Chapter 1 - The Door at the End of the Hall
Zaria knew the basement was forbidden.
Her mother had told her that before they arrived at Louise’s mansion for the weekend.
“The stairs are old,” Amara had said. “The wiring down there is ancient, and Grandma keeps too much junk around. Stay upstairs.”
Zaria had promised.
She had meant it.
Then she heard someone crying behind the basement door.
At first she thought it was the wind.
The mansion was old enough to make noises even when nobody moved. Pipes knocked behind the walls. Floorboards sighed. Doors whispered inside their frames whenever rain moved through the trees surrounding the property.
But this sound was different.
Small.
Human.
Zaria had been standing in the hallway when she heard it.
A soft scrape.
Then something that sounded like a child coughing.
She stepped closer.
The heavy basement door stood at the end of the dim hallway, beneath a yellow wall lamp that flickered every few seconds.
Zaria touched the handle.
Locked.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
She leaned forward.
“Is somebody down there?”
A floorboard creaked behind her.
Zaria spun around.
Louise stood ten feet away.
Her grandmother’s expression was completely still.
“What are you doing?”
Zaria withdrew her hand.
“Nothing.”
Louise's eyes moved from Zaria to the basement handle.
“That didn't look like nothing.”
“I heard something.”
“You heard this house settling.”
“It sounded like a girl.”
Louise’s jaw tightened.
“There is nobody downstairs.”
Zaria studied her.
Louise was seventy-one and carried herself as though age had never been granted permission to slow her down. Her silver-streaked hair was always smooth. Her clothes were always pressed. Even inside her own home she wore earrings and shoes that clicked sharply against the hardwood.
Zaria usually found her grandmother intimidating.
Tonight she found her frightening.
“Why is the door locked?” Zaria asked.
Louise walked closer.
“Because children don't belong in basements.”
“Then why did somebody cry?”
Louise grabbed Zaria's wrist.
Hard.
“Grandma!”
“I am tired of your questions.”
“You're hurting me.”
Louise began pulling her down the hallway.
Zaria stumbled to keep up.
“Stop!”
Louise didn't.
The basement door grew closer.
Zaria suddenly understood where her grandmother was taking her.
Fear slammed through her.
She pulled backward.
“No!”
Louise tightened her grip.
Zaria's shoes slid against the polished floor.
“Grandma… Mom said it's dangerous down there!”
Louise stopped beside the door.
For half a second, something moved behind her eyes.
Anger.
Fear.
Then control returned.
She pulled a brass key from her pocket.
The lock clicked.
Louise opened the door.
Darkness waited beyond it.
A narrow staircase disappeared downward between unfinished walls.
Only one weak bulb glowed near the bottom.
Zaria could smell damp concrete and old wood.
Her heart began pounding.
Louise looked down at her.
“Your mother doesn't know everything.”
Zaria tried to pull away.
“I don't want to go down there.”
“You should have thought about that before snooping.”
“I wasn't snooping!”
Louise pushed her across the threshold.
Zaria stumbled onto the first step.
Her hand caught the railing.
“Grandma!”
The door slammed.
Darkness swallowed her.
Zaria spun around and grabbed the handle.
Locked.
“Grandma!”
She pounded both fists against the door.
“Let me out!”
No answer.
Zaria started crying.
“Please!”
On the other side, Louise stood completely still.
She could hear every blow of Zaria's small hands against the wood.
Every sob.
Every frightened plea.
And slowly, Louise's mouth formed the faintest smile.
Perhaps now the child would learn.
Perhaps fear would accomplish what warnings had not.
Then Zaria stopped pounding.
Louise's smile widened slightly.
Silence.
Good.
But downstairs, Zaria had stopped because she heard something behind her.
A movement.
She turned.
The staircase descended into shadow.
“Hello?”
Something scraped below.
Zaria backed against the door.
“Who's there?”
A shape moved near the bottom of the stairs.
Small.
Zaria's breathing became fast.
“Grandma!”
No answer.
The shape moved again.
Zaria screamed.
“Grandma! There's a little girl down here!”
Outside the door, Louise's smile vanished.
Her entire body went rigid.
Zaria's voice came through the wood again, smaller now.
Shaking.
“She…”
Louise stepped toward the door.
“She what?”
Zaria stared down the staircase.
The little girl was barely visible.
Dirty sweatshirt.
Braided hair.
A pale beam from the basement bulb caught one side of her face.
She looked about Zaria's age.
Maybe a little older.
The girl lifted one finger to her lips.
Then whispered something.
Zaria's eyes widened.
Louise pressed one hand against the basement door.
“Zaria?”
From below came Zaria's trembling voice.
“She knows my name…”
Louise went pale.
Her breathing stopped.
She slowly stepped backward.
The hallway suddenly seemed colder.
“Zaria,” Louise called.
Nothing.
“Zaria!”
Silence.
Louise's hand shook as she reached for the key.
Downstairs, the strange girl had grabbed Zaria's hand and pulled her away from the stairs.
“Don't answer her,” she whispered.
Zaria stared at her.
“How do you know me?”
The girl looked toward the locked door.
Then back at Zaria.
“Because my mother told me about you.”
“Who is your mother?”
The girl swallowed.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Before she could answer, Louise's key scraped against the lock upstairs.
The little girl tightened her grip on Zaria.
“If she finds us together, she'll move me again.”
“Move you where?”
“I don't know.”
The lock turned.
Zaria heard Louise opening the door.
The little girl pulled her deeper into the darkness.
“Come on.”
Zaria resisted.
“Tell me your name.”
The girl looked straight into her eyes.
“Imani.”
The basement door opened above them.
Louise appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Zaria?”
Imani whispered one final sentence.
May you like
“My mom said your mother was her sister.”
And suddenly the basement felt much larger than Zaria had ever imagined.
