Page 101

What am I doing?

I turn on the basement-stairs light.

What thehellam I doing?

I open the door all the way. It swings inward, and I pick up the soaked cloth and wedge it underneath. Then I test, being sure it won’t close on me.

Close on me when? When I go down the stairs, which no sane person would do in this situation?

I check the lock, being sure it’s completely disengaged. Then I grab the railing securely and descend the first step.

Another step down.

Seriously? Who the hell wakes up in a haunted house, gets shoved by an unseen hand, hears noises in the basement, and thinks, “Huh, I should check that out”?

If the house is haunted, I brought the haunting.

Whatever is here—Anton or something else—the threat is to me. Only me.

And that makes it okay? Maybe it really was my subconscious earlier, suggesting death by exsanguination might not be so bad.

I keep descending, listening after each step.

Do you have a death wish, Nic?

Don’t be silly. If I did, I wouldn’t still be walking this earth. When I set my mind to something, I do it.

I’m going into the basement because that noise could mean Brodie has returned. If so, I’m making sure he gets back to his poor mother.

So I’m going to confront a drug addict?

Better than a vengeful spirit, right?

I reach the base of the stairs. Looking around, I spot the spade Jin had moved here while we searched. I pick it up.

There. I’m armed.

I flick on the light in the furnace room and wheel through the doorway.

No one’s there.

As I make my way toward the sleeping bag, I mentally pull up a snapshot of how we left it. Nothing has changed.

I exhale and start to back out.

Drip. Drip.

I go still, my hands readjusting on the spade handle.

Another step back toward the door.

Drip.

That’s what I’d heard yesterday. A dripping that went away, and then I got distracted finding Brodie’s “nest” and forgot about it.

No, I’d ignored it because it was a dripping sound in a room with a water heater. I figured it was a normal noise.

It doesn’t seem normal, though. Could the water heater be leaking?