The open rooms allowed Mike’s imagination to run wild.

“We really need to put a couch right here, and a…” He said pointing at various parts of the living area.

“You know, I’m really surprised we were able to get such a large house for this price… even with everything that’s happened.” His wife said.

Mike paused for a moment, looking at a stretch of the wall. “Yeah, right… people get scared too easily.”

The two of them explored the myriad rooms, noting the strange Victorian wallpaper and the pest traps that sat around the house.

As the sun set in the horizon, they got their bed ready. “Melissa just hold on, and pull!” Mike said as he tucked the comforter into the side of the pull-out.

“I am!” His wife said. After about half an hour, they were able to lay on the result of their shabby work. Exhausted, Mike quickly fell asleep, though Melissa couldn’t stop thinking about the peculiarities of the transaction: the ambiguous disclosure list being about 3 pages long, the doll collection left behind in the attic, and the constant timorousness from the realtor. After skimming many online forums, she found some confidence.

“Maybe, I’m scared of nothing…”

As she finally began to doze off, a peculiar squeak echoed from the hallway. Curious, Melissa decided to take a look. “Wh- where are you going honey” Mike asked, nearly incoherent with sleep. Melissa walked into the hallway. The lights didn’t work, and the chirping got louder. Her footsteps were silent against the heavily waxed flooring.

She arrived in the living room. A small shadow seemed stuck in one of the traps.

Melissa hated rats.

She edged closer, fearful of some disfiguring attack. The rat, however, had only half of its body. She screamed. Mike stumbled out wearily.

“What’s going on in here?”

Melissa looked between him and then the trap in shock. “Ugh, just deal with it.” Mike said dismissively. He promptly walked back to bed.

Melissa garnered her courage, and with a trash bag, picked up the remains. She nearly vomited in the process. By the time the sun began rising, she still hadn’t slept. Mike, on the other hand, rolled out of bed refreshed and with a smile. The door bell rang.

“I’ll go check.” Mike said with jollity. Melissa continued to try to sleep.

“The U-Haul guys are here with our furniture!” Mike shouted, in the hopes of getting Melissa’s help.

The home finally began looking furnished, and Melissa had forgotten the events of the prior night. With the furniture and all, the home gained a feeling of coziness, the kind that makes you tired and self-content.

After settling in, Mike and Melissa sat on the couch watching some Netflix. The TV show was abruptly interrupted by static.

“What happened? Is there something wrong with the HDMI?” Melissa asked, not sure if she wanted to watch TV anyway. “No- it’s not that.” Mike answered mockingly. He peeked his head over the side, and unplugged and replugged all the HDMI cords.

“That should do it.” The TV refocused, though it wasn’t on the same channel. It played loud classical music.

“What’s wrong with this?” Mike hit his hand against the remote. It turned off. Their confused countenances reflected in the darkness of the screen.

Then, the same chirp echoed from the hallway. Melissa felt a sickly feeling as a result of the events of the prior night. Mike groaned, “Again?”

This chirp wasn’t quite like the last one; it seemed longer, artificial… like a child’s precocious whistle. Melissa walked towards the hallway and this time, the lights actually worked. It dimly illuminated the space and all of its abutted doors. The chirp got louder, and it didn’t seem to be coming from any of the rooms. It was echoing from the attic. Melissa’s skin prickled with fear.

“It’s probably some bird that got stuck up there.” Mike said with false confidence. “Uhm yeah.”

They both knew that wasn’t the case. The whistle seemed to gain some melody like a children’s song.

The attic door opened slightly, revealing a porcelain face. Mike’s face went white. His entire body seemed to stop. He didn’t know if time slowed down or if his heart stopped beating. In a swift action, Melissa pushed him, and they both began running towards the main door. Time seemed to extend, and the doll’s lumbering steps followed the two. Melissa out of sheer curiosity wanted to understand the threat. She looked back.

This wasn’t a monster, but rather a man wearing a porcelain doll mask.

The doors were all locked… from the outside. “Shoot!” Mike said, too tired to fight. The two suddenly fell asleep.

When they woke up, they were seated at a makeshift table, unable to move. The two had their make-up done in a flamboyant manner and were seated along with others.