### **Chapter 12: The House Remembers*
308 Words
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The next morning, sunlight finally streamed through the windows of the old house.
It looked… normal.
Too normal.
Evelyn stood on the porch, holding Lila’s hand, staring at the ambulance and police cars parked outside. Her confession had been simple, direct, and heartbreaking.
> “I left Rosie to die.”
The detective didn’t speak for a long time.
But they listened.
And they believed her.
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Rosie’s remains were recovered from the basement wall.
A team of forensic officers worked in silence as Lila sat in a warm blanket, sipping cocoa, her small hands still shaking.
One of the officers quietly asked Evelyn, “Do you know who sealed her in there?”
Evelyn stared at the broken fireplace.
And whispered, “The house did.”
They chuckled.
She didn’t.
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The Hollow Man hadn’t appeared again.
Not in the daylight.
Not since the truth was spoken.
But the **feeling**—the weight in the air—it still lingered.
Because even if Rosie’s spirit had been released… something older still lived inside the walls.
The Hollow Man wasn’t just tied to Rosie.
He was tied to the **secrets**.
To the **guilt**.
To the **pain**.
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That night, Evelyn and Lila stayed at a hotel.
Evelyn tucked her daughter in and kissed her forehead.
“Mommy,” Lila whispered, “Are we going home tomorrow?”
Evelyn paused.
Then shook her head gently.
“No, baby. That place… it was never our home.”
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But the house?
It waited.
Empty.
Still.
Hungry.
As the wind passed through the broken attic window, a soft sound echoed down the hallways:
> *Tap… tap… tap…*
In the nursery, the music box opened.
> *La-la-la… la-la-la…*
And on the wall, a new message appeared, written in fresh red crayon:
> **“ONE MORE.”**
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- Writer
