Althea was still standing in front of the bedroom door. Her hand gripped the doorknob tightly, but her body felt difficult to move. The woman's voice calling her name still echoed clearly in her head.
"Althea..."
That call wasn't just an ordinary voice.
There was deep sadness behind it.
As if someone had been waiting a long time for her to come.
"Who are you?" Althea asked softly.
There was no answer.
The room fell silent again.
Althea stared into the bedroom. The light from her phone's flashlight illuminated only a small part of the room. Dust floated through the air. Everything inside looked old and untouched.
A small table stood near the window. On top of it were several old books that had already yellowed.
Althea stepped inside.
Every step made the wooden floor creak softly.
Creak.
Creak.
She tried to ignore the fear beginning to rise inside her.
"If there's really something here, I want to know," she said quietly.
She approached the table.
One of the books looked different from the others. Its cover was dark brown, with scratch marks across the front.
Althea picked it up.
When the book opened, several sheets of paper fell to the floor.
She bent down and picked them up.
Handwriting covered the first page.
"I don't know who will find this note. But if you've made it to this room, that means the voice has chosen you."
Althea immediately fell silent.
Her chest felt tight.
"The voice chose me?"
She read the next page.
"I've heard the same cry before. At first, I thought I was just tired. But the more I tried to ignore it, the clearer the sound became."
Althea swallowed.
The story in the book felt as if it were describing exactly what she had just experienced.
She turned the pages one by one.
Someone's name was written at the bottom of the note.
"Nadine."
Althea furrowed her brow.
"Which Nadine?"
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from behind her.
Bang.
Althea spun around.
The bedroom door, which had been slightly open a moment ago, was now closed.
She hurried over to it and tried to open it.
It wouldn't budge.
"This isn't funny," she said in a panic.
She pulled the doorknob harder.
It still didn't move.
Her phone vibrated again.
Raka was calling.
Althea quickly answered.
"Rak!"
"Althea? Why do you sound so panicked?"
"I'm upstairs in the bedroom."
"I told you not to go up!"
"I know, but I'm already here. I found something."
"What?"
"A book. It has the name Nadine in it."
Raka didn't answer for several seconds.
"Raka?"
"Althea, listen to me."
His tone turned serious.
"Come downstairs now."
"I can't."
"What do you mean?"
"The door won't open."
Silence.
Althea could hear Raka breathing through the phone.
"Althea, don't hang up. Keep talking to me."
"I'm scared, Rak."
"I know. But don't panic."
Althea looked around the entire room.
"There was a woman's voice earlier."
"What did she say?"
"She called my name."
Raka fell silent again.
"Rak?"
"I've heard the name Nadine in one of my grandfather's stories."
"Who is she?"
"Nadine was the granddaughter of the house's former owner."
Althea looked at the book in her hand.
"And?"
"She disappeared years ago."
Althea froze.
"Disappeared?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I don't know the details. But according to my grandfather, before she disappeared, Nadine often said that someone was crying in the house."
Althea stared at the corner of the room.
An old doll she hadn't noticed before was now clearly visible.
The doll was sitting and facing her.
And in its hands was a small scrap of paper.
Althea slowly approached it.
"Rak..."
"What?"
"There's something here."
"Don't touch it yet."
But Althea had already picked up the paper.
There was only one sentence written on it.
"Please find me."
Althea's breath caught in her throat.
Suddenly, the bedroom light turned on.
She immediately squeezed her eyes shut as the sudden light appeared.
When she opened them again, the bedroom door was already open.
Althea stood still.
She didn't know whether to feel relieved or even more afraid.
"Althea?" Raka called.
"I'm still here."
"Get out now."
Althea didn't argue.
She walked out of the bedroom, carrying the book and the paper.
But before she went downstairs, she heard a soft voice from inside the room.
"Don't believe everything..."
Althea stopped.
She turned around.
There was no one there.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
There was no answer.
Only the sound of wind coming through the window.
Althea hurried downstairs.
As soon as she reached the living room, she sat down on the sofa.
A few minutes later, the sound of a motorcycle came from in front of the house.
Raka had arrived.
Althea immediately stood up and opened the door.
Raka looked worried.
"Are you okay?"
Althea slowly shook her head.
"I don't know."
Raka stepped inside and saw that Althea's face was still pale.
"You really heard that voice?"
"Yeah."
"And you saw something?"
Althea handed him the old book.
"I found this."
Raka opened the book.
His expression changed when he saw the name on the first page.
"Nadine..."
"You know her?"
"Not personally."
"Then?"
Raka looked at Althea.
"Because that name has come up in my family's stories before."
Althea waited for him to explain.
Raka took a long breath.
"Althea, maybe you accidentally opened something this house has kept tightly sealed all this time."
"And what if I want to stop?"
Raka looked toward the upstairs floor.
"Unfortunately, I don't think you're the one looking for answers now."
"What do you mean?"
Raka looked at the book.
"I think something in this house is looking for you."