The Call From Inside The House

The guest room was completely dark.

The heavy velvet curtains had been drawn shut, blocking out the moonlight. The air inside felt stifling and stale.

“Sophie?” Alexander called out, his voice cracking.

He fumbled for the light switch on the wall and flicked it up. The crystal chandelier bathed the room in a sudden, sharp brightness.

For a terrible moment, Alexander thought the room was empty.

The large canopy bed was perfectly made. The antique chairs were empty.

Then, he heard a small whimper.

In the far corner of the room, wedged between a heavy oak wardrobe and the wall, sat a tiny figure.

Sophie was curled into a tight ball, her knees pulled to her chest, her arms wrapped around her head as if trying to shield herself from the world. The yellow scarf and the old cell phone lay discarded on the floor next to her.

“Sophie,” Alexander gasped.

He dropped to his knees and slid across the polished hardwood floor, gathering his daughter into his arms.

She was trembling so violently that Alexander’s own body shook with her.

“Daddy’s here,” he choked out, burying his face in her messy brown hair. “I’m here, baby. I’m so sorry. I’m right here.”

Sophie let out a broken, gut-wrenching sob. She clung to his suit jacket, her small fingers digging into the expensive fabric like claws. She buried her face in his neck, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

“Dad,” she wept. “Dad, dad, dad…”

“I’ve got you,” Alexander promised, tears spilling down his own cheeks. “You’re safe now. No one is ever going to lock you in again.”

Officer Reed stepped into the room, her eyes softening as she looked at the father and daughter. But when she turned her gaze back to the doorway, her expression turned to stone.

Victoria stood in the hall, refusing to step inside. She looked annoyed, rolling her eyes as if witnessing a theatrical performance.

“See?” Victoria said coldly. “She’s perfectly fine. Just dramatic. Like her mother.”

Alexander went completely rigid.

He slowly pulled back from Sophie, framing her tear-stained face in his hands.

“Sophie, look at me,” Alexander said softly. “Are you sick? Do you have a fever?”

Sophie shook her head frantically. “No. I’m not sick.”

“Then why did she lock you in here?” Alexander asked.

Sophie’s eyes darted past her father’s shoulder, landing on Victoria. Pure terror flashed in the little girl's eyes. She shrank back against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible.

“Because…” Sophie whispered, her voice trembling. “Because of what I saw.”

Victoria stepped forward, her voice suddenly sharp and panicked. “Sophie, that’s enough! Stop making up stories. Alexander, she has a vivid imagination—”

“Ma’am, step back into the hallway,” Officer Reed commanded, placing a firm hand on Victoria’s shoulder and shoving her backward.

“Don’t touch me!” Victoria hissed.

“Sophie,” Alexander said, ignoring the chaos at the door. He kept his voice steady, grounding her. “What did you see, sweetheart? You can tell me. I promise she can’t hurt you.”

Sophie swallowed hard. She looked at her father’s face, tracing the lines of exhaustion around his eyes.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Sophie began, her voice barely a squeak. “I went downstairs to get a glass of water. Victoria was in your study.”

Alexander frowned. “My study? I told her never to go in there.”

Sophie nodded. “She was standing by your desk. By the crystal bottle where you keep your brown drink.”

Alexander’s evening scotch. He had a habit of pouring himself a small glass every night while reviewing final reports.

“What was she doing?” Alexander asked, his blood running cold.

Sophie reached into the pocket of her pale pink sweater. Her small, trembling hand emerged, clutching something small and glass.

“She was putting this inside your drink,” Sophie whispered.

She opened her palm.

Lying in the center of her small hand was a tiny, empty glass vial with a black dropper top.

“I bumped into the door,” Sophie continued, tears falling again. “She saw me. She grabbed my arm so hard it hurt. She took away my tablet and locked me in here. She told me…”