The next morning, when everyone woke up, they were shocked to find the old woman's house in complete disarray. Blood was splattered everywhere, and the sight terrified them all. No one knew what to do or who to call for help. They were so frightened they couldn't even speak.
Nate, trying to stay calm, told them, "Don't be afraid. Go back to your rooms, stay there, and don't come out until I say it's safe. I'll find out what's going on."
Trusting Nate, they all returned to their rooms, still shaken. Nate, determined to figure out the mystery, slowly made his way downstairs. He had found an old gun in one of the rooms and gripped it tightly as he walked towards the hallway where the trail of blood led. Taking cover behind a cabinet, he waited.
After a while, the front door creaked open. Nate peeked out and saw someone entering the house. Without thinking, he jumped out and pointed the gun, ready to shoot.
The old woman shrieked in surprise, dropping two dead animals onto the floor. "Don't shoot! It's me! Let me explain!" she pleaded.
Realizing his mistake, Nate quickly lowered the weapon. "I'm so sorry," he said. "Please forgive me."
The old woman, catching her breath, smiled and said, "It's alright. Let's sit down at the table, and I'll explain everything."
They sat down together, and Nate listened as she explained. "I went to the market early this morning to buy these animals so we could cook them for food. The blood you saw? Well, you all overslept, and I had extra animals, so I decided to kill them for meat. I was hungry!"
Nate sighed with relief. "Okay, that makes sense. I'll go get the kids from upstairs."
"Sure, you go ahead. I'll start preparing the food," the old woman replied with a warm smile.
Nate headed back upstairs and knocked on the doors, calling to the kids, "It's safe to come out now!" One by one, the children emerged from their rooms, their faces full of worry. As soon as they saw Nate, they ran to him and hugged him as tightly as they could.
"What happened? Is everything alright?" they asked all at once.
Nate chuckled softly. "Calm down. One question at a time. I promise I'll answer everything, but for now, I can tell you this—food is ready. Let's go downstairs. The old lady is waiting for us."
With a sense of relief, the children followed him downstairs, their fear slowly fading away as they realized everything was going to be okay.
Once they all went downstairs, they saw the old lady waiting for them at the table with a huge smile on her face. One by one, they sat down in their assigned seats without asking any questions and began to eat. When they finished, the old lady cleared her throat and said, "Now, let me explain what you need to do if you want the spirits to leave your house."
She handed Nate a rare item, a small box wrapped in faded cloth, and spoke softly, "Only open this when you are inside the new house. It can only be used once, so be careful."
Nate nodded solemnly. "I understand. Thank you for everything." He turned to the others and said, "Go gather your things from your rooms and meet me outside."
They all did as Nate instructed, and before long, they were standing outside the old woman's house, saying their goodbyes. After walking for two hours, the family finally reached their destination—their new home. The house loomed before them, an eerie and abandoned structure that made their hearts race.
Nate stopped them at the gate. "Listen carefully," he said. "You're not to enter the house under any circumstances. Only I will go inside. If anything bad happens, you run—no questions, just run. Protect each other, stay together."
The children looked at him in fear. Jenny, the eldest, stepped forward with tears in her eyes. "No!" she shouted. "We've been following everything you've told us since we arrived in this cursed town. But you're not even my father, Nate! My real father died after going into the lighthouse, and now you want to do the same thing?"
Her voice cracked with emotion. "He thought he saw my mother inside that lighthouse, and even though we told him there was no one there, he didn't listen. He kept walking straight into the mist, and we never saw him again. The townspeople told us there was nothing we could do, that we should just forget him and move on. And now, you want to throw your life away for a house? We could just leave this place!"
Nate clenched his fists in frustration. "You think I want to die, Jenny? I don't have a choice! We can't afford to leave. This house belongs to a friend of mine, and it's the only place we have left. I have to do this to keep you all safe." His voice softened. "No more questions. Just take care of the little ones while I go inside."
Tears streamed down Jenny's face as she dropped to her knees, pounding the ground in helpless rage. "It's not fair!" she cried. "Why do you have to do this to your own family?"