Amy

going

One day, I found a loose floorboard. I pried it up, revealing a small, hidden space beneath. It was dark and dusty, but it was mine, a secret sanctuary where I could hide my treasures, my scraps of information, my fragments of hope. I began to collect small objects, anything that held a memory, anything that reminded me of my past, anything that might help me hold onto my identity. A broken button, a faded ribbon, a scrap of paper with a drawing of a flower. These objects became talismans, symbols of my resistance, my refusal to be erased.

The scratching sound continued, a persistent, unsettling presence in the silence. It seemed to be coming from the crack in the wall, from the sliver of sky, from the hidden stars. I began to believe that it was a voice, a whisper from the outside, a message from someone, something, reaching out to me. I started to whisper back, hoping that someone, somewhere, was listening. The House of Whispers, The First Night

The day they came to take me arrived like a storm, a sudden, violent upheaval that shattered the fragile semblance of order in my life. They dressed me in clothes that felt alien on my skin, clothes that were too tight, too revealing, clothes that made me feel like a doll, a puppet, a thing to be manipulated. Mama’s eyes were averted, her face devoid of emotion. Daddy’s hand was heavy on my shoulder, his grip tight, possessive.

The journey to "The House of Whispers" was a blur of darkness and fear. The carriage rattled and swayed, the wheels clattering on the cobblestone streets, the horses’ hooves echoing in the silence. I sat huddled in the corner, my body trembling, my heart pounding in my chest, the fear of a cold, of a hard knot in my stomach.

The house loomed before me, a dark, imposing structure, its windows like vacant eyes staring out into the night. The air was thick with the smell of perfume and cigar smoke, a sickly sweet scent that made my stomach churn. I was led through a maze of corridors, past rooms filled with laughter and music, past doors that whispered secrets I didn’t want to hear.