Whispers from the Attic

--- The rain came down in heavy sheets, drenching the windshield as Evelyn Moore drove up the winding road that led to her childhood home—**Hollowridge Manor**. The wipers groaned with effort, struggling to keep the glass clear as lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the towering silhouette of the house on the hill. It had been **fifteen years** since she last stepped foot inside that place. Fifteen years since her mother had locked the attic door and whispered, *“Never go up there, Evelyn. Promise me.”* Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She hadn’t even attended her mother’s funeral. No one had invited her. She only got the news through a lawyer’s letter—*“You’ve inherited the Moore estate. Immediate attention required.”* From the back seat, her six-year-old daughter **Lila** peeked up sleepily. “Mommy... are we home?” Evelyn forced a smile. “Yes, sweetie. Almost there.” The iron gates creaked open slowly as she pulled into the gravel driveway. The house stood like a corpse wrapped in fog—aged, cracked, yet somehow still breathing. She turned off the engine, and for a moment, the silence was deafening. Lila reached for her plush rabbit. “Is Grandma here?” “No, darling,” Evelyn whispered. “She’s gone now.” --- They stepped into the house, the wooden floor groaning beneath their feet. Everything smelled of dust, mold, and forgotten years. Furniture was covered in white sheets like sleeping ghosts. Cobwebs clung to every corner. Evelyn lit a match and touched it to the dusty candle on the table. A flickering flame danced, casting long shadows across the foyer. She walked into the hallway, heart thudding. On the far end stood the attic door. Still locked. Still untouched. Still cold. Lila tugged her hand. “Mommy... there’s a girl upstairs.” Evelyn blinked. “What?” Lila looked up with wide, innocent eyes. “She said her name is Rosie. She wants me to come play in the attic.” The candle flickered violently. Evelyn’s blood turned to ice. “There’s no one here but us, baby,” she said, forcing calm into her voice. But Lila was already walking up the stairs. ---