House no.9

Chapter Five

The rain had finally stopped.

For the first time since moving into House No. 9, the sky was clear, and warm sunlight poured through the windows.

Harper stretched as she wandered into the kitchen.

"I have an idea," she announced.

"Should I be worried?"

"Only a little."

I laughed.

"Come on," she said, grabbing my hand. "We're taking a break."

"A break?"

"You've been cleaning for days. So have I. Today, we pretend we're normal people."

I smiled.

"And what do normal people do?"

"They go on dates."

An hour later, we found ourselves in a small café just a few streets away.

The place smelled of fresh coffee and cinnamon. Soft music played through hidden speakers while people chatted quietly around us.

Harper reached across the table and stole one of my fries.

"Excuse me?"

She shrugged innocently.

"You weren't eating it."

"It was on my plate."

"So now it's on mine."

I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh.

"You are unbelievable."

"I know."

For the first time in what felt like forever, neither of us talked about moving boxes or strange neighbors.

We talked about everything else.

Places we wanted to visit.

Books we wanted to read.

The ridiculous names Harper wanted to give the dog she was determined we'd adopt one day.

By the time we left the café, the sun was beginning to set.

As we walked home, Harper slipped her fingers between mine.

"I'm glad we moved here," she said softly.

I looked at House No. 9 standing at the end of the street.

"So am I."

The words left my mouth before I could think about them.

Mrs. Whitmore was standing in her front garden.

She watched us silently.

When we got closer, she offered a small smile.

"You two look happy."

Harper smiled back.

"We are."

Mrs. Whitmore's expression softened.

"Hold on to that."

Before either of us could reply, she turned and disappeared inside her house.

"She says the strangest things," Harper muttered.

"Maybe that's just her."

We climbed the porch steps and unlocked the front door.

The house greeted us with complete silence.

It almost felt... welcoming.

Harper headed upstairs to change while I carried the leftovers into the kitchen.

As I passed the hallway mirror, I caught our reflection.

Mine.

Harper's.

And...

For the briefest second...

A third figure stood between us.

I spun around.

The hallway was empty.

When I looked back at the mirror...

There were only two reflections.

I stared at the glass for another moment before forcing myself to look away.

"It's just this house getting into your head," I whispered.

From upstairs, Harper called my name.

Taking one last glance at the mirror, I switched off the hallway light and followed her upstairs.

The mirror reflected the empty hallway.

Then, slowly...

A handprint appeared on the inside of the glass.I lingered in front of the hallway mirror, unable to tear my eyes away.

For a moment, all I saw was my own reflection.

Then...

Something shifted.

A figure stood at the end of the hallway.

Too tall.

Too still.

Its face was hidden in the darkness.

My heart lurched.

I blinked.

The figure took a step forward.

Then another.

Slow.

Deliberate.

I couldn't move.

My breathing grew shallow as it continued walking toward me, each step closing the distance between us.

"No..." I whispered.

Another step.

Another.

It was almost close enough for me to make out its face.

A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder.

I screamed.

Spinning around, I stumbled backward, my heart pounding wildly.

"Whoa, hey!" Harper exclaimed, catching my arm before I lost my balance. "Sage, it's me!"

I stared at her, struggling to catch my breath.

She frowned, concern replacing the smile she'd worn moments earlier.

"Hey... what's wrong?"

I looked back at the mirror.

There was nothing there.

Just my frightened reflection.

"I..." I swallowed hard. "I thought I saw someone."

Harper gently squeezed my hand.

"You've barely slept since we moved in."

"I know."

She brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"This house is old. It's unfamiliar. Your mind's probably filling in the blanks."

I nodded, though I wasn't convinced.

Harper wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me toward the stairs.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's get some rest."

I took one last glance at the mirror before turning away.

It reflected an empty hallway.

Silent.

Still.

As if nothing had ever been there.Harper wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gently led me upstairs.

"You've had a long week," she said softly. "Moving into a new house is stressful enough without your imagination working overtime."

I let out a shaky laugh.

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I am."

She nudged my shoulder, earning a small smile from me.

We changed into comfortable clothes and climbed into bed, exhaustion finally catching up with us.

Harper reached for the lamp on the nightstand.

"Goodnight, Sage."

"Goodnight."

The room fell into darkness.

Within minutes, Harper's breathing became slow and steady.

I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

Eventually, my eyes grew heavy.

Sleep finally claimed me.

...

Downstairs, the house was silent.

Moonlight spilled through the living room windows, casting long shadows across the wooden floor.

The hallway mirror stood exactly where it always had.

Still.

Silent.

Without warning...

A small crack appeared in the center of the glass.

Another.

Then another.

Thin lines spread across the mirror like a spider's web.

No sound.

No impact.

Just cracks creeping farther and farther across the surface.

In the fractured reflection...

Someone stood at the top of the staircase.

Watching the second floor.

Watching the bedroom door.

The figure never moved.

It didn't need to.

Upstairs, Sage stirred in her sleep.

She thought she heard someone whisper her name.

When she opened her eyes...

The room was empty.

She pulled the blanket closer around herself, turned over, and drifted back to sleep.

Outside, the wind picked up once more.

House No. 9 settled with a quiet groan.

It almost sounded...

...like a contented sigh.