WHEN THE DEAD COME KNOCKING

chapter 8

WHEN THE DEAD COME KNOCKING

CHAPTER EIGHT — THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR

Mara ran until her lungs burned.

Her grandmother kept hold of her hand, pulling her between the trees while branches struck against their shoulders.

Neither of them looked back.

Behind them, Blackwood Manor remained hidden in the darkness.

But Mara could still hear the knocking.

Not from the house.

From everywhere.

Trees.

Ground.

Rocks.

Even inside her own head.

Knock.

She stumbled.

Her grandmother caught her.

"Keep moving."

"I can't."

"You have to."

Mara leaned against a tree, struggling to breathe.

The forest seemed to shift around them.

"Grandma..."

"What?"

"She said I died."

Her grandmother went silent.

"The girl in the window," Mara continued. "She said I'm the one who died."

"I heard her."

"Is it true?"

Her grandmother looked away.

"Tell me."

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I don't know what you are."

Mara stared at her.

"What?"

Her grandmother's eyes filled with tears.

"I know what you were thirteen years ago. I know what came back from Blackwood. But I don't know what the house made you into."

Mara stepped backward.

"So I'm not human?"

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to."

Her grandmother approached her.

"You have memories. You have feelings. You remember your mother. You remember Luca."

"Copies have memories."

"Yes."

"So what makes me different?"

Her grandmother hesitated.

"Your choices."

Mara frowned.

"Choices?"

"A copy can imitate what someone did. But it doesn't always understand why."

Mara looked toward the darkness.

"Then how do I know what I am?"

Her grandmother touched her cheek.

"You don't."

A sound came from the trees.

A twig snapping.

Both women froze.

Someone was approaching.

Her grandmother whispered:

"Stay behind me."

Mara listened.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Measured.

Then a voice.

"Grandma?"

Mara's heart jumped.

Luca.

Her grandmother shook her head.

"Don't answer."

The footsteps stopped.

"Mara?"

Mara closed her eyes.

It was Luca's voice.

"Please."

She covered her ears.

"Don't."

The voice became softer.

"I know you're scared."

Mara whispered:

"You're not Luca."

Silence.

Then:

"You're right."

The voice changed.

It became her mother's.

"You should have listened to me."

Mara opened her eyes.

A figure stood between the trees.

Elena.

Her mother.

But the figure didn't approach.

Instead, it pointed toward the ground.

Mara looked down.

A trail of white chalk marks ran through the forest.

Her grandmother stared.

"Your grandfather."

"What?"

"He left these."

Mara followed the marks with her eyes.

They led deeper into the forest.

"Why would he?"

"Because he knew the house couldn't be escaped by road."

"Then where do they lead?"

Her grandmother swallowed.

"To the old Vale station."

Mara had heard of it.

A railway station abandoned before she was born.

"No trains have used it in years."

"Exactly."

They followed the chalk.

The figure wearing Elena's face disappeared.

For nearly twenty minutes, there was no sign of anyone.

Then the trees opened.

An old railway station appeared.

The building was covered in vines.

A broken sign hung above the entrance.

VALE STATION

Mara approached.

"Why did Grandpa come here?"

"Because he discovered something."

"What?"

Her grandmother looked at the tracks.

"Blackwood wasn't the beginning."

Mara stared.

"What was?"

"The railway."

Mara looked confused.

"How?"

"Long before Blackwood was built, people disappeared along these tracks."

"People from our family?"

"Some."

"Where did they go?"

Her grandmother pointed toward the station.

"Nobody knows."

Mara walked inside.

The station was dusty.

Old benches lined the walls.

A clock hung above the ticket booth.

Its hands were frozen at 11:11.

Mara stopped.

"Again."

Her grandmother nodded.

"Always 11:11."

"Why?"

"We don't know."

Mara walked toward the ticket booth.

A book lay open on the counter.

She touched it.

The pages turned by themselves.

Names appeared.

Hundreds.

EVELYN VALE.

THOMAS VALE.

ELENA VALE.

LUCA VALE.

Mara's name appeared next.

She stared.

But something was wrong.

Beside her name were two dates.

2005 — 2013

Mara's heart stopped.

"What does that mean?"

Her grandmother didn't answer.

Then another name appeared beneath hers.

MARA VALE — 2013 — ?

Mara stepped back.

"There are two entries."

Her grandmother nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because the house couldn't decide which Mara belonged to it."

