CHAPT 10: A Midnight Visitor

Lynda sat curled up on her couch, her knees pulled close to her chest as she stared at the locked front door. Her hands were still gripping her phone, knuckles slightly white from how tightly she held it. She forced herself to take slow, deep breaths, but her pulse remained erratic.

Isaac was on his way.

That thought alone should have made her feel safer, but the unease still clung to her like a heavy blanket. She couldn’t stop replaying the voice she had heard, those chilling words whispered in the darkness.

"You shouldn’t have moved here."

The house felt bigger and emptier than before. Every creak of the wooden floors, every gust of wind against the windows made her jump. She glanced at the time again—1:55 AM.

Then, headlights.

Lynda exhaled in relief as she saw a familiar black SUV pull up in front of her house. Within seconds, the driver’s door opened, and Isaac stepped out. Even in the dim glow of the streetlights, his tall frame and confident strides were unmistakable.

She quickly unlocked the door before he even knocked. The second he stepped inside, he took one look at her and frowned.

"You look like you’ve seen a ghost," he muttered.

Lynda let out a nervous chuckle. "Feels like I almost did."

Isaac’s sharp eyes studied her for a moment before he turned back toward the front yard. "Stay here. I’m going to check around first."

She wanted to argue—wanted to follow him, to make sure he wasn’t out there alone—but the stern look he gave her made her stop. "Lock the door behind me," he added before stepping outside.

Lynda hesitated but did as he said, peeking through the window as Isaac moved around her porch. He crouched near the broken flowerpot, running his fingers over the scattered ceramic pieces. Then, he stood and walked further, scanning the hedges where she had seen movement earlier.

She watched him for what felt like forever. His movements were careful, calculated, as if he was trained to notice things most people wouldn’t.

Eventually, he circled back to the porch and knocked on the door. Lynda quickly unlocked it, letting him in.

"Find anything?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Isaac shut the door behind him and shook his head. "No footprints. No objects left behind. Just your broken pot." He met her gaze. "Are you sure you heard someone?"

Lynda bristled. "I know what I heard, Isaac. I’m not imagining things."

He studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Alright. Tell me exactly what happened."

Lynda took a deep breath and told him everything—how she had been working on her laptop, how the loud crash had startled her, and how she had seen the shadow in the hedges. And then, finally, the whisper.

Isaac’s expression darkened at that part. "You’re sure they said, You shouldn’t have moved here?"

"Positive." Lynda rubbed her arms, as if trying to shake off the lingering fear. "It wasn’t my imagination. Someone was there, watching."

Isaac didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, looking deep in thought.

Then, he asked something that caught her off guard.

"Why were you still awake at this hour?"

Lynda blinked. "What?"

"You said you were working, but it's past one in the morning. Do you always stay up this late?"

Lynda frowned. "I—well, yeah. Sometimes. It’s a habit from my old job. Why does that matter?"

Isaac shrugged, but his gaze was sharp. "It just makes me wonder if someone knew you’d be awake. That this wasn’t random."

A chill crawled up her spine. "You think they were… waiting for me?"

Isaac didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced around her house, his expression unreadable.

"Is this the first time something like this has happened since you moved in?" he asked.

Lynda hesitated. "If you mean something this obvious, then yeah. But my neighbors have been acting weird since day one. They avoid me, and they definitely avoid talking about this house."

Isaac’s jaw tightened. "Yeah… I figured."

Lynda narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

He exhaled, looking conflicted for a moment before speaking. "I told you before—this house has a reputation. People around here don’t like talking about it, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know."

Lynda felt her pulse quicken. "Know what? What exactly happened here, Isaac?"

He hesitated. "It’s not my story to tell. But let’s just say… this house isn’t just another property in this neighborhood. There’s history here."

Lynda clenched her fists. "And no one thought to warn me before I moved in?"

Isaac sighed. "Would you have believed them if they did?"

She wanted to argue, but deep down, she knew he was right. If someone had tried to scare her away before she bought the house, she probably would’ve dismissed it as paranoia.

Silence settled between them.

Then, Isaac glanced toward the front door again. "I’ll stay for a bit. Just in case."

Lynda raised an eyebrow. "You don’t have to do that."

Isaac smirked slightly. "You called me in the middle of the night, Lynda. I’m not just going to leave you here alone after that."

She opened her mouth to protest but realized she actually did feel safer with him around. With a small sigh, she nodded.

"Fine. But don’t think this means I owe you one."

Isaac chuckled. "Noted."

He made himself comfortable on the armchair across from her while she sat back on the couch. The tension in the air had eased slightly, but questions still swirled in Lynda’s mind.

Who had been outside her house?

Why did they leave that warning?

And, most importantly…

What exactly had happened in this house before she moved in?

She wasn’t sure if she was ready for the answers.

But she knew she had to find them.

Lynda crossed her arms, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Wait a second. You live right next door, right?”

Isaac raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Why?”

“Then why did you drive here?” she asked, tilting her head toward the parked SUV outside. “I mean, it’s literally a few steps away.”

Isaac smirked, leaning back in his chair. “I wasn’t home when you called. I came straight from work.”

Lynda blinked. “At this hour? Where do you even work?”

He hesitated for a moment before answering. “Security.”

Her brows furrowed. “Like… a night guard?”

Isaac chuckled. “Something like that.”

Lynda could tell there was more to it, but he wasn’t offering any extra details. Something about his vague answers made her even more curious, but she decided not to push—at least not yet.

Instead, she settled back into the couch, watching him carefully.

Isaac wasn’t just some ordinary neighbor. That much was clear.

And the more time she spent around him, the more she wanted to know.

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