### **Chapter 8: The Forgotten Truth*
326 Words
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The house was no longer just haunted.
It was **alive**.
It **watched**, **waited**, and now — it **wanted something**.
And Evelyn could feel it.
She locked every window, unplugged every appliance, and kept Lila close. But she knew none of it mattered. This was a spiritual war. And she was **losing**.
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That night, Lila fell asleep early — too early — and Evelyn was left in silence.
Except it wasn’t silent.
Because the whispers returned.
Not from the attic.
Not from the basement.
But from the **mirror.**
She was brushing her teeth when the reflection behind her started to ripple — as if the mirror had turned to water.
She froze.
And in that blurred glass, she saw a face.
**Rosie.**
Burned.
Bleeding.
Eyes filled with betrayal.
And then she whispered:
> *“Tell them what you did.”*
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Evelyn screamed and ran from the bathroom, heart racing.
She collapsed on the floor, trembling, as the memories clawed back.
Ten years ago.
College. Party. The fire.
Rosie hadn’t just disappeared.
She had been **locked inside the house**.
By Evelyn.
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Evelyn never meant to hurt her. They were best friends — until Rosie found out her secret.
The affair. The betrayal. The lies.
Rosie said she’d expose it all — and Evelyn panicked.
She didn’t kill her.
Not directly.
But she **left her**.
Trapped.
Begging.
Burning.
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Now the house knew.
Because it was **Rosie’s house**.
The place she died.
And Evelyn, in desperation to escape her past, had unknowingly bought the one place where **truth never stayed buried**.
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That night, Lila woke up screaming.
The marks were back — fresh scratches on her arms.
Evelyn held her tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry, baby," she whispered. "Mommy’s going to fix this. I promise."
But the house answered.
The walls groaned.
The attic door creaked open.
The whispers returned:
> *“Too late.”*
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- Writer
