Chapter 6 - the slap that changed everything)
The following morning, Vanessa wore green.
Lily noticed immediately.
Claire had owned an emerald dress.
Not identical.
Close enough.
Lily hated Vanessa's version.
She never explained why.
Breakfast began with Daniel sitting at the end of the table.
Owen wore the camera.
Vanessa knew he did.
That was what made her next decision incomprehensible.
Perhaps she believed she could control Daniel.
Perhaps fear had begun making her reckless.
Or perhaps, as Owen would later understand, she wanted something to happen.
Daniel received a phone call.
He did not leave.
He turned slightly in his chair.
Vanessa leaned toward Lily.
“What did you tell him?”
Lily blinked.
“Nothing.”
“Don't lie.”
Daniel was speaking quietly into his phone.
Owen's camera captured everything.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“You told him about Wednesday.”
Lily shook her head.
“Owen did.”
Vanessa's hand tightened around her fork.
“What else?”
Lily looked toward the kitchen.
Vanessa followed her gaze.
“Did you tell him what you heard?”
Lily remained silent.
Vanessa leaned closer.
“What did she say to you?”
Owen stopped eating.
Lily whispered, “Mom?”
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
“She is not your mother anymore.”
“She'll always be my mom.”
Something cracked inside Vanessa.
Her chair scraped backward.
Owen stood.
“Vanessa.”
She ignored him.
Lily pushed away from the table.
Vanessa grabbed her arm.
“Let go.”
“What did Claire tell you?”
“Let me go!”
“Tell me.”
“She said you're scared of the red door.”
Vanessa froze.
Daniel turned slightly.
Owen saw her reaction.
So did Lily.
The child suddenly understood she possessed information Vanessa desperately wanted.
“She said Daddy will remember.”
“Remember what?”
“I don't know.”
Vanessa shook her.
“What did she say?”
“Ow!”
Owen moved.
“Stop!”
Lily screamed.
“I'll tell Daddy about the pantry!”
Vanessa slapped her.
The sound silenced everything.
Lily fell.
Food hit the floor.
Orange juice spilled.
Daniel's phone dropped onto the table.
The next fifteen seconds changed the Mercer family forever.
Daniel confronted Vanessa.
Lily revealed there was worse.
Owen admitted he had told their father.
The family rushed into the kitchen.
Vanessa accused the children of lying.
Owen pointed to his camera.
“Then let him watch this.”
Vanessa raised her hand.
Daniel caught her wrist.
His eyes turned red.
“Your lies end here.”
Then every pantry lock opened.
Vanessa smiled.
“There you are.”
The pantry doors moved.
Claire's voice came from the darkness.
“Daniel. Don't open the door.”
A pale hand reached through.
Daniel shoved both children behind him.
The hand gripped the doorframe.
It was attached to a woman.
She crawled into the kitchen.
Her white clothing was covered in gray dust.
Her hair was tangled.
Her face was thin.
Lily screamed.
Owen stared.
Daniel's glowing eyes widened.
The woman looked up.
It wasn't Claire.
It was Daniel's mother.
Evelyn Mercer.
Daniel stumbled backward.
“Mom?”
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
Evelyn had supposedly died twenty-one years ago.
Daniel had attended her funeral.
He had watched her coffin lowered into the ground.
Yet she was crawling across his kitchen floor.
Alive.
Or something close to it.
Evelyn lifted her face.
“Close it.”
Vanessa shouted.
“No!”
Evelyn pointed into the pantry.
“Close the door before he wakes.”
Something enormous moved below them.
Daniel grabbed one pantry door.
Vanessa seized his arm.
“You don't understand.”
Daniel threw her aside.
The kitchen lights flickered.
Lily screamed again.
Owen grabbed the second door.
Together, father and son pulled.
A roar came from beneath the house.
Not an animal.
Not human.
Every window in the kitchen cracked.
Daniel's red eyes burned brighter.
The pantry doors slammed shut.
The silver locks snapped closed by themselves.
Silence returned.
Daniel turned.
Vanessa was gone.
The back door stood open.
May you like
Evelyn lay unconscious on the floor.
And inside Owen's blazer, the tiny camera continued recording.
