The Black Letter

Chapter 5: Whispers in the Shadows

John woke up the next morning, the day greeted him with good weather, and a warm breeze blowing through the window brought an indescribable sense of comfort.

With a light cough, John slowly raised his right hand. He still felt some pain, but it was much better than the feeling in the well.

He tried to sit up; everything was normal. He rubbed his sore neck, probably stiff from maintaining the same position for too long. As he massaged it gently, he surveyed his surroundings.

The room faced the morning sun and was simply furnished with just a single bed and a basic nightstand, apart from an old wooden wardrobe across the room. The whole room looked quite bare.

"You're awake," Christina said, appearing suddenly in the room with a hamburger in her hand. "I thought you might be hungry."

John reached for the burger, thanking her with a simple "Thanks!" before hungrily devouring it. Christina watched him, a smile breaking across her face as John, embarrassed, slowed down his eating.

"It's okay, I know you must be starving. Take your time, just call me when you're done. I need to go help Grandma," Christina said before skipping off toward the door.

"Wait, just a second!" John called after her. "Your name is..."

"Just call me Christina," she replied with a bright smile, then exited.

"Christina, what a cute name," John murmured to himself as he continued eating his burger.

When people are full, they tend to look for something to do, and John decided to take his dishes back himself.

He got out of bed, feeling stronger after a good night's sleep and a full meal. He carried his dishes and opened his room door.

The second floor was unadorned, just wooden floors and a couple of leaf-shaped wall lamps. Everything was as spartan as the rooms, with only two other doors, likely belonging to the old lady and Christina.

John didn't linger, descending the stairs to the first floor.

The living room was equipped with basic necessities like sofas, tables, and a coffee table but lacked a television. Instead, the space was decorated with rough wooden houseplants, indicating another plant-loving family.

John casually placed the dishes on the table, peering out the door at the yard where the old lady and Christina were absorbed in planting flowers. He decided not to disturb them and wandered around the house alone.

Although the house was two-storied, it was basic and had nothing that particularly caught his attention. John decided it was best to return to his room to rest.

Just as he was about to enter his room, John heard a strange noise, very faint as if nearby.

He looked around but saw nothing unusual, perhaps he had heard wrong.

But as he was about to open his door again, the noise resurfaced, and this time John heard it very clearly—it was coming from the corner. John glanced towards the staircase and through the downstairs window, he saw the old lady and Christina still intently planting flowers, seemingly unaware of what was happening inside. He decided to investigate.

The corner was dark, maybe because it was out of reach of the light. John stepped forward and discovered a narrow corridor extending to the left, invisible unless approached.

John squeezed through, his back and chest tightly pressed against the walls as he moved forward. If there was a path here, it must lead somewhere.

Finally reaching the end, John found a door.