Kyle lay in the shed, wrapped in the thin blanket that did little to keep out the night's chill. Eyes darting around. His breath misted in the cold air as he tried to relax, but a sound outside made his muscles tense up again. It was faint at first, just a distant rustling, but it grew steadily louder, coming closer. His heart pounded, and he sat up quickly, scanning the dimly lit shed.
He glanced around, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon, an old rake, a shovel propped against the wall, anything to defend himself if it came to that. His pulse quickened with each creak and whisper outside the shed door, and he gripped the handle of the rake, ready to swing if necessary.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. Kyle's grip tightened, but when Mrs. Zoe Miller stepped inside, he let out a deep breath, releasing his hold on the rake. Relief washed over him as he lowered his makeshift weapon. So it was just her, not some intruder or wild animal.
Zoe's eyes glinted in the faint light. "Good," she said in alow and smooth voice, "you're awake." There was something in her tone that made Kyle uneasy, and the way she looked at him made his skin crawl.
"Is… is there something you need, Mrs. Miller?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Zoe closed the door behind her, a small, unsettling smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Oh, there's more to discuss, Kyle. Much more," she said, her heels clicking softly as she walked closer to him. "I heard what my husband said to you about your salary." She tilted her head, her gaze sharpening as she studied his reaction. "But I could… make things a lot better for you."
Kyle frowned, stepping back as she continued forward, a sinking feeling twisting in his stomach. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.
Zoe's smile grew, and her eyes lingered over him in a way that made him feel uneasy. "I mean, you don't have to take what he dishes out. We could have a… private arrangement." She crossed her arms, leaning in close. "Just a secret between the two of us. You're a sharp guy, aren't you?"
Kyle's mouth went dry as he took another step back, shaking his head. "I… I don't think that's right, Mrs. Miller," he said, trying to keep his tone respectful but firm. "Mr. Miller's my boss, and"
"Oh, my husband?" Zoe scoffed, her face twisting with an edge of impatience. "My husband's an old fool. He doesn't appreciate half of what's around him. He's dull and… well, let's just say he's not exactly the kind of man I'm interested in." She looked at Kyle meaningfully, her gaze intense.
Kyle could feel his heart hammering, but he still shook his head. "Mrs. Miller… this isn't something I can do. I need this job, but not like that."
A flicker of frustration crossed her face, but she kept her smile. She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a lower, insistent tone. "Kyle, I don't think you understand. You're turning down a real opportunity here." Her expression hardened, a hint of coldness glinting in her eyes. "One word from me, and your life here would be a lot harder."
Kyle clenched his fists, taking a steadying breath. "No. I'm sorry, Mrs. Miller, but I can't. It wouldn't be right."
Her smile vanished, replaced by a look of chilling anger. Her gaze sharpened, her lips tightening. "You really are going to turn me down?" she said, her voice dripping with bitterness. "After everything I could do for you?"
"I'm sorry," Kyle replied, his voice wavering but resolute. "But it's not right."
Zoe's facial expression grew stormy, her eyes narrowing into dark, hard slits. "You'll regret this," she hissed and her voice lace with cold malice. "No one says no to me. I don't think you understand who you're dealing with, Kyle."
She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Kyle sank into a chair, taking deep breaths as he tried to steady himself. His chest felt tight, the tension still lingering in the air, and he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that he had just made a dangerous enemy.
He stayed on the floor, his back against the wall, trying to calm himself when a faint noise caught his ear again. It was a whisper, or maybe a sigh, just barely audible. "Ethan…"
His head snapped up, and he looked around the shed, his pulse racing anew. "Hello?" he called, his voice quivering. The shadows in the corners of the shed seemed darker, more solid, as if they were alive and moving.
The voice came again, this time clearer. "Ethan… come to me…"
Kyle's skin prickled with goosebumps. He stood up, his legs weak, and scanned the shed. There was no one there, no one who should have been able to speak, anyway. The voice didn't sound like Mrs. Miller, nor like anyone else he knew. It had a strange, almost distant quality to it.
"Who's there?" he whispered, gripping the rake again, as if it would protect him from whatever was out there. The silence that followed was deafening, and for a long moment, he thought he had imagined it. But then, from the darkest corner of the shed, he saw a shadow move, a figure just barely visible in the gloom.
He blinked, and it was gone. His heart raced faster. "Ethan," the voice called again, fainter now, almost as if it were fading away.
Kyle staggered back, his mind racing. Was it exhaustion making him see and hear things? Or was there something far more sinister lurking around the estate, something tied to the Millers? The name "Ethan" meant nothing to him, yet the voice seemed to call it with a familiarity that sent shivers down his spine.
He backed out of the shed, unable to bear staying inside it any longer. As he stepped into the open air, the night seemed even darker, the stars swallowed by a thick blanket of clouds. The estate was quiet, too quiet. He could hear his own ragged breaths as he moved quickly toward the main house, feeling as if unseen eyes were watching him from the shadows.
As he reached the house, a figure appeared in the window, Zoe Miller, standing in the parlor and staring straight at him. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes… they glowed with something dark and malicious, like she was waiting for him to make his next mistake.