The Inverted Staircase Part 4: The House Instructs

TDW#40 Instruct

AI Image generated by te author.

The heavy, male footsteps continued their ponderous, synced beat along the corridor.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Measured. Patient.

Never rushed.

L14’s mouth froze in that rounded, petrified gasp.

And I knew.

The portraits stopped that frantic whispering.

And waited.

The room paused, prepared

Rehearsed.

Silence had learned obedience.

As though every chandelier, hallway and cabinet in the home had waited for those steps to instruct them.

The mansion had learned its master, too well.

Fear kept in perfect time.

The footsteps finally fell beyond the ballroom doors.

And the girl moved.

The eyes of the forgotten girl never left the doors. She reached for the brass plaque.

Slowly —

Almost apologetically.

She lifted as if —

Afraid.

And under it —

A forgotten name.

Almost totally erased.

Only barely recalled.

The portraits trembled.

Vigorously.

The lips of each parted.

Not in terror.

In remembrance.

Then she shook her head.

Not yet

Someone had told the house to stop the names from being spoken.

Tap.

Tap

Tap.

The ballroom doors creaked open —

Slightly

A polished white cane.

Then, a shadow.

A fedora.

With no face.

A voice — -

Too calm.

“What did I instruct you?”

L14 bowed, too instinctively.

She backed away, much too disciplined.

Having learned the lessons that a girl of her age should not.

For #FrequencyChange

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