the house is freezing (8)

In the background, the basement is unmistakable. The chair, the shelves, the boiler. It’s all there. The sound changes. It’s no longer a wail but a whisper, a chorus of voices speaking in hushed tones. Ellie’s head snaps up, her flashlight sweeping the room.

The shadows seem to shift and stretch, crawling along the walls. She backs toward the stairs, her heart pounding. The whispering grows louder, the voices overlapping until they’re deafening. She’s almost at the stairs when the door slams shut above her.

The flashlight flickers, and for a brief moment, the room is plunged into darkness. When the beam steadies again, she’s not alone.A figure stands by the chair. It’s tall and thin, its face obscured by shadows.