Chapter 9 - Sarah's Shattered Trust
Driven by maternal instinct, Sarah grabbed a heavy brass lamp and smashed it directly against the bedroom drywall where Leo's voice was echoing. The plaster crumbled away in chunks, revealing a dark, cavernous shaft lined with industrial insulation and network cables. Without hesitating, Sarah thrust her upper body into the opening, blindly reaching into the dark abyss. Her fingers grazed soft fabric, and she grabbed hold of Leo’s blue hoodie, pulling with all her might. With a sudden, violent yank, she dragged her sobbing son out of the wall cavity and pulled him into a tight embrace on the floor. Leo was shaking violently, clutching a small, bloodstained metal object in his tiny fist. ""A man in the dark... he was holding my hand,"" Leo sobbed into her chest, holding up the object. Ryan stepped forward to help, but Sarah thrust her hand out, warning him away with a look of pure venom. ""Stay back, Ryan! You built this place... you knew what was in these walls!""
Before Ryan could explain, the security monitors mounted secretly inside the master closet flickered to life, projecting a live, terrifying feed of the front porch outside.
