Lena spun around, her hands fumbling for the door handle. She yanked—but it didn't budge.
No. No, no, no!
She threw her weight against it, slamming her fists into the wood, but the door wouldn't move. It was as if it had never been a door at all—just part of the house, part of whatever this place had become.
Behind her, the whispering grew louder.
"Lena…"
Her own voice, murmured from the walls, the ceiling, the floor beneath her feet.
"You let us in."
Slowly, she turned.
The other Lena was still standing in the shadows of the living room.
But now, she wasn't alone.
Figures loomed behind her—shapes shifting in the fog, their hollow eyes locked onto Lena. Some had missing faces, others had twisted smiles, too wide, too sharp.
And then—
They moved.
Lena ran.
She bolted down the hallway, her boots slamming against the wooden floor. The house seemed to stretch around her, the walls bending, shifting. The air thickened, pressing against her chest, slowing her down.
She reached the staircase, heart hammering, and scrambled up—but the steps kept going.
Too many.
She should've reached the second floor by now, but the staircase never ended. It spiraled upward, twisting, stretching into a place that shouldn't exist.
She stopped. Panting. Shaking.
Then—laughter.
From above her.
Lena's stomach dropped.
Slowly, she looked up.
The staircase wasn't empty.
At the top, a figure stood waiting.
Herself.
But this version of her was wrong.
Its arms were too long, its fingers curling like claws. Its head was tilted at an unnatural angle, black eyes locked onto her.
And then, it spoke.
"Why are you running?"
Lena turned and ran back down.
Only this time, the stairs were shorter.
She hit the ground floor almost instantly, nearly collapsing onto her hands and knees. The walls around her groaned, the floor creaking beneath her as if something underneath was moving. Waking up.
She had to get out.
Had to find another way.
She ran through the hallway, yanking open every door she passed.
Locked. Locked. Locked.
Then—one door creaked open.
The study.
Lena didn't stop to think. She dove inside, slamming the door behind her, bracing her back against it.
Silence.
For a moment, nothing moved.
The whispers faded.
The air was still.
Lena exhaled shakily, pressing a hand against her chest, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.
Then she noticed something.
The room was…..