(Esther’s Point of View)
The phone kept ringing.
Not buzzing. Not vibrating softly. Ringing! Loud and Sharp as it wanted to tear the walls down.
Matthew stared at the screen like it was a weapon pointed at his chest. His father’s name glowed there, bright and unforgiving.
“Inside the house,” I whispered. “You said the call is coming from inside the house.”
Matthew nodded slowly. His face had gone pale, the kind of pale that comes when fear meets truth.
“I didn’t invite him,” he said.
“I know,” I replied.
The ringing stopped.
For a moment, the silence that followed felt worse.
Then we heard footsteps.
Slow, Calm and Confident.
They came from the hallway behind us.
I turned first.
He stood there like he owned the space. Matthew’s father!Tall and Neat. His face held the same cal