A cold chill moved through her.

"Which one is me?"

Her grandmother shook her head.

"I don't know."

A sound echoed through the station.

A train whistle.

Mara looked toward the tracks.

"There are no trains."

"I know."

The whistle came again.

Closer.

The lights in the station flickered.

Her grandmother grabbed Mara's hand.

"Back."

The tracks began vibrating.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Mara stared.

Something was coming.

A light appeared in the distance.

A train.

Old.

Black.

Its windows were dark.

It moved without making a sound.

Mara stepped backward.

"What is that?"

Her grandmother whispered:

"The train that never arrives."

The train stopped.

Its doors opened.

Nobody stepped out.

A conductor appeared at the nearest door.

He wore an old-fashioned uniform.

His face was hidden beneath a cap.

"Tickets," he said.

Mara's grandmother shook her head.

"We don't have any."

The conductor raised his face.

Mara's blood ran cold.

He had no eyes.

Only smooth skin.

"Everyone has a ticket."

He held out his hand.

A small paper appeared between his fingers.

He gave it to Mara.

She looked down.

Her name was printed on it.

MARA VALE

Destination:

BLACKWOOD

She dropped it.

The conductor looked at her.

"Wrong passenger."

Then he turned toward her grandmother.

"You."

Her grandmother stepped backward.

"No."

The conductor smiled.

"Your ticket is overdue."

Mara grabbed her grandmother.

"Run!"

They sprinted out of the station.

Behind them, the train whistle screamed.

The train vanished.

Just like that.

The station returned to silence.

Mara bent over, trying to catch her breath.

"What was that?"

Her grandmother looked at the tracks.

"I don't know."

"You're lying again."

"I swear."

Mara noticed something on the ground.

A small envelope.

Her name was written on it.

She picked it up.

Inside was a photograph.

Mara stared.

It showed herself at age eight.

Standing beside Luca.

Behind them was Blackwood Manor.

But the photograph had been taken from inside the house.

Someone had been watching them.

On the back, a message had been written:

SHE WAS NEVER THE ORIGINAL.

Mara's fingers trembled.

"Grandma."

Her grandmother looked at the photograph.

Her expression collapsed.

"What?"

"Tell me the truth."

The old woman closed her eyes.

"Your mother had another daughter."

Mara froze.

"What?"

"Before you."

"Who?"

"Her name was Mara."

Mara stared at her.

"Then who am I?"

"Elena named you after her."

"Why?"

"Because she couldn't accept losing her."

"How did she die?"

Her grandmother looked toward the forest.

"She disappeared."

"Like everyone else?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"2005."

Mara's breath caught.

The first date beside her name.

2005.

"Then the girl in the window..."

"Could be the original Mara."

Mara stared at the photograph.

"But she looks exactly like me."

"That's why the house is confused."

Mara whispered:

"Because it has two Maras."

Her grandmother nodded.

A long silence followed.

Then Mara heard something.

A child humming.

She turned.

Luca stood on the railway tracks.

He looked frightened.

"Come here," Mara called.

He shook his head.

"Don't."

"Why?"

"Because she is coming."

"Who?"

Luca pointed toward the forest.

Mara looked.

A woman was walking between the trees.

Elena.

Her mother.

This time, she wasn't hiding.

She stepped into the moonlight.

"Mara."

Mara's eyes filled with tears.

"Mom."

Her grandmother stepped in front of her.

"Don't."

Elena stopped.

"I need to speak with my daughter."

"You lost the right thirteen years ago."

Elena looked at the old woman.

"I lost everything thirteen years ago."

Mara stepped forward.

"Mom, are you real?"

Elena looked directly at her.

"I don't know anymore."

Mara's heart broke.

"What does that mean?"

"I've been inside that house for so long that I don't know where Elena ends and the copy begins."

Mara swallowed.

"Then how can I trust you?"

"You can't."

Elena looked at Luca.

"Neither can he."

Luca lowered his head.

Elena continued.

"The house has been trying to bring the three of us together."

"Why?"

"Because one of us belongs to it."

Mara looked at her grandmother.

"Who?"

Elena whispered:

"I don't know."

The ground beneath them suddenly trembled.

The old station lights turned on.

One by one.

Then the station clock moved.

11:11.

11:12.

11:13.

Mara stared.

"It moved."

Her grandmother stepped backward.

"It shouldn't."

