommy says Vanessa is only angry because I'm bad. But I'm not bad.*
The room seemed to tilt.
I read the next line.
*Mason knows.*
I looked at the boy beside me.
He stared back.
"What does that mean?""
"I don't know.""
I continued.
*Mason knows she lies. He told me Daddy would come.*
My throat tightened.
The next line was smeared.
Then:
*He didn't come.*
Another page.
*Vanessa says if I tell anyone, they will blame me.*
Another.
*She says everyone believes her.*
My hands began to tremble.
Then came the final page.
Only one sentence.
*If somebody finds this, tell my mother I tried to get home.*
There was no signature.
There didn't need to be.
I knew.
I sat down hard on the mattress.
"She's telling the truth.""
Mason looked at me.
"Who?""
"Emma.""
Before he could answer, my phone buzzed.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
A text message.
*You found the room. Good. Now check the tape.*
A second message appeared.
*And don't let Vanessa know you're listening.*
I immediately looked toward the doorway.
No Vanessa.
I slipped the phone into my pocket.
The cassette tape was old, but there was a player on the shelf.
I tried it.
The batteries were dead.
Mason whispered, "There's another one in the desk upstairs.""
I looked at him.
"How do you know?""
"Mom used it sometimes.""
"For what?""
"Recording us.""
The words made my stomach turn.
I pocketed the tape.
"We'll listen somewhere safe.""
I stood.
Then something caught my eye.
There was a small ventilation grate near the floor.
I crouched.
Behind it was a hollow space.
I removed the grate.
Inside was a second tape recorder.
It looked newer.
And the red recording light was on.
I stared.
Someone had been recording recently.
I pressed stop.
The machine clicked.
Then I saw the display.
*Recording: 02:17:43*
Two hours.
Seventeen minutes.
Forty-three seconds.
My skin prickled.
Someone had been here tonight.
I pressed play.
At first there was only static.
Then a voice.
Vanessa.
"She keeps asking for her father.""
I stopped breathing.
A second voice answered.
A man.
"Then punish her again.""
My blood went cold.
Vanessa replied,
"She's getting suspicious.""
"Then make her afraid.""
I glanced at Mason.
His eyes widened.
We listened.
The recording continued.
"What about the boy?""
"He already knows too much.""
"Then remind him what happened last time.""
Silence.
Then the man said something that made every muscle in my body tense.
"If Michael finds the old records, everything falls apart.""
Vanessa whispered,
"How do we stop him?""
The man's answer was immediate.
"Make him believe Daniel is behind it.""
I stared at the recorder.
Daniel.
The man on the phone.
The notes in the basement.
The photographs.
The strange messages.
Someone had known exactly how to manipulate me.
I pressed pause.
Mason whispered, "Dad...""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"The voice.""
"What about it?""
"I know that man.""
My heart pounded.
"Who is he?""
Mason's face went white.
"He used to come here when Mom thought you were at work.""
I stared at him.
"Who?""
Mason looked toward the doorway.
"Uncle Ray.""
I frowned.
"I don't know an Uncle Ray.""
"You've met him.""
"When?""
"At the barbecue last summer.""
I searched my memory.
A man had been there.
Tall.
Gray hair.
Vanessa's mother's brother, she'd said.
He'd shaken my hand and smiled.
I remembered his wedding ring.
A thick silver band.
Mason whispered,
"He's the one who told Mom to keep the basement locked.""
I felt sick.
"Where does he live?""
"I don't know.""
"Does he come here often?""
Mason nodded.
"Sometimes when you travel.""
I stared at the child.
"You were alone with him?""
"No.""
"Lily?""
He nodded.
My chest tightened.
"What did he do?""
Mason's eyes filled with tears.
"He asked us questions.""
"What kind?""
"Questions about you.""
"What questions?""
"Where you kept money. What time you came home. Who you talked to.""
My blood ran cold.
"Did he ever hurt you?""
Mason shook his head.
"But he told us something.""
"What?""
"He said if we ever told you, he'd make sure you never saw us again.""
I closed my eyes.
Everything had become bigger than Vanessa.
Much bigger.
I slipped the recorder into my jacket.
"We're leaving.""
I took Mason's hand.
He grabbed Lily's.
We started toward the passage.
Then I heard a noise behind us.
A door opening.
I turned.
Vanessa stood at the far end.
She was holding something in her hand.
A kitchen knife.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Vanessa.""
She didn't move.
Her face was wet with tears.
"I told you not to go down here.""
I stepped in front of the children.
"Put the knife down.""
"I don't want to hurt anyone.""
"Then put it down.""
She stared at me.
"You're going to leave me.""
I shook my head.
"This isn't about leaving you.""
"It is.""
"No.""
"You always choose Lily.""
I felt anger rising.
"This has nothing to do with jealousy anymore.""
Her hand trembled around the knife.
"I didn't know what else to do.""
"What did you do, Vanessa?""
She looked at Mason.
"I was trying to protect him.""
"From who?""
She started crying.
"From Ray.""
Everything inside me went still.
"Ray?""
She nodded.
"He made me do things.""
"What things?""
"Everything.""
"Lock the pantry?""
She nodded.
"The room?""
Another nod.
"The food?""
She covered her face.
"Yes.""
"Emma?""
Vanessa's eyes closed.
"I didn't hurt Emma.""
"Then what happened to her?""
She whispered,
"Ray took her.""
I stared.
"Where?""
"I don't know.""
"When?""
"Years ago.""
"You expect me to believe that?""
"I tried to stop him.""
"Then why did you lie to everyone?""
"Because he threatened Mason.""
Mason stared at her.
"Mom...""
She looked at him.
"I'm sorry.""
He shook his head.
"You said Dad was the reason.""
Vanessa broke down.
"I know.""
"Why?""
"Because Ray told me if I blamed your father, nobody would look at us.""
My mind raced.
Daniel had been telling the truth.
Vanessa had manipulated the custody case.
She had used the children.
And now she was claiming someone had forced her.
I didn't know what to believe.
Then the basement lights suddenly came on.
All of them.
The corridor flooded with harsh white light.
Vanessa's eyes widened.
A voice came from behind her.
"You should have listened to me.""
She spun around.
A man stood at the top of the stairs.
Tall.
Gray hair.
Silver wedding ring.
I recognized him instantly.
Uncle Ray.
He smiled.
Mason screamed.
"Dad!""
I pulled the children behind me.
Ray slowly descended one step.
Then another.
He looked directly at the recording device sticking out of my jacket.
His smile disappeared.
"You really shouldn't have pressed play.""
I stared at him.
"Where is Emma?""
He stopped.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Ray smiled again.
"That's the question you've been asking too late.""
And from somewhere behind the walls came a faint child's voice.
"Michael?""
My blood froze.
It was Lily's voice.
But Lily was standing beside me.
I turned toward the wall.
The voice came again.
"Michael... help me.""
Mason began crying.
Vanessa dropped the knife.
Ray's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
May you like
And that was when I realized the voice wasn't a recording.
Someone was alive behind that wall.
