Chapter 5 - The Man Who Escaped
The attic ladder descended one section at a time.
No hands touched it.
No rope moved.
It simply unfolded from the ceiling and stopped inches above the floor.
Rick stood between me and the ladder.
His growl deepened.
The phone remained pressed to my ear.
The stranger was still there.
"Don't go up," he whispered.
"Tell me who you are."
"My name is Daniel Cross."
The name sounded familiar.
I had seen it somewhere during my search.
Then I remembered an old article about Harold Bennett's disappearance. Daniel Cross had rented a room in the house almost fifteen years earlier. He vanished after only three months.
The article assumed he had left town.
"You were reported missing," I said.
"I made people believe that."
A soft thud came from the attic.
Dust fell through the opening.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"I discovered the passageways. I found the cameras. I found recordings of people who had lived there long before me."
"Who built them?"
"I don't know his real name."
Rick suddenly backed away from the ladder.
Not in fear.
As if tracking movement above us.
Daniel continued.
"Harold called him the caretaker."
The word made my skin crawl.
"What does that mean?"
"He chooses a house. Learns every sound. Every habit. He lives between the rooms until the family stops noticing small things."
A faint metallic click echoed from inside the attic.
Like a lock opening.
Daniel spoke faster.
"He doesn't steal. He doesn't attack immediately. He watches. Sometimes for years."
"Why?"
"He believes the house belongs to him. Everyone else is temporary."
The attic light flickered on.
I had not touched the switch.
At the top of the ladder stood a shadow.
Only the outline of a shoulder was visible.
Rick barked once, violently.
The shadow disappeared.
I raised the flashlight and stepped closer despite Daniel's warning.
A small object rolled down the attic stairs.
It struck the floor near my feet.
A brass key.
Attached to it was a faded wooden tag.
Written across the tag were two words.
BASEMENT ROOM.
I had no basement.
At least the house plans didn't show one.
Daniel went completely silent.
"Daniel?"
His breathing changed.
He sounded terrified.
"He wants you to find it."
The call ended.
At the same moment, something slammed the attic ladder upward.
It folded into the ceiling and locked shut.
Then a new sound came from beneath the kitchen floor.
Three slow knocks.
Rick ran toward the cabinets.
The knocks came again.
May you like
Directly under the spot where he had first started climbing.
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