the house is freezing (5)

But her grandmother is long gone, and Ellie has a key now.The door swings open with an almost mechanical creak. The room is exactly as she remembers: the heavy four-poster bed draped in a quilt that looks handmade, the vanity with its tarnished mirror, the wardrobe that’s just slightly ajar.

But it’s the cold that stands out most. It’s unbearable here, like stepping into a freezer. She can see her breath even though she’s indoors. She’s about to turn away when something catches her eye. On the nightstand is a photograph in a silver frame.

It’s her, as a child, sitting on her grandmother’s lap. They’re both smiling, but there’s something… off about the picture. She picks it up, studying it more closely.