The clock continued.

11:14.

11:15.

Then it stopped.

A loud knock came from inside the station.

Everyone froze.

Another.

Then another.

Mara whispered:

"The doors."

Elena looked terrified.

"The first door is opening."

"What does that mean?"

"It means the house has found a way to move."

Mara looked around.

The forest was gone.

The railway station was gone.

Even the tracks had disappeared.

They were standing in the entrance hall of Blackwood Manor.

Mara stared in disbelief.

"No."

Elena grabbed her.

"Don't move."

The front door slammed shut.

Her grandmother disappeared.

"Luca?"

Gone.

Mara was alone with Elena.

Then a voice came from upstairs.

"Mother."

Mara looked up.

The girl from the window stood at the top of the stairs.

She looked exactly like Mara.

Same face.

Same hair.

Same eyes.

But she was older.

Maybe eighteen.

She smiled.

"Which one of us do you think is real?"

Mara couldn't answer.

The girl descended the stairs.

"You're scared."

"Who are you?"

"You know."

"No."

The girl stopped.

"My name is Mara."

Mara's stomach tightened.

"No."

"Yes."

"You died."

The girl smiled.

"So did you."

Mara stepped backward.

Elena whispered:

"Don't listen."

The girl laughed.

"She has been telling you that for years."

"You're lying."

"Ask her."

Mara looked at Elena.

"Mom?"

Elena said nothing.

The girl pointed at her.

"Ask her what happened in 2005."

Mara's heart raced.

"What happened?"

Elena looked away.

The girl smiled.

"Tell her."

Elena whispered:

"I lost my first daughter."

Mara stared.

"How?"

"She opened a door."

The girl interrupted.

"No."

Elena looked at her.

The girl continued.

"She didn't open it."

Silence.

"I was pushed through."

Mara looked at Elena.

"Did you push her?"

Elena began crying.

"I was trying to save you."

"Me?"

"You were a baby."

The girl laughed bitterly.

"You chose her."

Elena's voice broke.

"I had no choice."

"You always had a choice."

Mara couldn't understand.

"What are you talking about?"

The girl looked at her.

"Your mother made a deal."

Mara turned toward Elena.

"What deal?"

Elena closed her eyes.

"To save one daughter."

Mara whispered:

"She sacrificed the other."

The girl nodded.

Mara felt sick.

"Which one?"

The girl pointed at Mara.

"That's what the house wants you to discover."

The lights went out.

Mara heard footsteps.

Dozens of them.

Coming from every hallway.

Elena grabbed Mara's hand.

"Run!"

They sprinted through the house.

Behind them came whispers.

"Mara."

"Stay."

"Come back."

"Remember."

They reached the kitchen.

Elena pushed a cabinet aside.

A hidden doorway appeared.

"Inside."

Mara climbed through.

Elena followed.

The doorway closed.

Darkness surrounded them.

Mara whispered:

"Where are we?"

"Under the house."

"Why?"

"Because this is where the first door began."

Elena lit a small lantern.

The underground chamber looked ancient.

Stone walls.

Old carvings.

Hundreds of names.

Mara walked closer.

Her name was everywhere.

MARA.

MARA.

MARA.

Some were scratched out.

Some were written again.

One inscription was different.

THE ORIGINAL MUST RETURN.

Mara stared.

"Who is the original?"

Elena didn't answer.

A knock came from behind the wall.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Mara looked at her mother.

"How many?"

Elena whispered:

"Eleven."

Mara's heart stopped.

"Eleven?"

"Yes."

"Then the twelfth..."

"Will decide which Mara remains."

Mara stared at the wall.

A crack appeared.

Something was moving behind it.

Then a child's voice whispered:

"Mara."

Mara stepped forward.

Elena grabbed her.

"Don't."

The voice came again.

This time it was her own voice.

"Please."

Mara's eyes widened.

The wall began opening.

Behind it stood a little girl.

Eight years old.

Mara recognized herself.

The child looked frightened.

She was holding the brass key.

Mara stared at her younger self.

The child whispered:

"You left me here."

Mara couldn't move.

The child raised the key.

"Come back."

Elena cried:

"No!"

The child smiled.

And the final words she spoke were:

"I'm the real Mara."

The wall slammed shut.

Mara screamed.

Then the twelfth knock sounded.

Every door in Blackwood Manor opened at once.

And from behind them came the voices of the dead.

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT