The Voices Within the Walls

Sarah had no desire to return to the house she grew up in. It was her responsibility to clean out the old Victorian home on Blackwood Lane after her mother passed away. The air felt heavier as soon as she walked through the door, alive with a spooky silence. The house smelled of dust and rotten memories, having been left unoccupied for years.

She promised herself that she would only be there for a few nights, long enough to pick up her mother's things and call a real estate agent. However, as she lay in her former bedroom that first night, a whisper slithered through the walls.

Sarah...

Her heart thumping, she bounded to her feet. Was it her imagination? It might have been the wind slipping through the wood cracks; the house was old. Even so, she had trouble falling asleep, and when she did, she had dreams about shadows moving through the hallways.

She told herself it was all in her head by morning. She sorted through boxes all day, reminiscing about old photos and toys from her early years. However, the house became colder as the sun went down. The murmur came back.

Sarah... You left, but why?

She could hear it clearly this time, a distinct voice hissing through the walls. With the intention of calling a friend, she reached for her phone, but there was no signal. She felt a chill creep up her back. She went to listen in the hallway. The voice pierced the house's very structure, emanating from inside the walls.

She touched the wallpaper with her ear. From behind it came a faint scratching sound, like fingernails dragging on wood. Then, closer this time, there was another whisper.

You have no place here.

Heart pounding, Sarah staggered back. Though instinct told her otherwise, a logical part of her wanted to think it was some sort of residual sound, an old house settling.

She hardly slept the following night. She felt watched each time she closed her eyes. When she wasn't looking at them directly, the shadows in the corners of her room appeared darker than before and stretched strangely. The whispering then started up again shortly after midnight.

You abandoned me here.

Fear pricked at her throat. "Who is here?".

Quiet. Then a child's laugh.

She grabbed the flashlight from her nightstand and clambered out of bed. As she approached the sound, the ancient wooden floor creaked under her feet. Just across the wall, the faint sound of breathing had taken the place of the giggling.

Sarah was aware that she could no longer ignore it. She hurried to her mother's old renovation tools in the basement. She found what she needed—a crowbar—despite the room being covered in cobwebs and smelling strongly of mildew. With her heart racing, she went back to the bedroom and gazed at the wall where the whispers had been heard.

She inhaled deeply before pressing the crowbar into the plaster. Parts of it collapsed, revealing a dark interior and wooden beams. She expanded the hole as she dug deeper and discovered a secret crawlspace. And within it—

A tiny skeleton.

Tangled in the remains of a frayed gown, the fragile bones were curled in on themselves. Still attached to the skull were strands of what had been hair. With bile rising in her throat, Sarah stumbled back.

The murmur came back, but it was no longer a murmur. A scream was heard.

It was inside her head, rattling her bones, so Sarah clamped her hands over her ears. The room's shadows came together to form the shape of a young girl after twisting violently. Sarah's eyes were pierced by hollow eyes.

You abandoned me. You abandoned me to perish here.

Her mind was filled with memories she was unaware she had. A girl named Emily was a friend from childhood. It was in this very room that they had played together. However, Emily vanished one day. She had fled, according to the adults. Sarah had thought they were real. However, now—

She gazed at the faded dress and the skeleton in the wall. Emily.

The air became oppressive. The room shook. The ghost of the girl screamed in rage and lunged at Sarah. As cold fingers closed around Sarah's throat, she let out a scream. Her vision was sucked up by darkness.

A realtor showed up the following morning to inspect the property. He knocked but got no response. Calling out Sarah's name, he pushed the door open.

Quiet.

He entered. Except for the faint sound of whispers slipping through the walls, the house was deserted.