the 14 Days

CHAPTER 6

After the sound echoed from upstairs. Vishnu's eyes darted toward the staircase, his mind sharp and calculating. Sanjana stood frozen in place, her fingers twitching slightly as if she wanted to say something but held back.

"What was that?" Swapna asked, her voice hushed but firm.

"The wind," Sanjana muttered, her voice unconvincing. "This house is old. It makes noises sometimes."

But the officers weren’t buying it. The air inside the mansion felt wrong—too still, too cold. The walls carried an eerie weight, as if they had witnessed secrets never meant to be told. Vishnu exchanged glances with Swapna and Roman before making the decision.

"Let’s check it out," he said, already moving toward the stairs.

Sanjana's breath hitched. "I told you, it’s nothing."

But the officers ignored her. The wooden steps groaned under their weight as they climbed, the dim hallway above stretching before them like an endless tunnel. A cold draft slithered through the corridors, whispering through the curtains and making the shadows dance along the walls. The air was thick, suffocating, carrying an unseen presence that made the hairs on their arms stand on end.

Then—another sound.

A faint, rhythmic shuffling. Like someone moving. Like something was waiting.

Roman’s jaw tightened. His fingers brushed against the grip of his gun, his instincts screaming danger.

The hallway loomed ahead, lined with closed doors. At the end, one door stood slightly ajar, its frame trembling as the wind howled through. The white curtains inside billowed like ghostly figures. The eerie creaking of the window latch slamming against the frame sent chills down their spines.

"Just the wind," Swapna whispered, trying to steady her breathing.

But Vishnu wasn’t convinced. His eyes scanned the dark corners, looking for something—anything—out of place. His senses sharpened, his skin tingling with an unseen tension.

And then—

A shadow moved.

Roman jerked back, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs. Swapna let out a small gasp, gripping the side of the door. Vishnu’s hand snapped to his gun, every nerve on edge.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

For a split second, their minds screamed—not alone.

And then, the dim light flickered, revealing—

A woman.

Sanjana’s maid.

She stood in the middle of the room, silent, still, watching them. Her dark hair hung limply over her face, obscuring her expression. In her hand, she clutched a cloth, her fingers twisted around the fabric as if she had been holding it for too long. The eerie silence stretched between them, unbroken, the air crackling with something unseen.

"Who are you?" Roman barked, his voice harsher than intended.

The maid blinked. Slowly. Then, with an unsettling calmness, she tilted her head slightly, staring at them. The dim light flickered once more, casting strange shadows across her face.

"I—" she started, her voice hoarse, barely above a whisper.

A loud BANG interrupted her.

The wind had slammed another door shut, making Swapna flinch. Roman exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Damn it," he muttered.

Vishnu didn’t take his eyes off the maid. "What are you doing here?"

The maid lowered her gaze, finally stepping aside to reveal the cleaning supplies at her feet. "I was… cleaning," she murmured. Her voice was slow, deliberate, as if she had been in some kind of trance.

Vishnu’s sharp gaze never wavered. "At this hour?"

She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she turned to the window, her eyes unfocused. "The wind… sometimes it makes the house feel alive," she whispered. "Like it’s breathing."

A shiver ran down Swapna’s spine. Roman frowned, exchanging a glance with Vishnu.

"Did you hear anything earlier?" Vishnu asked, keeping his tone neutral but firm.

The maid hesitated, her lips pressing together. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"Footsteps," she said.

Vishnu’s heartbeat slowed.

"Where?"

The maid lifted her gaze, her eyes dark and distant.

"Everywhere."

A sharp silence fell over the room. The three officers exchanged uneasy glances. The cold wind still howled, rattling the windows like unseen hands clawing at the glass.

Vishnu exhaled, his mind racing. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but something about this house felt… wrong. And someone was lying.

He turned back to the maid. "Go back downstairs. We’ll take it from here."

She nodded, picking up her supplies. But as she walked past Vishnu, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew more than she was letting on.

As they descended back to the living room, Sanjana stood where they had left her, her face unreadable. Vishnu studied her closely, his instincts screaming that she was hiding something.

But what?

And who else in this house was watching them… from the shadows?