The next day, Millie couldn’t resist bringing it up to Nina. “Does anyone ever go into the attic?” she asked, keeping her tone casual.

Nina froze mid-sip of her coffee. For a split second, her mask of composure slipped, revealing something raw and fearful. “Why would you ask that?” she said, her voice tight.

Millie shrugged. “I heard noises coming from up there. Thought it might be pests or something.”

Nina laughed, the sound hollow. “It’s probably just the old house settling. There’s nothing up there.”

But Millie wasn’t convinced. Her suspicions deepened when she began to notice other strange occurrences. The family’s pristine home seemed less immaculate upon closer inspection. A thin layer of dust coated the base of the attic stairs, undisturbed by anyone but her. One evening, while putting away groceries, she found an unfamiliar key hidden at the back of a drawer.

Her instincts screamed at her to leave it alone, but curiosity burned hotter. That night, she waited until the house was silent. Slipping the key into the lock at the top of the attic stairs, she held her breath as the mechanism clicked.