"Come on!" One hand on the wall, Celeste lowered a foot to the first stair. "We have to get down there!"
Before Celeste could go any further, Baron put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait," he said. "I'll go first."
Somewhere down below, Paisley screamed again.
"Be careful," said Celeste.
Slowly, Baron eased himself down the stairs, moving toward the pitch blackness at the bottom. Celeste waited until he'd gotten halfway down, feeling his way along the opposite wall, before she continued her own descent.
Cary was just about to follow when he thought he saw the darkness move.
In the sea of black that filled the living room at the base of the stairs, something seemed to shift. Cary focused on the spot, staring so hard that pips of light fizzed in front of his eyes.
He didn't see more
