Chapter 7 - NoahElliot expected Noah to attack him.
He didn't.
The boy simply sat in the darkness beside him.
“I've been waiting.”
“Where are we?”
“Under the house.”
“There isn't anything under the house.”
Noah smiled.
“There is now.”
Elliot noticed hundreds of doors stretching into the darkness.
Each door had a name.
Some were old.
Some were new.
One said:
DANIEL MERCER
Another:
CLAIRE MERCER
Then Elliot saw one with his own name.
ELLIOT MERCER
“No.”
Noah grabbed his hand.
“Don't open that one.”
“Why?”
“Because that's where it keeps your memories.”
Elliot stared.
“What memories?”
“The ones you're going to lose.”
Noah led him through the darkness.
They passed rooms filled with objects.
A wedding ring.
A child's shoe.
A bloodstained sweater.
A broken watch.
Photographs.
Every object seemed connected to someone who had disappeared.
“What is this place?”
Noah answered:
“The house's stomach.”
Elliot shivered.
“Where is Mom?”
Noah pointed upward.
“She is fighting.”
“Against Evelyn?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Noah looked sad.
“Against herself.”
They reached a small room.
Claire sat on the floor.
Her hands were covered in blood.
Elliot ran toward her.
“Mom!”
She looked up.
“Elliot…”
He hugged her.
“I found you.”
Claire held him tightly.
Noah stood in the doorway.
Claire looked at him.
“Noah.”
He smiled.
“You remember me.”
“I remember everything.”
“Then you know what she wants.”
Claire nodded.
“She wants Elliot.”
Noah looked at Elliot.
“She wants more than that.”
“What?”
Noah whispered:
“She wants to be born again.”
A cold wind moved through the room.
Claire's expression changed.
“Elliot, listen carefully.”
She pulled a small metal key from her pocket.
“This belonged to your father.”
“What does it open?”
“The chamber.”
“What chamber?”
“The one beneath the original facility.”
Elliot stared.
“You said the facility was abandoned.”
“It was.”
“Then why is there a chamber?”
“Because that's where Evelyn is.”
Noah shook his head.
“Not Evelyn.”
Claire corrected herself.
“What remains of her.”
Elliot stared at the key.
“What do we have to do?”
Claire looked at Noah.
Noah looked back.
Then both answered together.
“We have to kill the house.”
Suddenly, every door slammed open.
The darkness filled with screaming voices.
Evelyn's laughter shook the walls.
Claire grabbed Elliot.
Noah grabbed his hand.
They ran.
Behind them, the creature screamed:
“YOU CANNOT KILL WHAT REMEMBERS YOU!”
A door appeared ahead.
Claire shoved the key into its lock.
The door opened.
Beyond it was a hospital corridor.
May you like
And at the end stood Daniel Mercer.
Alive.
