Watcher in the Dark

Chapter 7: The Rules of Nautical Heights

Ethan sat on the edge of the couch, his eyes fixed on Sarah as she twisted her hands nervously in her lap. The silence between them felt thick, like the fog that lingered outside, but he didn't rush her. He knew she was struggling to say what had been weighing on her, and whatever it was, it was going to change the way he saw Nautical Heights forever.

Finally, Sarah broke the silence. "When we moved here, Tom and I thought it was perfect. Quiet, safe, everything we wanted in a neighborhood." She gave a short, humorless laugh. "But there were... things they didn't tell us. Not officially, anyway."

Ethan leaned forward, his interest piqued. "What do you mean?"

Sarah glanced at the windows, as if checking to make sure they were still closed. "There are rules here, Ethan. Rules that the residents follow, whether they talk about them or not. When we first moved in, a few of the older residents gave us these... guidelines. At first, I thought they were just being overly cautious, but then things started happening."

"Rules?" Ethan asked, his voice low. "What kind of rules?"

She took a deep breath and began to list them, her voice barely above a whisper, as though she feared being overheard. "Never leave the house after dark unless it's absolutely necessary. Keep the blinds closed at night. Always stay in the light when the fog rolls in. If you hear something or see something strange at night—don't investigate. And most importantly—never talk about what you see."

Ethan frowned. "Why? What happens if you break the rules?"

Sarah's hands trembled slightly as she spoke. "I don't know for sure. Tom says it's all just superstition, but I've seen things... things that I can't explain. It's like the fog comes alive at night. Sometimes you hear footsteps when there's no one there, or you see figures just out of the corner of your eye. And the lights... sometimes they flicker, even when there's no storm."

Ethan felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The rules sounded familiar—he had instinctively followed some of them during his shifts, but now they felt more like a warning than simple neighborhood quirks.

"Has anyone broken the rules?" he asked.

Sarah hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. "A few families... they didn't last long. I think they tried to ignore the warnings. They left suddenly, in the middle of the night. No one ever talks about them afterward, but I know they were scared. You can tell when someone's hiding something."

Ethan's mind raced. "And what about the house on the cliffs?" he pressed. "I know the Whittakers disappeared, but was there anything strange about them before it happened?"

Sarah looked up sharply at the mention of the house. "That place... it's different. There's something wrong with it. Every family that's lived there has had problems—strange things happening at night, noises, shadows. Some people say the house is cursed, but others think it's more than that. It's like the fog... draws people there. I don't know how to explain it."

Ethan's pulse quickened. "Do you think that's what happened to the Whittakers?"

Sarah bit her lip, her eyes haunted. "I don't know, Ethan. The police say it was an accident, that the ground gave way and they fell. But... I think they were drawn there. I think something in the fog took them."

Ethan's mouth went dry. Sarah wasn't just talking about accidents anymore—she was talking about something much darker, something beyond the realm of the ordinary.

"The more questions you ask, the more dangerous it gets," Sarah added softly. "Tom doesn't want me talking about this because he thinks it'll draw attention. But I'm scared for you. You're asking too many questions, and if you keep pushing... it might come for you too."