"Did you move this table?" Zuv asked Grayson, pointing at the table in the office of the master of the house. There was a clear line in the dust — a spot cleaner than the rest.
"I don't think I moved anything heavy. I thought it was attached to the wall," Grayson said, studying it closely.
"Let's move it, then." Allan tried to push it, but it was heavy. The three of them joined in and managed to shift it back.
"That's a door," Grayson said, rushing toward the small opening and flashing his light inside.
"There's nothing — just empty space."
"Maybe they took whatever was inside," Allan said, dusting off his hands.
"You know what that means," Zuv muttered. "Someone entered the house after Grayson checked it."
"I'll go check the rest of the house — see if anyone else is here," Allan said, and after the others nodded silently, he left.
"Still, something's throwing me off about this house," Zuv said, walking around. "When we first came in, we were panicked, but I still had an idea of how the house looked. This… this isn't the same."
"You mean this room?" Grayson asked. "I might've moved some things while searching for hidden spots — not to mention my brother might've too."
"No, it's not the things. It's the layout itself. The house feels… different." Zuv spoke as he stepped out of the room, his eyes scanning the hallway, uneasy.
"Hey guys! Come here for a second!" Allan called from the bedroom.
"I found this family photo — and there's a name written on it. It's the same name as the lady we're suspecting."
"What?" Zuv said sharply.
"Why is her family photo here? This might be her childhood picture," Grayson said after taking a closer look.
"Guys, look!" Zuv pointed out the window. "That's the house we went to! Damn, how could I forget — the creepy black paint!"
"Is the internet giving wrong information? How did you even end up there in the first place?" Grayson asked.
"Crystal knew the area, and we didn't check online," Zuv replied.
"Let's go for now. We're in the wrong place," Allan interrupted.
"Yeah," Grayson agreed, and all three rushed out of the house.
As they walked, a cold wind blew through, making everything quiet and eerie. Even though the curse had been lifted, the traumatic memories of that place still lingered, waiting to drag them back into darkness.
Grayson entered first, the sense of unfamiliarity still present. He walked slowly toward the open kitchen while Allan and Zuv split off in different directions.
"Find anything?" Allan asked, returning to the main door. Every corner was soaked with memories — faint bloodstains still on the floor, scars from their desperate attempts to stay alive. The horrible feeling in his gut whispered that it could all repeat again — this time with Nora, under the next full moon.
"Allan! Allan!" Zuv's voice snapped him out of it.
"Yeah… sorry," Allan said, regaining focus.
"I'll check the basement. You guys take the attic," Zuv said, reading the tension in Allan's face but keeping his own composure.
They split up. Zuv switched on his flashlight and went down toward the basement. The door was locked, but it was made of thin wood — easy to force open.
There was still a trace of light from above, but one more step down meant complete darkness. His only source of sight now was the flashlight. The air grew colder as the floorboards creaked under his feet. The walls were covered in circles and strange symbols, melted candles scattered around — not random, but nothing that made sense either.
A sudden tapping sound startled him. He dropped his phone, plunging the room into pitch-blackness. The faint light on the ground became his only guide. An intrusive thought struck — what if something else was reaching for the phone too?
He hesitated, terrified of touching anything that wasn't his phone. The wooden floor groaned under his own shifting weight, sending chills through him. A candle fell and rolled toward the doorway, its faint light flickering. Zuv froze.
He finally turned on his phone's flashlight again — accidentally flashing the light into his own eyes and blinding himself for a moment. When his vision cleared, he looked around. Nothing. Just the same creepy basement — cluttered, cold, and too quiet.
Nothing big enough to hide a person.
"We found him passed out in the attic," Zuv said as soon as he came up.
"I'll call the police," Grayson replied, taking his phone and stepping outside.
"How is he? Unconscious?" Zuv asked.
"Yeah, but he's stable. He spoke for a moment. Hold his legs — let's get him to the car."
"Yeah… he's heavy," Zuv grunted.
Grayson opened the door, and they drove back to the city through the cold night.
"My brother's never liked dark places," Grayson said, checking Fred's pulse.
"Did someone lock the door?" Zuv asked.
"No, nothing like that. No locks inside or out. Must've just been an old door. His flashlight and phone were both broken," Allan said.
"Old house, I guess," Zuv replied quietly.
When they reached the hospital, Fred was admitted. After an hour of treatment, they were allowed to visit.
"Did you call Nora?" Allan asked Zuv.
"Crystal said she didn't answer her phone, but she did speak briefly on her friend's — someone named Tina," Zuv said, while Grayson talked to his brother.
"I know Tina. But why is she there?" Allan asked, frowning.
"Not sure. Nora just said not to worry — she's fine, nothing feels scary, and she feels refreshed and better," Zuv said with a faint smile.
"That's good to hear," Allan replied, still uneasy.
"Do you think it was just the past haunting us again? You guys have been through something similar before," Zuv asked quietly.
"I'm not sure," Allan said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"It's a campsite. Crystal already reserved a spot — even paid someone double. We can keep an eye on things if anything gets out of hand," Zuv said, trying to comfort him.
"Yeah," Allan murmured.
"Guys, Fred wants to talk to you while you're still here," Grayson called them over.
Zuv and Allan exchanged a look and walked in.